Sport brings people together: Thuringian Minister Meißner praises integration in Sonneberg

Sport brings people together: Thuringian Minister Meißner praises integration in Sonneberg

On August 17, 2025, Beate Meißner, Thuringian Minister for Justice, Migration and Consumer Protection, visited the 1st Sonneberg Volleyball Club 2004. This club is one of the few in the Sonneberg district to have joined the “Integration through Sport” program of the Thuringia State Sports Association (LSB). The minister not only came by to look at the sporting activities, but also to find out more about the club's integration work and to talk to those responsible about the challenges they are facing. Beate Meißner praised the tireless commitment of the volunteers in the association and emphasized how important this work is for the community.

The volleyball club plays a central role in migration and integration in the region. Sport is often seen as a key to bringing people from different backgrounds together and breaking down barriers, which is impressively achieved here in Sonneberg. This shows how important it is that such programs also receive financial and organizational support in order to promote sustainable integration.

Integration through sport

Sporting activities not only offer the opportunity for physical activity, they also create a sense of community and promote social exchange. Participation in the “Integration through Sport” program is a valuable opportunity for many newcomers to settle into their new surroundings. The minister emphasized that such initiatives are an important part of social integration as they promote knowledge and dialogue between different cultures.

The challenges that arise as part of this integration work are diverse. Often it is not just language barriers, but also cultural differences and social isolation that need to be overcome. Beate Meißner was determined to further advance these topics. The encounters that arise through sport are invaluable for everyone involved, as experiences and life stories are exchanged here.

Mindset of the future

Integration is a process that requires time and patience. Analogous to this, the idea of ​​integration can also be applied to the natural sciences, where integration represents a method of gaining an overall impression from individual parts. Just as one calculates a room or an area in mathematics, the growing together of a community can also be designed productively. The first step is often to reduce distances and create understanding for the respective backgrounds. Just as in mathematics the goal of finding the ultimate value of an integral requires putting many parts together, social integration also requires a series of small steps that ultimately lead to a common whole.

In summary, it can be said that the commitment of the 1st Sonneberg Volleyball Club is an important building block in the integration process. It shows how barriers can be overcome through teamwork and understanding. Only by taking courageous steps will we be able to take advantage of the opportunities offered by integration in our region and thus make coexistence sustainable.