After leaving school, a voluntary service with a scientific focus seemed to be just the right mix of personal responsibility and a first introduction/insight into university life.

And as it turned out, this is indeed the case:

My work so far at the Institute of Material Culture in the "Collection of Everyday Textile Culture" is wide-ranging. I support the lecturers in their teaching and get to take a look behind the scenes. I learnt a lot about writing scripts and editing videos while making instructional videos on how to use the online collection database. I was even allowed to present the work in the collection and the safe handling of objects in front of the camera as the main actor (keyword: preventive conservation). At the end of projects like this, a lot of initiative and communication with everyone involved is required.

This makes it all the more exciting to actively participate in the corresponding courses. Of course, it is up to the volunteers themselves to decide which or how many events they want to take part in. In my case, I mainly orientated myself towards the lecturers at the Institute of Material Culture and opted for five cultural studies courses. (A little tip: this amount was a bit steep for one semester and I would rather recommend two to four).

The seminar "Learning about things" is all about collecting (the use and development of university collections and how they are organised, collecting as a cultural practice, why do we collect at all?) "Approaches to practical research into material culture" attempts to familiarise me with the basic theory and practice of research into material culture. In the related lecture "Material Culture Lunchtime Lecture for Beginners and the Curious", I learn, with a focus on everyday culture, how experiences and actions, relationships and power relations are stored in things - and how, conversely, things shape us, our practices and our society. I'm also taking a little detour into history and embarking on an excursion through the historical foundations and different eras (from antiquity to modern times) with the seminar "History as a science". And last but not least, I embroider happily in the practical course "Introduction to hand embroidery: technique, motifs, tradition", under the talented guidance of textile artist Stephanie Ritterhoff.

But no matter what you decide to do, taking part in LV practises reading/understanding/discussing scientific texts or taking notes during lectures.

In some places, I can also contribute my personal interests during the FWJ. For example, I can show my creative side in the form of small illustrations for guest lecturers or the objects of the month. Both the teaching content of the seminars and the archive with its wonderful items of clothing or historical catalogues provide me with plenty of inspiration.

I also help out in the university's biological collection by sticking on plants for the correct storage of a herbarium. In my opinion, this is an incredibly aesthetic process in which I can lose myself wonderfully. Further assistance is already planned in the collections of the library archive, which are not normally directly accessible.

The measures to contain the Covid19 pandemic are of course changing everyday life at the university somewhat. Wearing a mask, keeping my distance and limited attendance times still allow me to do my voluntary service. And I'm working from home during the lockdown. Online seminars, index cards from the clothing archive that need to be digitised and regular contact with colleagues and the other FWJ volunteers at the university provide me with plenty of varied input and friendly communication.