Nils Zimmer
Research Associate
Campus Golm
Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25
14476 Potsdam
consulting hours
nach Vereinbarung
Research interests
- Youth research
- Critical Geography
- Cultural and political education
- Right-wing extremism
Professional experience
05/2023 – 01/2025 Research assistant in the project “MetaKLuB: Cultural Education in Rural Areas” at the Chair of Educational and Socialisation Theories at the University of Potsdam
2023/24 Teaching assignment at the Institute of Political Science at Leipzig University
04/2020 – 02/2023 Research assistant in the project “NetKuB: Networks of Cultural Education” in the Department of Education and Psychology at Freie Universität Berlin
02/2016 – 03/2020 Social pedagogue in the open youth work. Kreuzberger Musikalische Aktion e.V.
09/2013 – 01/2017 Conception and management of extracurricular study groups at Ferdinand-Freiligrath-Schule Integrated Secondary School, Berlin-Kreuzberg (Pestalozzi-Fröbel Haus)
09/2013 – 01/2017 Trainer in the HIT project with a focus on MSA coaching and career guidance at Ferdinand-Freiligrath-Schule Integrated Secondary School, Berlin-Kreuzberg (Kreuzberger Musikalische Aktion e.V.)
Academic education
04/2013 – 12/2019 M.A. Sociocultural Studies, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder); Study focus: Urban Studies, Critical Migration Studies
09/2008 – 08/2012 Diploma in Cultural Work, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam; study focus: Cultural work in an international context, cultural and social change
Stays abroad
01/2017 – 06/2017 Study visit at the Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México (UNAM), Mexico City; study focus: culture, society and politics
02/2015 - 05/2015 Project collaboration “Música en los Barrios” (Pan y Arte e.V.), Managua/ Nicaragua
Publications (*peer review)
Feldmann, D., & Zimmer, N. (2025; forthc.): Promoting democracy in cultural education. Potentials, ambivalences and contradictions
*Zimmer, N. (2025; forthc.). The stigma of Neukölln. On the spatialisation of the integration discourse using the example of the debate on New Year's Eve 2022/23
Zimmer, N. (2025; forthc.). Neighbourhoods of inequality. On the leisure behaviour of young people in Berlin under the conditions of social segregation (book review)
Zimmer, N., & Kolleck, N. (2025; forthc.). Battle for the youth: How right-wing extremists are conquering rural areas
Zimmer, N. (2025; forthc.). Cultural education in young adulthood. Conceptual definitions, normative claims and a critical-emancipatory practice in times of multiple crisis
*Zimmer, N., & Preissing, S. (2024). Ethnographic research with young people in large housing estates. Methodological reflections on social power relations and their significance for research.Aylin Akyildiz/Karoline Fahl/Steffen Klotz/Jörg Stollmann/Kristin Wellner (Hg.), Einrichten in der Normalität. Wie Kinder und Jugendliche in Großsiedlungen wohnen. Berlin Universities Publishing, 75-92, doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-21977
*Zimmer, N., & Selz, F. (2024). Cultural education in rural areas – impulses from critical spatial and rural research. KULTURELLE BILDUNG ONLINE. https://kubi-online.de/artikel/kulturelle-bildung-laendlichen-raeumen-impulse-aus-kritischen-raum-landforschung
*Zimmer, N., & Kolleck, N. (2024). Child and youth participation from the perspective of education actors. A typology in the context of cultural education networks. Journal of Educational Research, doi.org/10.1007/s11618-024-01233-8
Zimmer, N. (2022). Processes of temporary space appropriation by far right groups using the example of Mehringplatz in Berlin-Kreuzberg and their effects on the lives and experiences of young residents in the neighbourhood. Daniel Mullis/Judith Miggelbrink (Hg.), Lokal extrem Rechts. Analysen alltäglicher Vergesellschaftungen. Bielefeld: transcript, 261-277, https://doi.org/10.14361/9783839456842-014
*Zimmer, N. (2021). Community narratives among children and youth in marginalized neighborhoods. Strategies in dealing with stigmatizing discourses at Mehringplatz in Berlin Kreuzberg. sub\urban. journal für critical urban research, 9(3/4), 123-144, https://doi.org/10.36900/suburban.v9i3/4.657
Selected conference contributions
Zimmer, Nils (2025; in prep.): »Between stigma and resilience: Emotional geographies and narratives of belonging using the example of Mehringplatz in Berlin-Kreuzberg«. Lecture at the 5th ISA Forum of Sociology »Knowing Justice in the Anthropocene«, 06.-11.06.2025, Rabat/ Marocco
Zimmer, Nils (2025): »Jugend(kultur)arbeit in Zeiten gesellschaftlicher Umbrüche – Herausforderungen und Potenziale«. Introductory lecture at the symposium » Youth work: empowering children and young people in challenging times« organized by the Regional Working Group for Open Child and Youth work (LAG OKJA) and the Social Pedagogical Training Institute Berlin-Brandenburg (SFBB), 10.02.2025, Berlin
Zimmer, Nils (2024): »Cultural education in times of authoritarian temptations. Omissions and necessities of an expanded concept of critique for cultural education«. Lecture at the conference »Political education in times of authoritarian temptations« of the German Association for Civic Education (DVPB), 22.11.2024, Evangelische Akademie Hofgeismar
Zimmer, Nils (2024): »Police (self-)staging, territorial stigmatization and the role of the media using the example of Berlin-Neukölln«. Lecture at the conference “Tamed uncertainty. Media productions of police and crime”, 07.-09.11.2024, Philipps-Universität Marburg
Zimmer, Nils (2024): Panel on »Youth, social space and right-wing extremism« at the conference »Current challenges in the field of right-wing extremism – perspectives from practice and science« of the Right-Wing Studies Knowledge Network (Wi-REX), 05./06.11.2024, Erfurt
Selz, Felica/ Zimmer, Nils (2024): »Participation in cultural education in rural areas: A (meta-)theoretical perspective«. Presentation as part of the panel »Initiating and Researching participation in Meta Projects – Perspectives of adult education research« with Prof. Dr. Harm Kuper/ Dr. Christian Bernhard-Skala/ Katja Buntins/ Dr. Insa Reichow at the Annual Conference »Participation through Attendance? Adult education and continuing education between exclusion and participation« of the DGfE Division for Adult Education, 25.09.2024, University of Duisburg-Essen
Zimmer, Nils (2024): »Potentials and limits of cultural education in the fight against right-wing extremism”. Lecture at the »Early Career Researcher Conference« of the Society for Political Didactics and Political Youth and Adult Education (GPJE), 14 March 2024, University of Bremen
Zimmer, Nils (2023): »Youth everyday life between urban marginalization and police violence«. Lecture as part of the workshop »Policing resistance in everyday life« organized by the Working Group on Protest and Police/Institute for Protest and Social Movement Research (ipb), 03.11.2023, Technische Universität Berlin
Zimmer, Nils (2021): »Giving children and young people a voice?! Tasks and relevance of child and youth work in (ongoing) times of crisis«. Introductory lecture at the symposium »Youth (work) between crisis and opportunity« organized by the Regional Working Group for Open Child and Youth work (LAG OKJA) and the Social Pedagogical Training Institute Berlin-Brandenburg (SFBB), 09.08.2021, Berlin
Lectures and selected Workshops
Lectures
Zimmer, Nils (2024): »Critical political education«. Block seminar at the University of Leipzig, Institute for Political Science, Summer Semester 2024, Leipzig
Zimmer, Nils (2023): »Critical political education«. Block seminar at the University of Leipzig, Institute for Political Science, Summer Semester 2023, Leipzig
Selected Workshops
Zimmer, Nils (2025; in prep.): »Right-wing extremism between pop culture and prohibition – forms of right-wing extremist youth cultures«. All-day workshop for the Social Pedagogical Training Institute Berlin-Brandenburg (SFBB), Berlin
Zimmer, Nils (2025): »Challenges of youth work in times of growing right-wing extremism«. All-day workshop for the Social Pedagogical Training Institute Berlin-Brandenburg (SFBB), 27.02.2025, Berlin
Zimmer, Nils (a.o. with Sonja Preissing) (2023; 2024): »Meeting points, places and spaces for young people – perspectives for open child and youth work«. All-day workshops for the Social Pedagogical Training Institute Berlin-Brandenburg (SFBB), Berlin
Abou Dabous, Ilham/ Zimmer, Nils (2022; 2023; 2024): »Child and youth participation - concrete suggestions and methods«. Multi-day workshops for the Social Pedagogical Training Institute Berlin-Brandenburg (SFBB), Berlin
Köroglu, Berivan/ Zimmer, Nils (2021): »Impulses for anti-racist and empowerment-oriented child and youth work«. Multi-day workshop, 29./30.05.2021, Berlin
Köroglu, Berivan/ Zimmer, Nils (2018): »Welcome structures in open child and youth work«. Workshop as part of the symposium »Boundlessly empowered in everyday life. Using political education for solidarity and cooperation« for the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, 11.04.2018, Berlin