Tribute to Prof. Matthias Theodor Vogt

In recognition of his contributions to cultural law, the Ilia State University in Tbilisi has awarded Matthias Theodor Vogt, a professor from Görlitz, the title of Doctor iuris honoris causa —an honorary doctorate in law. State Secretary Uwe Gaul of the Saxon State Ministry of Science and the Arts offered his congratulations, saying: “This honor demonstrates that your contributions to the field of cultural policy are recognized far beyond our state’s borders. I wish you continued success in your responsible work.”

From 1992 to 1995, Matthias Theodor Vogt developed the concept for the Saxon Cultural Area Act and played a leading role in its enactment and implementation. He has been director of the Institute for Cultural Infrastructure in Saxony since 1994 and has been teaching cultural policy, cultural history, and intercultural cooperation at the Görlitz Faculty of Managerial and Cultural Studies at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences since 1997. He is one of only two university professors in Saxony currently appointed to teach in the field of intercultural studies.

Vogt’s particular focus as a university professor is to explore the cultural diversity of Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe through field trips, summer schools, art projects, research, and, of course, in his lectures and seminars, in order to actively help build “Building Europe” together with his students. He is the author of numerous studies on the cultural prerequisites for strengthening democratic potential in Europe. The University of Pécs awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2012, and the Republic of Poland named him an Officer of the Polish Order of Merit in 2014 in recognition of his commitment to German-Polish cooperation.

Currently, Vogt’s primary interest lies in the question of how Saxony—and the rest of the Federal Republic of Germany—can master the transformation into a country of immigration (among other such countries of immigration, transit, and emigration)? How can Germany address concerns about successful coexistence in the face of increasing diversity in terms of origin, tradition, culture, and religion within our political community, without succumbing to the myth of a singular national culture? (See Vogt, Matthias Theodor: The New Arrivals: Social Cohesion and (Cultural) Integration. In: German Cultural Council: Politics & Culture 2/17, p. 33)

Vogt’s keynote address in Tbilisi addressed the question: To what extent do studies on interculturality require an interdisciplinary approach? His answer (which you can read ) is: It depends on who defines “singular” and how this is done!