- Feb 27
- 5 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
THE 2026 IMMIGRANT TIMES SOLIDARITY PRIZE
Candidate for the 2026 Prize:
Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
The Immigrant Times Solidarity Prize will be awarded to a town or city, large or small, where residents have shown that communities flourish when people support one another, whether their neighbours are newly arrived immigrants, families with roots in other parts of the world, or locals whose ties to the place date back generations.
Freiburg has been selected as a candidate for the 2026 Solidarity Prize. The city's voters recently made it clear that they oppose anti-immigrant politics, and their civic life demonstrates a long-standing dedication to welcoming newcomers rather than suspecting them.
About Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city of around 230,000 people in the south-west corner of Baden-Württemberg, nestled between the Black Forest to the east, the Rhine plain to the west, and the borders of France and Switzerland nearby. It is one of Germany's sunniest cities, consistently among the most liveable, and, by any standard, one of its most international. Nearly one in five of Freiburg's residents is from abroad, a figure that reflects not only the presence of refugees and labour migrants but also the magnetic appeal of a city with a notably rich academic and cultural scene.
The Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, established in 1457, attracts students from over 120 countries, with international students making up about 18 per cent of its total enrolment. The university ranks among the 100 most international universities worldwide, and eighth in Germany for that measure.
Freiburg stands for inclusion
In April 2026, Freiburg conducted its mayoral election. The incumbent, independent Mayor Martin Horn, won outright in the first round with just under 53 per cent of the vote. The Mayor publicly voiced support for immigrants, highlighting the vital role of migrant workers in key sectors of the economy and condemning what he called negative narratives about migrants and immigrants. In a TikTok interview, he mentioned that in certain care sectors, nearly all new apprentices are immigrants. His closest competitor, Monika Stein, who also campaigned on a platform supportive of immigrants, gained nearly 30 per cent.
Together, the two leading candidates, who had explicitly supported immigrants' social and economic contributions to Freiburg, secured more than 80 per cent of the vote. The candidate from the anti-immigrant far-right Alternative für Deutschland party received just 2.2 per cent.
That outcome did not arise by chance. It reflects a civic culture that has been quietly developed and nurtured over decades, in schools, community centres, volunteers' meeting rooms, and the streets of Freiburg's diverse neighbourhoods, such as das Quartier Vauban, der Stühlinger, and die Wiehre.
A city where residents welcome newcomers
In 2016, the city established its Amt für Migration und Integration (AMI), a dedicated municipal Office for Migration and Integration, to bring together all the administrative, social, and integration services that newcomers need. The office offers not only legal and residency services but also an integration strategy for the entire city, outlined in a guiding document titled "Wir in Freiburg" (We in Freiburg) that describes the city's vision for a diverse yet unified civic life. The office also allocates funding to voluntary and community groups working on immigrant and refugee integration, recognising that grassroots involvement is as vital as formal provisions.
That grassroots engagement is significant. The German Red Cross's Freiburg branch (DRK-Kreisverband Freiburg) provides social services at several refugee accommodation sites throughout the city, offering language classes, leisure activities, intercultural events, and practical support to approximately 700 residents spread across multiple locations, supported by a network of volunteers and partner organisations.
From the moment refugees arrive at the city's initial reception centre, many Freiburg residents have expressed a desire to help, whether through education, leisure, or creative pursuits, and a volunteer coordination service exists precisely to connect that goodwill with the needs.
The Caritas Freiburg-Stadt runs the Franz-Hermann-Haus, a dedicated centre that offers advisory services for people of all ages and backgrounds with a migration history, regardless of their residence status. It also serves as a meeting point, hosting intercultural activities and supporting volunteers involved in integration projects. Additionally, the city supports the Migration Advisory Network (Migrationsberatung Freiburg), a coalition of four organisations — the Diakonisches Werk, Caritas, Südwind Freiburg, and the German Red Cross — providing independent, confidential, and free assistance to adult migrants on matters such as integration courses, employment, and daily life, irrespective of their faith or nationality.
At neighbourhood level, volunteer initiatives have taken root across the city. The Flüchtlingsinitiative Schlierberg, based in the Merzhauserstraße district, exemplifies a pattern repeated in several Freiburg neighbourhoods: local residents organise themselves around the idea that migration, a culture of welcome, and integration are inseparable. The organisation S'Einlädele, with over three decades of experience in humanitarian work, coordinates projects in Freiburg that support refugee children and young people, involving volunteers directly in the daily lives of those in care.
Freiburg’s Albert-Ludwigs University has also played its part. It has set up programmes for refugees eager to study and organises faculty and student initiatives to support displaced individuals, including targeted assistance for Ukrainian students and researchers following the 2022 invasion. An Intercultural Mentoring Programme pairs incoming international students with established ones; the idea that those familiar with the city should help newcomers has spread well beyond the campus.
Freiburg, a role model at a difficult time in Germany
In Germany, like in many countries in Europe, hostility towards migrants and refugees has become a reliable tool for political mobilisation in many regions of the country. The far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland has grown into one of the country's largest parties.
Against that backdrop, Freiburg's mayoral election outcome attracted national and international attention. It has become uncommon for politicians, especially during an election campaign, to emphasise the vital contributions immigrants make. However, Freiburg, which until the early 1960s had been a very conservative city, has since then championed environmental causes and supported a Willkommenskultur (welcoming culture). The city chose to organise itself around hospitality rather than suspicion.
Please send us your comments if you support Freiburg. Please insert Freiburg in the subject line.
The Solidarity Prize is now on TikTok. Please follow and comment if you wish.
Candidates for the 2026 Solidarity Prize
Confirmed candidates, as of May 2026: Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany || Zwolle, Overijssel, Netherlands || Oliveri, Sicily, Italy || Legazpi, Basque Country, Spain || Northallerton, Yorkshire, UK || Graz, Styria, Austria || Val-de-Reuil, Normandy, France || Montpellier, France || Santo Stefano del Sole, Avellino, Italy || Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany || Edmonton, Alberta, Canada ||
Please nominate further towns and cities. The list of candidates will be updated regularly.
Further reading from The Immigrant Times: Introduction to the Solidarity Prize || Nominees from North America. || Nominess from Europe ||
COMMENT
FOLLOW