Digital resources in the Social Sciences and Humanities OpenEdition Our platforms OpenEdition Books OpenEdition Journals Hypotheses Calenda Libraries OpenEdition Freemium Follow us

Strengthening action competence of municipalities: A Unique Knowledge Partnership Between Science and Communities in Eastern Germany

Interview with Dr. Ninja Steinbach-Hüther (ReCentGlobe)

Across Central Germany, communities are facing a complex convergence of challenges: demographic decline, economic restructuring, and the impacts of climate change. In this context, local governments are under pressure to develop innovative solutions—quickly and inclusively, and often without the support of local universities or research institutions.

The T!Raum initiative Strengthening action competence of municipalities, an initiative to strengthen local competence and capacity, based at Leipzig University’s ReCentGlobe Transfer Lab, addresses this gap through a pioneering model of collaboration between science and practice. Working with towns and districts across Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, the project co-develops lasting structures for knowledge exchange—on equal footing between academics, municipal staff, and civil society.

Bridging the gap Mühlgrabenbrücke in “Weltkleinstadt” Eilenburg (© Eilenburger Tourismus- und Gewerbeverein e. V.)

Through joint formats in areas like strategic planning, economic development, resource and climate management, and participatory urban design, the initiative explores how municipalities can strengthen their societal capacity for innovation. At the same time, it helps researchers recalibrate their own approaches to knowledge production through grounded engagement with real-world transformation.

One of the most compelling reflections on this collaboration emerged at a recent roundtable discussion, held during the ReCentGlobe Annual Conference 2025 in Leipzig. In the following interview, research associate Dr. Ninja Steinbach-Hüther shares insights into the initiative’s goals, the regional dynamics of change, and what we can learn about social cohesion from towns like Aue-Bad Schlema and Eilenburg.

Dr. Steinbach-Hüther, could you briefly explain the background and goals of the project you are working on, and how it connects to the wider national funding initiative?

The project I am involved in is part of a German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space initiative called T!Raum – Transfer spaces for the future of regions. It focuses on enabling regional innovation by fostering deeper collaboration between academic institutions and local municipalities. Our project within this initiative, “Strengthening municipalities”, divided into six sub-projects and led by the Transfer Lab at ReCentGlobe, Leipzig University. The goal is to establish mutual knowledge exchange formats between science and local administrations—particularly in small and medium-sized towns that often lack their own universities.

Coming from various disciplines, we work with municipalities in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt − like Eilenburg, Aue-Bad Schlema, Weißenfels, Zeitz − on challenges such as participatory urban planning, economic development, climate adaptation, and demographic change. The idea is to co-develop strategies and build long-term structures of cooperation between research and practice.

How does this project address the question of social cohesion − especially in areas affected by demographic shifts and structural transformation?

That’s exactly what we tackled during our recent roundtable at the ReCentGlobe Annual Conference in May 2025, themed “Social Cohesion (Un)Bound?”. We brought together researchers, municipal staff, and civic actors from towns like Aue-Bad Schlema and Eilenburg to explore the practical foundations of social cohesion under real-life pressures: economic challenges, population decline or growth, political polarization, and how to deal with climate impacts.

We discussed how civic engagement manifests locally and what kinds of support or visibility are needed to sustain it. For instance, in Eilenburg − a small town near Leipzig with a growing population − there’s a vibrant creative scene with initiatives like the KUNSTwoche (arts week) and a co-working hub called Coworking Weltkleinstadt (“Global Small Town”). And in Aue-Bad Schlema, a town in the German Ore Mountains with a shrinking population, maintains a strong tradition of civic associations, despite financial strain.

Ninja Steinbach-Hüther, Thomas Beukert, Lena Freyer, Sven Lehmann, Markus Maier (left to right) during the roundtable discussion “Gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt und die Handlungskompetenz von Kommunen”. Picture: Justus Wenke, Universität Leipzig

Could you share some key takeaways from the roundtable discussion?

One major insight was how much civic initiatives often depend on a few highly engaged individuals − what we call “transfer through people”. These individuals act as local bridges between administrative institutions, civil society, and often also academia.

Another important point was the role of financial resources. Aue-Bad Schlema and Eilenburg face very different demographic trends − decline versus growth − but both struggle with underfunded municipal budgets. Still, Aue-Bad Schlema maintains a broader range of public services, which contributes to perceived local cohesion.

We also discussed the importance of communication. There’s often strong informal exchange between city administrations and residents, but official communication structures that many people make use of are lacking. Many successful local initiatives remain unknown, even within the same town. There’s room to improve transparency, visibility, and mutual understanding.

What role do gender and inclusion play in this process?

Inclusion was an important theme. In both towns, we noticed a need for formats that specifically address the engagement of women − especially mothers − in ways that recognize their broader social roles and expertise beyond family work. There’s also a wish to attract newcomers − people from nearby cities like Leipzig − and to better connect existing civil society groups, which are often very localized and not well networked.

Were there differences in how the towns view their position in the region?

Yes, very much so. Eilenburg, due to its proximity to Leipzig, often compares itself to the larger urban center. In contrast, Aue-Bad Schlema, a town that resulted from a merger of smaller localities, frames its identity through its constituent parts or through comparisons with other towns in the “Erzgebirge”. These self-perceptions shape local development strategies and the kind of events or narratives they use to build identity. For example, Eilenburg’s KUNSTwoche has become a flagship event, while Aue-Bad Schlema is preparing to host the State Garden Show in 2027, which could catalyze new forms of engagement.

How does political polarization affect your work on social cohesion?

It’s a challenging topic. We discussed how communities often see discrepancies between democratic engagement and electoral support for parties considered anti-democratic at the national level. Some voters differentiate between national parties and their local candidates, which complicates the picture. At the same time, there’s concern about rising far-right sentiment and its impact on civic discourse and inclusion.

Finally, what do you see as the value of these kinds of roundtable exchanges?

They are immensely valuable. They create a space where academic knowledge, local knowledge and experience, and policy concerns intersect. They allow us to speak with communities instead of about them. In doing so, we not only gather better insights but also help to strengthen the very cohesion we’re trying to study and support. In regions undergoing transformation, such dialogical formats are indispensable for mutual learning and trust-building.

This interview is based on a report about a panel discussion at the ReCentGlobe Annual Conference 2025. Read the full report in German here.


Dr. Ninja Steinbach-Hüther earned her PhD with a dissertation on the reception of African intellectuals in the German and French book markets, conducted between ENS Paris and Leipzig University. After working at the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL) on the history and practices of geographical societies, she joined Leipzig University’s Research Centre Global Dynamics (ReCentGlobe) in 2024. Within the T!Raum project “Strengthening action competence of municipalities”, she contributes to the sub-project “Stadtentwicklung bis 2030 – Strategiebildung in Mittelstädten” (“Urban development until 2030 – Strategic planning in medium-sized towns”). Her current research focuses on local decision-making processes and their public acceptance in the town of Aue-Bad Schlema.

 

 


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
recentglobe (September 16, 2025). Strengthening action competence of municipalities: A Unique Knowledge Partnership Between Science and Communities in Eastern Germany. Global Dynamics. Retrieved December 15, 2025 from https://doi.org/10.58079/14og0


You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.