Exploring Politics – Experiencing Democracy

Together, we are committed to promoting political and democratic education.

Events, Activities, and Projects Related to Political and Democratic Education at the HSZG (Starting in March 2024)

With this overview, we would like to provide you with information on the topics of democracy and evidence-based political education at HSZG in and for our region. It covers activities that are primarily organized by members of the HSZG community and offered on an optional or extracurricular basis.

The goal is to raise the visibility of the university’s responsibility as an institution focused on education and research in line with its “third mission” in this area as well, to promote dialogue between the university and society in the region as well as exchange within the university, and to create new points of connection.

The overview provides information on activities in 4 categories:

  • Teaching and educational events at the HSZG
  • HSZG events in the region—public and collaborative
  • Research and knowledge transfer projects
  • Publications and initiatives on political and democratic education
Are you planning additional events and projects, or have you already carried them out?

In that case, please send a brief message to research(at)hszg.de and we’ll be happy to include it in our overview.

  • Teaching and Educational Events at HSZG
    Overview as of March 2024
    April 22, 2024
    Zittau Campus

    Environmental Managementat
    : Internal Workshop on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a Clothing Swap

    Contact: Ulrike Bobek
    Further Information

    March 23, 2024 /
    May 22, 2024
    Görlitz Campus

    Faculty of Social Sciences
    Internal Workshop: Democracy at Stake?!
    Playing, Listening & Discussing

    Contact: Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukschat and Dr. Monique Ritter
    Further Information

    May 13–17, 2024

    Vice President for Education and International Affairs / Office of Education
    Week of Equal Opportunity and Teaching Day 2024

    May 13, 2024, Zittau Campus
    Public consultation session with the Vice President on the topics of equal opportunity and intercultural communication
    Keynote presentations: Prof. Dr. Janina M. Vernal Schmidt, Dr. Stefanie Dreiack, and Diana Hillebrand-Ludin (Saxony Equal Opportunity Coordination Office)

    May 14, 2024, Zittau student canteen
    “Opportunity Talk” over lunch on equal opportunity in academic studies and teaching
    Featuring: Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil

    May 15, 2024, Görlitz Campus
    Teaching Day on the topic:
    Equal Opportunity and Diversity in Academic Studies and Teaching – (Not) an Issue for the HSZG
    Featuring: Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil, representatives of the Student Council (StuRa), Prof. Dr. Gerhard Weber (TUD),
    Dr. Monique Ritter and Sophie Ulbrich

    May 16, 2024, Görlitz Campus
    Workshop: ChanGe University: Equal Opportunity Through Diversity-Sensitive Teaching?
    Facilitators: Janna Burr and Julia Lochner

    May 17, 2024, online
    Workshop: Intercultural Competence in Higher Education—An Introduction for Instructors
    Featuring: Dr. Steffi Nothnagel, Diversity Consulting

    May 17, 2024, online
    HSZG Digital Teaching Exchange – Topic: Promoting Participation Through Digital Tools in Teaching
    Featuring: Robert Viertel

    Contact: Daniel Winkler
    Further Information

    Summer Semester 2024
    Görlitz Campus

    TRAWOS
    Public lecture series in cooperation with VHS Görlitz:
    Navigating Uncertain Times – Social Crises and Shaping Them

    May 16, 2024
    Shaping Fragile Futures—Are Feminist Perspectives or Policies an Answer?!
    Featuring: Dr. Julia Gabler, Prof. Sophia Keil (Vice President for Education), Bernadette Rohlf (TRAWOS), Franziska Böhm (Feminist Forum), Markus Will (TRAWOS)

    May 30, 2024
    Crises and Aging?!
    Speaker: Prof. Dr. Andreas Hoff

    June 13, 2024
    “Za moju domiznu!?” Living as a Sorbian in a Tug-of-War
    Speaker: Dr. Theresa Jacobs, Sorbian Institute

    June 17, 2024
    Crisis, crisis, crisis—a passing fad, a new reality, or a modus operandi?
    Featuring: Julia Gabler, Julian Nejkow, and Clemens Kießling in a live podcast: “As far as I know, right away!”

    Contact: Cornelia Müller
    About the Lecture Series

    June 12, 2024
    Görlitz Campus

    TRAWOS
    Public Workshop: Toxic Masculinities—Introductory Program for Those Looking to Break Free
    Speaker: Christoph May from the Detox Masculinity Institute

    Contact: Bernadette Rohlf
    Further Information

    Summer Semester 2024

    Faculty of Social Sciences: “Democracy and Diversity” Working Group
    Principles for Democratic (Co)existence at the Faculty of Social Sciences

    View the principles

    October 21, 2024
    Görlitz Campus

    Faculty of Social Sciences in cooperation with the Federal Agency for Civic Education
    Workshop: Play “NSU Monologues” and accompanying workshop

    Contact: Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukaschat
    Further Information

    October 23, 2024,
    , Zittau Campus

    Prorector for Research/Research Office,
    Public Event: Opening of the Year of Science at HSZG: “Those Up There, Us Down Here”—Keynote Address, Short Presentations, and Panel Discussion

    Contact: Kristin Sprechert
    Announcement

    Winter Semester 2024/2025,
    , Görlitz Campus

    Faculty of Social Sciences,
    New Elective Module in the “Studium Fundamentale”: Reflective Volunteer Work

    Contact: Prof. Dr. Maja Dshemuchadse
    Further Information

    October 25, 2025,
    , Görlitz Campus

    Faculty of Social Sciences in cooperation with Demokratie AG Ostsachsen,
    : 2025 Symposium on the State of Youth Work

    Contact: Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukaschat
    Further Information

  • HSZG events in the region public & cooperative
    Theater play entitled "NSU Monologues" followed by a panel discussion

    Faculty of Social Sciences in cooperation with the Federal Agency for Civic Education

    Monday, October 21, 2024, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Görlitz Campus

    Contact: Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukschat

    Information

    SPEAK UP! Professional, partisan and solidary perspectives for action in social work in dealing with the prohibition of gender-equitable language - symposium in hybrid format

    “Verbinden & Verbünden” Network, Darmstadt Protestant University of Applied Sciences, and the Center for Gender and Women’s Studies at Hessian Universities (gFFZ), in cooperation with the HSZG

    Friday, December 13, 2024, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., In-person: Protestant University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt + Online

    Contact: Dr. Monique Ritter

    Information

    If it weren't for the small but significant "but" - (East German?!) racism in geriatric care

    Faculty of Social Sciences in cooperation with the VHS Dreiländereck and Saxony5

    Wednesday, 16.10.2024, 18.00 - 20.15, CELSIUZ, Äußere Oybiner Str. 14/16, 02763 Zittau (Mandauhöfe)

    Speaker: Dr. Monique Ritter

    Information and registration

    StrukturWANDEL conference "Struktur, wir wandeln dich Part II - Gender equality in transformation processes"

    TRAWOS in cooperation with the Bündnis Gleichstellung Lausitz and the SMJuSDEG

    Wednesday, 02.10.2024, from 12 noon, Weißwasser (TELUX)

    Contact person: Dr. Julia Gabler

    Invitation to the event
    To the report
    Structural change conference in retrospect - aftermovie

    OLD SCHOOL, NEW SCHOOL, YOUR SCHOOL? The Democracy Conference of the City of Görlitz 2024

    Partnership for Democracy City of Görlitz in cooperation with the HSZG

    Wednesday, 18.09.2024, from 3 pm, Görlitz campus (auditorium)

    Contact person: Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen

    Further information

  • Research and transfer projects
    Youth moves region - Region moves youth (JuBReg)

    Collaborative practice project in the three-country region (2024-2027)

    Marie Melzer
    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen (project management)

    Further information
    Project website

    Engagement constellations in rural areas - an East-West comparison (ENKOR)

    Research project (2021-2024)

    Susanne Lerche
    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen (project management)

    Further information
    ENKOR final conference Berlin 18.04.2024

    Shortage of nursing staff and migration (FuM) - Racism-critical organizational development in the district of Görlitz

    Research project (2023-2026)

    Dr. Monique Ritter
    Prof. Dr. Mandy Schulze (project management)

    Further information

    Participation and partnerships in structural change (BePart)

    Research project (2022-2025)

    Emilia Socha
    Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukschat (project management)

    Further information

    Elitenmonitor - Personal underrepresentation of East Germans in central leadership positions: Development over time, mechanisms, options for action

    Research project (2022-2025)

    Jan Schaller
    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen (project management)

    Further information

    Multilevel governance of illegalized migration at the edges of Europe - a comparative study of actors, configurations and lines of conflict

    Doctoral project (since 2021)

    Jan Schaller

    Further information

  • Publications and Initiatives on Political and Democratic Education
    Perspectives for a gender-equitable shaping of structural change

    PRESENTATION
    22/23.01.2025, 18th Future Forum for Rural Development, Berlin

    Dr. Julia Gabler and students of the Master's degree program Management of social change

    Further information

    Gender-sensitive research in rural regions - 10 years of research on women's lifestyles in regions undergoing structural change

    BROCHURE
    November 2024

    Julia Gabler, Bernadette Rohlf, Susanne Lerche, Monique Ritter, Anika Noack, Annika Runge

    To the brochure

    Intersectionality

    CONTRIBUTION
    11.07.2024

    Dr. Monique Ritter

    To the article

    Gender equality in academia? Dis/equalities in dealing with sexist practices in STEM subjects

    CONTRIBUTION
    July 2024

    Dr. Monique Ritter, Bernadette Rohlf, Susanne Lerche

    Information and articles

    The beginning or end of conformism? - All about alienation

    PERFORMATIVE THINKING SPACE
    04.10.2024, LOFFT Theater Leipzig

    The Theater der Versammlung / Center for Performance Studies at the University of Bremen created a joint performative thinking space together with moderator Friedrich Weißbach, philosopher Barbara Schellhammer, sociologist Nadine Jukschat, performer/artist Diana Wesser and the audience.

    Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukschat

    To the recording

    Newsflash - Is this still democracy?

    PUBLIC PANEL DISCUSSION: “
    ” September 20, 2024, 6:00–8:00 p.m., Waltersdorf Nature Park Center

    Students from the Pestalozzi High School in Großschönau, in collaboration with the State Agency for Political Education

    Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukschat as a guest panelist

    LAUSITZ LAB "FOR ALL." COGNITIVE CAPITALISM, THE POPULARITY OF POP CULTURE

    LECTURE
    07.09.2024 Lausitz Festival, Cottbus

    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen

    Further information

    Right-wing populism and right-wing extremism

    BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

    An offer of the University Library

    To the overview

    From exclusion to alienation? Realities and consequences of the underrepresentation of East Germans in the elites since 1990

    CONTRIBUTION
    07.08.2024

    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen, Jan Schaller

    To the article

    TRANSFORMATION AND UNITY: F(R)ICTIONS OF A SOCIAL PROJECT

    LECTURE
    19.06.2024, Dresden

    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen

    Further information

    Radicalization - a critical review

    CONTRIBUTION
    14.06.2024

    Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukschat together with Dr. Katharina Leimbach

    To the article

    Racism and care for the elderly in East Germany

    PODCAST
    15.06.2024

    Dr. Monique Ritter

    Listen to the podcast

    Racism and elderly care in East Germany. On the 'discomfort' in professional cooperation with migrants

    MONOGRAPH
    2024

    Dr. Monique Ritter

    To the publication

    "Fundamental Protest Orientation": On Possible Reasons for the European Election Results

    CONTRIBUTION
    13.06.2024 Topics of the day

    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen

    To the article

    An early shift for my Görlitz. Shaping Saxony as a land of science

    CREATIVE WORKSHOP
    10.06.2024, Görlitz

    Further information

    "Those up there": Raj Kollmorgen on GDR influences and right-wing populism in East Germany

    INTERVIEW
    10.06.2024

    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen

    To the article

    Environment Week

    PODIUM
    05.06.2024, Berlin

    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen

    Further information

    Link to the recording

    Democracy in Saxony today: challenges and opportunities

    IMPULS
    30.05.2024

    9th Annual Conference of the Democracy Center Saxony

    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen

    To the press release

    Balance sheet of catch-up modernization

    LECTURE and PODIUM TALK
    09.04.2024, Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden

    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen

    Watch the video

    Distant elites - The underrepresentation of East Germans and people with a migration background

    ANTHOLOGY
    2024

    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen

    Further information

    Genesis East - Transformations of social work in Germany

    PODCAST
    08.04.2024

    Prof. Dr. Mandy Schulze

    Further information

    Right-wing populism: what it is, where it comes from, why it is so strong today

    LECTURE
    15.03.2024

    Sozialverband Deutschland (Landesverband Nordrhein-Westfalen)

    Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen

Ansprechperson
M.A.
Fränzi Straßberger
University Executive Board/Research Division
02763 Zittau
Th.-Körner-Allee 16
Building Z I, Room 1.64
1st floor
+49 3583 612-4248
University Executive Board/Research Division
02826 Görlitz
Parkstrasse 2
Building G VII, Room 315
2nd upper floor
+49 3581 374-4248