The Politics of Voluntariness – Our Lecture Series

Our interdisciplinary lecture series, which we organize together with the Department of History at the University of Erfurt, is dedicated to the broad research field of voluntariness. We have put together an exciting program for the 2022 summer term, themed “The Politics of Voluntariness.”

With guests from sociology, philosophy, and the historical sciences, we will discuss “The Politics of Voluntariness” from different perspectives, for example in relation to a history of modern vaccination programs, to voluntariness in global and local contexts, in the context of volunteering and engagement, or intertwined with concepts such as criminalization or submission.

All events will take place on Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m. (c.t.) on campus, Erfurt University, Audimaxgebäude AMG / 0007. An interested audience is kindly invited to attend on site. In addition, all presentations can also be followed digitally via Webex. If interested one can receive a meeting link in advance. We ask for timely registration with the Research Unit on Voluntariness. If an event cannot be held on site, for example due to the pandemic situation, the respective lecture will only take place digitally via Webex. Information will be announced online in due time.

Programm Lecture Series

Previous Post
Voluntariness and Friends – Our Mercator-Fellow
Next Post
Voluntariness Up For Debate – Workshop Dis-Cover Fellow Citizens

What Else Is New?

“Treppenhaus-Lecture” by Jürgen Martschukat in Erfurt

Under the heading “Ambivalences of Voluntariness”, Jürgen Martschukat, spokesperson of the DFG Research Unit Voluntariness, will give a brief overview of the research of our group on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, from 12:00 to 12:30 in the foyer of the research building “Weltbeziehungen” in Erfurt, as part of the series “Treppenhaus Lectures”. Feel free to drop by!

Special Issue on Voluntariness at Rethinking History

Members of our research group have compiled a special issue for the journal Rethinking History on the topic of “The Politics of Voluntariness in Modern History.” The issue is edited by Jürgen Martschukat and Alexandra Oeser and all pieces are available for download as open access articles on the journal’s website. Get the links right here.