Until 2019, shortly after the GWZO became a member of the Leibniz Association, the institute’s research was mainly organized around collaborative projects. These brought together historians, archaeologists, linguists, ethnologists, geographers, cultural scientists, art historians and literary scholars in different constellations. Periods of employment varied depending on the conditions set by the sponsors. We want to thank all former employees for their excellent work and the many new impulses that have contributed to furthering research on Eastern Europe.