What Remains After The “Summer of Migration”

In the summer of 2015, around four million people in Germany spontaneously volunteered to help refugees—an unprecedented moment of civil society mobilization. Similar phases of short-term engagement also occurred in later crises, such as after the flood disaster in the Ahr Valley or during the recent protests against right-wing extremism. But what remains when the acute crisis is over?

Clara van den Berg (WZB and Freie Universität Berlin) has explored the question of under what conditions spontaneous aid groups develop into sustainable, long-term civic communities in her recently published dissertation. Using the example of the pro-refugee mobilization in 2015, she identifies three main factors for sustainable impact:

1. Local key figures (“brokers”) as networkers

Individuals often take on a central role by building bridges between initiatives, associations, welfare organizations, and local government. They create formal and informal spaces for cooperation and maintain the networks.

2. Sensitivity to different organizational cultures

Successful cooperation arises where differences between full-time institutions and volunteer initiatives are seen as a resource rather than an obstacle. Understanding working methods, decision-making processes, and values is essential.

3. Trusting, long-term cooperation with local authorities

Local authorities play a key role in providing institutional support for civil society structures—for example, by providing space, participatory formats such as migration councils, or financial support. Such cooperation must be based on mutual respect and openness in order to be sustainable.

The study shows that civic engagement is more than a short-term reaction to a crisis. It can create structures and social capital that last for years, thereby making a significant contribution to democratic resilience.

The findings, which are based on interviews, observations, and document analysis, also provide impetus for policymakers: Support programs should be specifically designed to strengthen broker roles, provide training in conflict resolution, and offer low-threshold financing options for small initiatives.

Against the backdrop of current social challenges, Clara van den Berg demonstrates the importance of enabling mobilization and providing structural support to facilitate the development of short-term engagement into a long-term community.

11/8/25, EHA, kes