“Bonjour,” “Dzień dobry,” “Guten Morgen,” and “Dobrý den”: Even the greetings made it clear what the event on the Görlitz campus was all about on September 23. High school students, college students, and other guests came together to learn about languages, engage in conversation, and experience Europe firsthand. 20260923_WDNews

The campus’s location right on the Neisse River gave the day special significance. Zgorzelec lies on the opposite bank; here, Germany and Poland are immediate neighbors. Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch highlighted this proximity in his welcoming remarks:

The program demonstrated in various ways how cross-border encounters can work. Young people from the region helped organize parts of the day themselves, learned about neighboring languages, and engaged in conversation with representatives from various institutions. Musical performances, workshops, readings, and creative activities offered diverse approaches to language and culture.

The program included, among other things, performances by students from Zgorzelec as well as activities that highlighted German-Polish and German-French cooperation. What mattered most was not so much the individual program details as the shared experience: Europe was not discussed in abstract terms, but became tangible through encounters, language, and shared activities.

The event combined the concept of the Weimar Triangle with the European Day of Languages. Founded in 1991, the Weimar Triangle symbolizes cooperation between Germany, France, and Poland and represents an effort to strengthen political and social understanding across historical divides.

Multilingualism therefore played a central role as well. When you learn another language, you not only acquire new words, but also gain new perspectives and access to other ways of life. This is precisely what constitutes an essential part of cross-border understanding.

For Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, this idea is closely tied to its location. In this tri-border region, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic come together in a small area. Cross-border cooperation is therefore part of everyday life in studying, teaching, and campus life.

Alexander Kratzsch summed up this idea in his welcoming remarks:

The Weimar Triangle Network in Saxony organized the event and provided the framework for a collaboratively designed program. The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences served as the host and, along with numerous other partners, contributed its own presentations.

After stops in Dresden, Chemnitz, and Görlitz, the Weimar Triangle and European Languages Day is set to continue in Leipzig in 2027.