Volunteering in conflict areas
Freiburg, 23/10/2025
Michael Schumacher is jointly responsible for the emergency power supply at the University of Freiburg and volunteers for the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW). His assignments have taken him as far as Africa. Both the THW and the University benefit from his technological expertise.
His enthusiasm for technology and a dash of adventurous spirit were the decisive factors that motivated Michael Schumacher from the Technical Building Management department at the University of Freiburg to volunteer for the THW. He has now been involved for over 30 years. During his assignments at home and abroad, he has experienced a great deal and met people he would never otherwise have encountered.
Schumacher, 65 years old and a trained car mechanic, initially worked for the French armed forces in Freiburg after completing his training. While working, he gained additional qualifications in mechanical engineering through distance learning and took courses in electrical engineering, his “hobby,” as he likes to call it. The desire for a career change prompted the Freiburg native to apply for a position in the University’s Technical Building Management department in the early 1990s. Together with his colleagues, he has been ensuring that the lights don’t go out on campus in the event of a power failure for 35 years now.
Volunteering for the THW
Schumacher first became aware of the THW during a walk in Wolfswinkel, an area in the west of Freiburg where the Freiburg local group had its first home. As a technology enthusiast, he was quickly persuaded to join. “I was in my early 30s and was able to get my lorry driving licence there, complete basic training and attend many courses. The camaraderie was great,” he says. For several years, he worked as an “infrastructure group leader” in the department responsible for repairing gas, drinking water, sewage and electricity lines in emergencies. He then became deputy local representative and finally local representative, a position that comes with a lot of responsibility and which he held for 15 years. “I had to undergo a security check by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in order to be allowed to participate in some of the training courses,” says Schumacher. “After all, our operations involve critical infrastructure” – facilities or installations that are essential for the safety and supply of the population.
Michael Schumacher has been volunteering for the Federal Agency for Technical Relief for over 30 years. Photo: Silvia Wolf / University of Freiburg
His training at THW not only qualified Schumacher for difficult assignments as a volunteer, but the University as an employer also benefited from the additional knowledge he acquired, which he was able to put to good use in his field of work, emergency power supply. ‘The THW offered courses that were also of interest to the University, particularly in the electricity industry. I use what I learned there on an almost daily basis here. Courses in the civil sector are expensive, so it was a good solution for both parties,’ he says. In return, the University readily granted him leave of absence for assignments lasting several weeks. “It always worked out very well with my employer, I have to say. All in all, it was a win-win situation.” His colleagues and immediate superiors also supported his extended absences. The associated risks had been discussed, but there were never any real problems.
Deployment in Sierra Leone and Liberia
In 2005 and 2007, Schumacher spent six weeks with the THW in Sierra Leone and neighbouring Liberia. “These were blue helmet missions after the civil war; we were responsible for repairing emergency power generators. Around 1,000 devices had to be regularly checked and maintained.”
Michael Schumacher on a Blue Helmet mission in Liberia. Photo: Private collection
Photo: Private collection
Both countries were the scene of brutal civil wars until the early 2000s. The THW was also involved in rebuilding the infrastructure. The Foreign Office “was looking for people with expertise in emergency power technology who were familiar with such equipment,” hand-picked THW employees with a wealth of know-how and strong nerves. “I had a total of three passports: I carried one with me at all times, one was deposited at my place of accommodation and one was in my emergency luggage. Everyone had a rucksack with a helmet, radio and splinter protection vest. If the camp had to be evacuated, for example after a rebel attack, we would have had to fight our way through to the airfield,” Schumacher reports. Warnings were repeatedly sent by telex from the UN headquarters in New York. On some days, employees were not allowed to leave the camp at all for security reasons. On others, they were accompanied to their duty stations by soldiers.
“I had a total of three passports: I carried one with me at all times, one was deposited at my place of accommodation and one was in my emergency luggage. If the camp had to be evacuated, for example after a rebel attack, we would have had to fight our way through to the airfield.“
Michael Schumacher
Staff Technical Building Management
Despite the constant danger and the mental and physical strain caused by the tropical heat and high humidity, Schumacher, tempted by a job offer from the United Nations, almost stayed in Africa if it hadn’t been for his two teenage sons waiting for him in Freiburg.
The return to everyday life in Freiburg
After his return, Schumacher reports that he quickly settled back into his well-structured and uneventful everyday life at home. Of course, he was also looking forward to being home, not only to see his children, but also to enjoy the peace and quiet. “Instead of the constant noise of generators, I could hear birds chirping, and that alone was relaxing,” he says. He also realised “how good we actually have it here, without any supply problems.”
Nevertheless, after difficult missions, it takes time to recover mentally and physically. “Th3re are some images you don’t forget so quickly.” After a rescue operation at Freiburg Airport involving the THW, he was unable to sleep for nights on end. “You have to put up with a lot during such missions,” he says. Of course, psychological support is available if needed. “But you can only heal yourself.”
His many years of voluntary work have had a lasting impact on Michael Schumacher. It gave him the opportunity to indulge his thirst for adventure while helping people at the same time. His voluntary work for others is fuelled by a fundamental ethical attitude which, as he says, used to be more self-evident than it is today. He is still active for the THW, including in youth work. The Freiburg branch has fewer recruitment problems than many other non-profit organisations, which suffer from the fact that fewer and fewer people are willing to work for the common good without remuneration. This is increasingly becoming a problem for the functioning of society. “The fact that we can live the way we do cannot be taken for granted. It concerns everyone, and everyone should contribute.”
What does the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) do?
The THW is the federal government’s volunteer-run organisation for civil protection and disaster relief. It is part of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and provides technical assistance at home and abroad, for example after natural disasters or as part of reconstruction projects. Currently, around 88,000 volunteers work for the THW. There are 668 local associations nationwide. The Freiburg local association has been active for over 70 years and currently has around 80 members. The proportion of women has risen steadily in recent years: among volunteers, it currently stands at around 17 per cent, and among full-time employees at just under 43 per cent. On 1 July 2023, Sabine Lackner became the first woman to take office as THW President.
How does the University support employees who engage in volunteer work?
Employees who volunteer for the THW are granted leave from the University for the duration of their service. Their salary continues to be paid during this time. The same applies to members of the volunteer fire brigade. Employees can take paid special leave to perform certain voluntary activities in public life, such as serving on the local council. They are also entitled to up to five working days of ‘educational leave’ per calendar year to perform voluntary activities.