WBZ

In 2002 the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) and the University of Wroclaw founded the Willy Brandt Center for German and European Studies (WBZ), an interfacultative and interdisciplinary institution. The WBZ belongs to the worldwide network of institutions that are supported by the DAAD.

The WBZ has the following three major tasks: academic research, didactic tasks and services. First research projects dealt with problems of European integration and with German-Polish relations in Europe. Another field of research is the city of Wroclaw and the region of Lower Silesia in the transformation process after 1989. The findings were published in several publishing series. The WBZ has established a well-functioning network at home and abroad. It helped to develop new fields of study. The interdisciplinary PhD seminar for example is a great success and meets universal approval.

Since the beginning of its work the WBZ was supported by several foundations, among them: Foundation for German-Polish Cooperation, German Research Foundation, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Volkswagen Foundation, Robert Bosch Foundation and the German National Foundation. They co-financed meetings, conferences, publications as well as scholarships. Every year the Friedrich Ebert Foundation organizes a lecture to commemorate the patron of our center: Willy Brandt.

The teaching and research activities were accompanied by a successive expansion of the premises. The University of Wroclaw found a building tailored to the particular needs of the WBZ. Now we have offices for the staff, well-equipped classrooms and a specialized library. The books of the library were donated by Polish and German foundations, the German Research Foundation and the Foundation for German-Polish Cooperation, and by private persons. At the beginning the WBZ offered different courses for further education. Seminars and lectures covering European Integration and German-Polish relations enjoyed great popularity.

In 2009 the WBZ underwent a reorganization and reduced the number of professors in order to further specialize the fields of research. High-level academic research in German and European Studies is the most important field of work. Furthermore the WBZ sets itself the goal to support young academics and qualify them for executive jobs in economics, public administration and politics.

The spirit of peace and cooperation, understanding and integration, characterizing the views and history of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and former German Chancellor, Willy Brandt shall guide our work and philosophy.