I liked the idea of creating pedagogical material for the year 2100. Although I would not have phrased the title like that – because in our small group, it fuelled discussion about what 2100 will be like, and how we would have to attune our pedagodical concept to the reality of this time. In order to prevent these sci-fi-discussions, perhaps going even further and creating pedagogical material for aliens might make sense?

Anyway, it was a good exercise to try and step out of our everyday patterns of thinking and extrapolate from concrete historical events broader significance for future generations. I also had the thought that, in times of audio- and video recordings, a lack of contemporary witnesses is not such a big problem anymore. Instead, I think being able to find relevant information in the massive amounts provided will be the real challenge.

Coming back to the task, it nicely demonstrated which questions are relevant when creating such material: Who is adressed? What is to be told? How do we create such material without simply reproducing dominant discourse(s)?

I appreciated the field trips later that afternoon. House of Democracy and Human Rights is now a well-established institution, situated in a representative building close to Alexanderplatz (the centre of former East-Berlin, and a hub of the unified city). Church from Below is basically a punk youth club, ties to the 1980s East-German opposition and, indeed, the church, being represented mostly by individuals and certain practices (decision-making by consensus, youth self organization, lived solidarity on an everyday level…).

They stand for choices oppositional movements must make, when faced with changing political realities: seize the opportunity to grow as an institution and civil society player, which comes with with the potential for broader political and social impact, but also the need for compromise. Or continue work on the grassroots level, with very little attention, but the independence to follow individual convictions?

It was great to visit both, as already the locations spoke volumes about their respective discoursive power. Preparation, in my opinion, would have been useful, to have more background upon which the monologue in House of Democracy could have been turned into a dialogue.

Bonus-points for having a fixed spot for an interims-evaluation! I think most people were glad there was the opportunity to get some things off their chest and have some time to talk about basics.