Guest Lecture: Paulitics

Guest Lecture: Paulitics – Exploring St. Pauli as a Social-Pedagogical Landscape of Activism, Community, and Informal Bildung - Peter H. Frostholm and Frederikke Dybdahl from VIA University College in Denmark will be presenting their research. 

The lecture will be in English.

This lecture draws on two interconnected ethnographic studies of the St. Pauli district and FC St. Pauli, exploring how local values, everyday practices, and football culture co-produce what we analytically term Paulitics. Based on unstructured conversations, semi‑structured interviews, and field walks with social workers, educators, fans, and community actors, the research shows how St. Pauli’s left-leaning political ethos, anti-authoritarian dispositions, and inclusive community practices shape the lifeworlds of residents and supporters. 

The studies illustrate how match-day atmospheres, rituals, and activist aesthetics interact with broader pedagogical efforts in the neighborhood, generating forms of social innovation and informal Bildung. 

The authors argue that FC St. Pauli functions as both a symbolic and practical anchor for local identity formation, where civic engagement, grassroots activism, and social pedagogical relations converge. Through the concept of Paulitics, they highlight how football organizations and civil-society actors collaboratively foster belonging, democratic participation, and social responsibility, making St. Pauli a distinctive social-educational landscape.

We kindly ask for you to register for the event with an email to international.ew@uni-hamburg.de. Thank you!