November 2025 to October 2030

The ZeStuR sub-project Cluster 5 examines conflicts surrounding belonging, participation and democratic culture in Lusatia in the context of migration, processes of social exclusion and far-right mobilisation. The focus is on how different social milieus negotiate their collective identities and regional affiliations.

The research analyses the strategies of far-right actors, the conditions for successful democratic counter-movements, and the challenges and potential of inclusive educational processes. It also examines how migrants achieve participation in politics, society and the economy amidst changing regional conditions, and what obstacles they face in doing so. Particular attention is paid to the question of how people with refugee backgrounds develop access to participation, education and work under the specific social, political and institutional conditions of the Zug region, and what challenges they face in doing so.

Inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration is intended to generate analyses of social fault lines. The results will be integrated into the overall ZeStuR project via a transfer platform for stakeholders from academia, politics, business and civil society. Comparative studies with other regions in Germany complement the research and enable supra-regional perspectives on transformation processes, migration and democratic participation.

ZeStuR is a project of the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, initiated, amongst other things, to investigate existing challenges arising from structural change in the region and to identify support options for a successful transformation – at both the societal and academic levels. The project comprises five clusters, each comprising members from different disciplines and faculties and focusing on distinct areas of research.