In 2019-2024, the Institute of Material Culture offered a Voluntary Scientific Year (FWJ), which focussed on the Collection of Everyday Textile Culture (STAK). Other university collections were also included in the programme in the form of selected projects.

The FWJ at the Institute of Material Culture offered insights into general university processes and the opportunity to get a taste of student life, as well as the chance to work in all areas of the STAK. Research, inventory, conservation and public relations were essential components of the work. In addition to the compulsory FWJ programme (consisting, for example, of language courses or further training on the topics of 'presenting' or 'applying for jobs'), students could also attend seminars and courses from the wide range of courses offered by the university, depending on their interests.

In addition to the regular and standard tasks, work at the STAK in recent years could be freely organised according to interests. For example, FWJ students have realised their own exhibition projects, researched objects in the collection of their choice and written articles about them in the Dings da! (object of the month), illustrated collection postcards as part of the university's 50th anniversary (see photo) or actively participated in the artistic and content-related design of a webinar on researching and learning about things. They also independently organised guided tours, created presentations and actively supported the curator of the collection in her courses.

Veronika Dawydow and Elisa Geisler are involved in setting up the Blüten(t)raum exhibition / Illustration for a collection postcard by Elisa Geisler

The FWJ at the Institute of Material Culture will be paused for the time being with the 2024/25 cycle, but can hopefully be resumed in the future.

Veronika Dawydow gives an introduction to the inventory processes at the STAK; Photo: University of Oldenburg/Daniel Schmidt

You can find more information on these pages:

The FWJ at the University of Oldenburg - Information for applicants

Application and selection procedure at a glance