Welcome to the landing page of our research activities. These pages are only available in German. Here you can find a short overview in English:

The research group on youth work (“Forschungsgruppe Jugendarbeit”) is located at the Protestant University of Applied Sciences in Ludwigsburg. Our team members have different scientific backgrounds and are specialized in researching youth work with quantitative, but also with qualitative approaches. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ilg is the head of the team and has published extensively on youth work studies, for example on international youth exchanges, youth work statistics, and the field of confirmation work in Europe.

The major international research projects can be found here in English versions:

English publications (last updated: March 2022):

(see complete publication list for an updated German version)

  • Schweitzer, Friedrich / Ilg, Wolfgang / Schreiner, Peter (eds.) (2019): Researching Non-Formal Religious Education in Europe. Münster: Waxmann.
    articles by Wolfgang Ilg:
    – Schweitzer, Friedrich / Ilg, Wolfgang / Schreiner, Peter: Introduction, 7-16.
    – Ilg, Wolfgang: Mapping Christian youth work empirically and identifying presuppositions of educationally active congregations, 19-33.
    – Schweitzer, Friedrich / Ilg, Wolfgang / Schreiner, Peter: Observations and Conclusions, 281-294.
  • Schweitzer, Friedrich / Schlag, Thomas / Simojoki, Henrik / Tervo-Niemelä, Kati / Ilg, Wolfgang (eds.) (2017): Confirmation, Faith, and Volunteerism. A Longitudinal Study on Protestant Adolescents in the Transition towards Adulthood. European Perspectives. Reihe Konfirmandenarbeit erforschen und gestalten Band 10. Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus.
    articles by Wolfgang Ilg:
    – Schweitzer, Friedrich / Schlag, Thomas / Simojoki, Henrik / Tervo-Niemelä, Kati / Ilg, Wolfgang: Introduction, 12-28.
    – Ilg, Wolfgang / Tervo-Niemelä, Kati / Maaß, Christoph: Believing, belonging and volunteerism in adolescence. Predictive factors from childhood and confirmation time in a multi-level framework, 114-127.
    – Schweitzer, Friedrich / Ilg, Wolfgang / Hardecker, Georg / Maass, Christoph: Results for Germany, 130-140.
    – Schweitzer, Friedrich / Schlag, Thomas / Simojoki, Henrik / Tervo-Niemelä, Kati / Ilg, Wolfgang: Conclusions, 216-243.
    – Maaß, Christoph / Hardecker, Georg / Ilg, Wolfgang / Schweitzer, Friedrich: Methodology and Procedures, 246-260.
  • Ilg, Wolfgang / Schweitzer, Friedrich (2017): Can empirical research predict the future of the church? Theoretical clarifications and results from a longitudinal study. in: Journal of Empirical Theology (JET) 30,198-217.
  • Niemelä, Kati / Ilg, Wolfgang (2015): From Classrooms to Camps: Effects of Different Physical Learning Spaces and Teaching Methods in Confirmation Work. in: Schweitzer, Friedrich / Niemelä, Kati / Schlag, Thomas / Simojoki, Henrik (eds.): Youth, Religion and Confirmation Work in Europe. The Second Study. Reihe Konfirmandenarbeit erforschen und gestalten Band 7. Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 106-116.
  • Krupka, Bernd / Ilg, Wolfgang / Schweitzer, Friedrich (2015): Giving Least to Those Who Need It Most? How Gender, Social and Religious Background Influence the Attendance and Experience of Confirmation Time. in: Schweitzer, Friedrich / Niemelä, Kati / Schlag, Thomas / Simojoki, Henrik (eds.): Youth, Religion and Confirmation Work in Europe. The Second Study. Reihe Konfirmandenarbeit erforschen und gestalten Band 7. Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus,
    117-124.
  • Schweitzer, Friedrich / Ilg, Wolfgang / Hardecker, Georg / Maass, Christoph (2015): Confirmation Work in Germany. in: Schweitzer, Friedrich / Niemelä, Kati / Schlag, Thomas / Simojoki, Henrik (eds.): Youth, Religion and Confirmation Work in Europe. The Second Study. Reihe Konfirmandenarbeit erforschen und gestalten Band 7. Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus,
    182-192.
  • Ilg, Wolfgang / Maass, Christoph / Schweitzer, Friedrich (2015): Methodology. in: Schweitzer, Friedrich / Niemelä, Kati / Schlag, Thomas / Simojoki, Henrik (eds.): Youth, Religion and Confirmation Work in Europe. The Second Study. Reihe Konfirmandenarbeit erforschen und gestalten Band 7. Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 328-349.
  • Ilg, Wolfgang (2014): A tool for the self-evaluation of international youth encounters. in: Maria-Carmen Pantea (ed): Young people, entrepreneurship & non-formal learning: a work in progress. Brussels: SALTO, 73-76.
  • Ilg, Wolfgang (2013): Evaluation of international youth exchanges. in: Friesenhahn, Günter / Schild, Hanjo / Wicke, Hans-Georg / Balogh, Judit (eds.): Learning Mobility and Non-formal Learning in European Contexts – Policies, Approaches, Examples, Strasbourg: Council of Europe and the European Commission, 189-197.
  • Schweitzer, Friedrich / Ilg, Wolfgang / Simojoki, Henrik (2012): Preparation for confirmation – finding the way to a faith of one’s own. in: Friedrich, Martin / Luibl, Hans-Jürgen (eds.): Handing down Faith in European Protestantism. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2012, 294-306.
  • Schweitzer, Friedrich / Ilg, Wolfgang / Simojoki, Henrik (Hg.) (2010): Confirmation Work in Europe: Empirical Results, Experiences and Challenges. A Comparative Study from Seven Countries. Reihe Konfirmandenarbeit erforschen und gestalten Band 4. Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus.
    articles by Wolfgang Ilg:
    – Schweitzer, Friedrich / Ilg, Wolfgang / Simojoki, Henrik: Introduction, 14-29.
    – Ilg, Wolfgang / Schweitzer, Friedrich: Methodology, 32-48.
    – Ilg, Wolfgang / Schweitzer, Friedrich / Simojoki, Henrik: Confirmation work in Germany,
    50-73.
  • Elsenbast, Volker / Schweitzer, Friedrich / Ilg, Wolfgang / Cramer Colin (2010): Similarities and Differences of Confirmation Work in the Seven Countries – First Orientations, 212-221.
  • Schweitzer, Friedrich / Ilg, Wolfgang / Simojoki, Henrik: Summary of the Results – Perspectives for the Future, 278-294.
  • Ilg, Wolfgang / Schweitzer, Friedrich (2010): Researching confirmation work in Europe: The need for multi-level analysis for identifying individual and group influences in non-formal education. in: Journal of Empirical Theology 23, 159-178.
    Online: www.freizeitenevaluation.de/downloads/ilg-schweitzer-journal-of-empirical-theology.pdf
  • Christensen, Leise / Dormor, Duncan, Hoeg, Ida, Ilg, Wolfgang / Niemelä, Kati (2010): Protestant confirmation in European perspective. in: Collins-Mayo, Sylvia / Dandelion, Pink (eds.) (2010): Religion and Youth. Farnham/GB: Ashgate, 181-189.
  • Ilg, Wolfgang (2009): Evaluation of youth camps and international youth exchange programmes. Impressions of an evaluation practice in Germany, France and Poland. in: Camping Magazine – the magazine of the American Camping Association, 82 (3/2009), 18-21.

French publications:

  • Ilg, Wolfgang / Dubiski, Judith (2011): Les échanges ouvrent des perspectives. Un aperçu empirique des rencontres internationales de jeunes. Paris: L‘Office franco-allemand pour la Jeunesse (OFAJ) et l’Office germano-polonais pour la Jeunesse (OGPJ).
  • Dubiski, Judith / Ilg, Wolfgang (Hg.) (2010): Evaluation des rencontres internationales de jeunes. Un outil pour l’évaluation des rencontres. Paris: OFAJ.

Polish publications:

  • Ilg, Wolfgang / Dubiski, Judith (2011): Spotkanie otwiera perspektywy. Empiryczne spojrzenie na międzynarodową wymianę młodzieży. Warszawa: Publikacja Polsko-Niemieckiej Współpracy Młodzieży (PNWM) i Francusko-Niemieckiej Współpracy Młodzieży (FNWM).
  • Dubiski, Judith / Ilg, Wolfgang (Hg.) (2009): Ewaluacja międzynarodowych spotkań młodzieży. Metoda ewaluacji spotkań międzynarodowych. Warszawa: PNWM.