Andreas Jünger

Much has changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Even research abroad is taking place under different conditions. In my doctoral thesis I am engaging with an issue from contemporary Spanish history, so I was very fortunate to be able to undertake a research stay in a comparatively uncomplicated way, even in the midst of the pandemic. My travels were facilitated by Spain’s geographical proximity to Germany and the common European Union regulations. I really appreciate how lucky I was, as I know plenty of colleagues whose work requires them to deal with very different parts of the world. They have had to completely change their research design since the pandemic broke out and/or switch to digital research due to travel restrictions, lockdowns and so on.

I had two specific objectives for my research stay. On the one hand I wanted to use my connection to the University of Málaga (UMA) to gain insight into the academic system there and to expand my network. On the other hand, my visit was also intended to add the final parts to the source material I had previously collected for my doctoral thesis. Without further ado, I was able to achieve both my goals. Since 2018 I have been studying for a doctorate in Environmental Humanities at the Rachel Carson Center at LMU Munich. For my thesis I am working on the development of the organic farming movement in Andalucia in southern Spain since the 1980s. I am focusing on perceptions and practices as well as the political implementation of organic farming by a range of stakeholders in the region. It is a history of conflict that traces a range of local and transnational roots of Andalucian organic agriculture and also sheds light on the contested meaning of ‘organic’ into the 21st century.

Privat

Andreas Jünger stayed in Torremolinos, a town near Málaga

I had previously lived in Málaga while undertaking field and archival research, which meant I was already familiar with the city when I arrived there in September. When I was informed I had been awarded the scholarship there were only a few weeks left before I intended to start my scholarship, so I had to find accommodation in Torremolinos, a city to the south of Málaga. In retrospect this was exactly the right decision, as many tourists head to Málaga during October and November, and the city centre with its festive illuminations bursts at the seams during the subsequent season of Advent. By contrast, once the summer tourists have left Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol, peace gradually returns.

Privat

The Law Faculty at UMA

At UMA I was in close contact with Professor Manual Arias Maldonado from the Political Sciences faculty, who had invited me in advance to come as a Visiting Doctoral Student. Professor Maldonado is an expert in political theories of sustainability and the anthropocene, so some of his thinking was highly relevant to the theoretical elements of my work. I will continue to exchange ideas with him in future. During my stay I was able to share an office with one of his doctoral candidates, which was located in the Faculty of Law (Facultad de Derecho) in UMA's Teatinos campus. With only a few exceptions, I commuted at least once a week between Torremolinos and the university campus. The regional train (cercanías) takes around 20 minutes from Torremolinos to Málaga’s Maria Zambrano station. There I had to change to the metro, which gets to Universidad station in around ten minutes. Taking walking and waiting times into account, the journey usually took between 45 and 55 minutes. Lunch was an important opportunity to get to know other colleagues at the university. Even in the canteen, lunch does not usually start in Spain before 1.30 or 2pm, and, unlike in German canteens, a three-course menu is provided as standard (lunch in the canteen at the Facultad de Derecho costs less than five euros ).

Something that should not be overlooked is the ‘new normal’ in academic life, which increasingly consists of in-person and online formats running in parallel. As such, I continued to participate in some meetings at the Rachel Carson Center and gave two virtual lectures in the context of a British seminar (‘Modern Spanish History Doctoral Seminars’) and took part in a panel discussion at Brandeis University (‘Fighting for a Livable Future: The Climate Movement in Germany, Europe, and the Americas – New Scholarship’)..

Privat

In the archives of the CCOO in Seville, Andreas Jünger was researching for his dissertation

Alongside my exchange at UMA and working on my thesis in my lodgings on the Costa del Sol, I went on some trips around Andalucia to examine and digitise source material that I still needed for some chapters of my dissertation. During these trips I visited an organic market in the costal town of Benalmádena where I spoke to producers who are currently active and went to see an organic business near the town of Álora, which had been set up by a Dutch woman in the early 1980s. As only her descendants are still alive, I sadly could not conduct a contemporary witness interview, but I was able to access photos and documents. During a stay in Granada, I was given access to some of the written documentation from the El Encinar association. This association of producers and consumers from around Granada has existed since 1993 and represents an important example of connections between urban and rural areas in the organic scene. Some of the things that proved very helpful were hand-written questionnaires from over 13 years ago that provided detailed information about organic businesses. Finally, I spent several days in Seville, the provincial capital of Andalusia. While there, I spent most of my time in two archives: the archive of the Andalusian ministry of agriculture (Consejería de Agricultura) and the archive of the CCOO trade union (Comisiones Obreras). The main focus of my work in the ministry archive was on collecting documents on the institutionalisation of organic agriculture (the European Community created a uniform set of regulations for organic farming in Europe in 1991/92, which served as a basis for the gradual creation of national and regional funding and monitoring institutions in the member states). By contrast, the trade union archive provided me with documents on the role of agricultural workers in the first organic farming projects in the 1980s.

Privat

Sunset in Seville

Of course my research stay provided me with more than just opportunities for research: there were also chances to get to know new people, cultures and places. The beauty and diversity of Andalusia's urban and rural areas never fail to provide unique moments. For me, those moments included the sunset on the banks of the Guadalquivir river in the centre of Seville, and the view of the Alhambra from the Albaicín quarter, which lies opposite it. I also spent a few relaxed weekends on the beach or taking walks around Torremolinos. In this context it was particularly fascinating for me, as at that time I was reading ‘La isla’ (translated into English as ‘Sands of Torremolinos’), a novel by the Spanish author Juan Goytisolo, who sadly died recently. So while I let my inner eye wander over the Torremolinos of the 1950s as described in the novel, at the same time I was experiencing a place that had changed enormously by the year 2021. Last but not least, the region's distinctive cuisine now and then tempted me to stop in a café or bar. There's nothing better than starting a day with ‘zumo de naranja natural’ (freshly pressed orange juice), a ‘café solo’ (Spanish espresso), and a ‘tostada con aceite y tomate’ (toasted bread with tomatoes and olive oil)! There were a few afternoons when I treated myself to ‘espeto de sardinas’ (sardines grilled on a skewer), a classic Málagan dish.

Privat

"Espeto de sardinas" as a special culinary highlight

One aspect was closely connected to the enjoyable experiences I have just described, but in my view it all too often gets a raw deal in the world of academic work. Through my research stay in Andalucia I was able to make huge improvements to my work/life balance. I am sure there are many different reasons for this, but eating more healthily, almost uninterrupted sunshine and exercise by or in the sea were certainly key elements. Even if the aim must actually be to make major improvements to the working conditions of doctoral candidates (and postdocs) at German universities, in my case a research stay helped me slow down academically and personally and gave me more peace, strength and creativity.

I am incredibly grateful to the DAAD-Stiftung for the opportunity to once again spend a long period of time in Spain, even during the challenging times of a global health crisis. Looking back, it allowed me to complete the primary source collection for my thesis and to further expand my academic network. I am certain that the last three months represent a valuable experience for my future academic career. I can definitely see myself returning to Spain again in future in another capacity to live and research there for some time.