ZeitZentrum Zivilcourage

Concept

The ZeitZentrum Zivilcourage community educational centre of the state capital Hanover tells the story of urban life in Hanover under National Socialism. However, it doesn’t just chronicle the persecution, but also narrates from the perspective of those who resisted, the onlookers and the perpetrators. Using the thought-provoking slogan “Participate or resist” visitors are encouraged to critically explore what possibilities the people who lived at that time had regarding their actions and decisions, and to reflect on their own life both now and in the future in terms of what it means to live with others in a democracy.

Local – interactive – biographical

The ZeitZentrum Zivilcourage teaches the history of National Socialism through the local lens of Hanover. It looks at both the origins of the Fascist dictatorship in Hanover and the impact of right-wing extremist organisations up to the present day. Piecing together the whole story of the Nazi era in Hanover and sharing that knowledge is an ongoing task being undertaken by the civic Culture of Remembrance [Städtische Erinnerungskultur].

The ZeitZentrum Zivilcourage combines giving a historical account with interactive educational activities. The design of the exhibition is intentionally open plan and multi-faceted featuring workshops on democracy and moral courage with the aim of encouraging visitors to explore the material for themselves, based on their own specific questions and interests.

At the heart of the exhibition are peoples’ personal life stories. Visitors are given the chance to discover the biographies of altogether 45 people in Hanover in their historical setting through focusing on the conflict between “PARTICIPATE OR RESIST”. By depicting a cross-section of the entire urban society in Hanover (from persecuted victims, resistance fighters, both men and women, to members of the “Volksgemeinschaft” [the Nazi notion of a racial community], profit-makers and perpetrators), the exhibition captures the complexity of social events, enabling visitors to gain a multi-perspective yet controversial insight into the past and how it remains in our memories.

Educational aims

Seit Mai 2019 wird das Team der Städtischen Erinnerungskultur durch zwei Pädagog*innen unterstützt, die das pädagogische Konzept ausarbeiten und Angebote für Gruppen- und Einzelbesuche entwickeln. Im Vordergrund stehen dialogische Workshopformate in Kleingruppen mit folgenden didaktischen Prinzipien:

The emphasis is on interactive workshop formats conducted in small groups based on the following educational principles: the starting point is the depiction of a rich variety of personal stories of Hanoverians, which provide an illustrative insight into the topic of National Socialism, anti-Semitism and racism. Pupils are encouraged to learn through a process of inquiry, as a way of exploring history for themselves. This entails posing their own questions that they have on the subject and basing their inquiry on their own interests. The pupils’ own worlds form the gateway for delving into the subject matter and the methodological approach.

In spaces for discussion where outcomes and controversy can be debated openly, a nexus is created between learning about history and the issues of how one should act and make decisions in the here and now. The ZeitZentrum Zivilcourage is modular in concept, avoiding barriers and enabling access to people of all needs. All the various kinds of presentations are designed to be interactive and to inspire people to get involved and be part of shaping the project.

Before the official opening, the workshops went through extensive testing, evaluation and refinement in pilot runs using groups from different year levels and from a range of different types of schools. A wide variety of collaborative ventures not just with schools, but also with outside educational institutions, has already been forged.

Participation and cooperation

The ZeitZentrum Zivilcourage is an integral part of the city community. The intention is for it to be open to people from all walks of life – not just for a visit, but for a constructive dialogue and exchange of views. The ZeitZentrum Zivilcourage is designed to be constantly evolving and geared to the needs of the future. It is therefore particularly important to collaborate with other educational institutions, such as the Leibniz University Hannover, the City Archives and Hanover Historical Museum, and above all with the Ahlem Memorial, but also with the many civil society initiatives that carry out important commemorative and educational work at a local level. Many of these are part of the Netzwerk Erinnerung und Zukunft e.V. [Network Remembrance and Future], with whom there is close cooperation.

Large sections of this educational venue are also targeted at school and youth groups. Therefore, young people were involved in the actual implementation phase right from the start through allowing them to be a participant. For instance, a group of young people undertaking a voluntary social year in the field of culture or politics created the youth room for the module “Meine Welt?” [“My world?]. Students on their voluntary social year will continue to be involved in partnership with the Landesvereinigung kulturelle Jugendbildung e.V. [National Association of Cultural Youth Education]

Additional online information

hannover.de Zeitzentrum Zivilcourage
Konzept „Lernort: Die hannoversche Stadtgesellschaft und der
Nationalsozialismus.“ (Arbeitstitel, Stand 4/2017) [Educational Centre: Hanover’s urban society and National Socialism.” (Working title, version 4/2017) – in German] PDF

Further reading: Click here

Texts: ZeitZentrum Zivilcourage