MIGRATION, MISSION, ECONOMY

The project is another example of cross-border cooperation in the field of intercultural communication between the International University Institute (IHI) in Zittau / TU Dresden and the Faculty of Economics at the Technical University of Liberec and builds on previous joint projects on "International Management in Practice" (the winter semester 2017/18, workshop in Chrastava, the Czech Republic) and "Cultural and Economic Views of Interventions into  Nature with a High Impact on Ecosystems" (winter semester 2018/19, workshop in IBZ St. Marienthal, Ostritz, Germany). This project turns to the issue of migration, with a focus on history, ethos, economic and missionary activities of the  Moravian (Herrnhutian) Brethren in Herrnhut. After all, the Herrnhuters
(i.e. the Moravian Church, formally named the Unitas Fratrum) were based on religious communities created by the teachings of Czech reformer John Huss (Jan Hus) and John Amos Comenius (Jan Amos Komenský), the famous Moravian Protestant bishop, philosopher, educator and theologian. The Herrnhuters were forced to emigrate several times because of their conviction. They subsequently established communities around the world that linked missionary activity and the economy through a specific economic form. The Heernhut community served as an inspiration for participants to identify and explore others groups
of immigrants and to tell their narratives.

The culmination of the project documented here was, as in previous years, a joint workshop for students of both partner universities, this time in Herrnhut. In addition to information about the place (for example, a visit to the Ethnographic Museum explaining Herrnhut / Ochranov's worldwide missionary and economic activity and the church hall), the main part of the workshop consisted of working sessions in the small mixed German-Czech teams in order to finalize the projects, which were ultimately presented to the whole group
of participants on the last day of the workshop. The principal task had been to research a particular group of immigrants and to tell their story. The preparatory phase was considerably extended compared to previous years. Following the initial meeting in Liberec, the first seminar stage ensued during which the working groups began researching and developing their projects. The initial presentations of the projects in progress were coordinated through a joint videoconference, which was followed by the second seminar stage.

The results of the work in small groups were brilliantly thought-out, creative and sophisticated. A wide range of formats included documentary films, lectures and TV talk shows, with topics like Brexit or German-Czech postwar history all highlighting the importance of today's migration issues and their causes. Inspiration often came from the participants´ personal or family stories, which were expansively elaborated. This website aims to convey impressions from these active days and weeks spent creating and implementing the projects.