Message details

17. June 2024

Civic engagement in rural areas

The brochure "ENKOR: Engagement in rural areas - forms and constellations" is now available online and in print.

Engagement hopping, patchwork engagement, the death of associations, the trend towards less obligatory engagement and the dismantling of hierarchies are terms and descriptions that are currently frequently used when talking about civic engagement.

What has changed in the way people participate publicly? What is happening in clubs, volunteer fire departments and initiatives, i.e. between soccer, blue lights, churches and rabbits?

Teams from the Georg August University of Göttingen, the TRAWOS Institute at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the Thünen Institute for Regional Development have jointly investigated civic engagement in nine rural communities in eastern and western Germany.

We asked ourselves the following questions: What characterizes civic engagement in rural areas today with its specific challenges? Which forms of engagement and actor constellations can be identified? What are the factors that promote and hinder civic engagement in rural areas ? What recommendations for action can be derived from this?

The most important answer in advance: civic engagement comes in many colors and forms. It is extremely lively, characterized by a wide variety of actors, activities and formats - and takes on important tasks, especially in rural areas. Our research results give us courage and hope. Let them inspire you!

The final brochure of the "ENKOR" project...
  • provides insights into the research question, the research design and the results
  • introduces the participants
  • presents the identified engagement constellations
  • ventures an East-West comparison
  • provides recommendations for funding policy
  • has a checklist for the support of engagement by the administration
  • summarizes the project

... and is available here for download as a pdf and as a printed copy from the TRAWOS Institute. We hope you enjoy reading it!

Your contact persons

Photo: Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Raj Kollmorgen
Projektleitung an der HSZG
Prof. Dr. phil. habil.
Raj Kollmorgen
Faculty of Social Sciences
02826 Görlitz
Furtstrasse 2
Building G I, Room 2.17
2nd upper floor
+49 3581 374-4259
Rectorate
02763 Zittau
Theodor-Körner-Allee 16
Building Z I, Room 1.51.1
1st floor
+49 3583 612-3011
Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin
M.A.
Susanne Lerche
Institute for Transformation, Housing and Social Spatial Development
02826 Görlitz
Parkstrasse 2
Building G VII, Room 304
2nd upper floor
+49 3581 374-4289