Schwerin remembers: Students report on the turn of the turn in 1989!

Schwerin remembers: Students report on the turn of the turn in 1989!

The commitment of the youth for the history of the turning time remains unbroken. An impressive project in which students from locations of the moving past and the experiences of contemporary witnesses have gained in importance in Schwerin. In the course of the historical project, students from various schools met to talk about the events of the peaceful revolution of 1989 with contemporary witnesses. In particular, an event on October 2, 1989 in the Paulskirche, which became the first public meeting of the new forum in the GDR, took a central place here.

The 17-year-old Johann from the Niels-Stensen School is impressed by how much the courage of the people from that time inspires him. "For me, those who gathered in the Paulskirche are true role models," he says. His classmate Meta adds that the commitment of young people is of great importance for society. The apprenticeship from the events of 1989 is clear: if many get involved, the change does not fail.

conversation with the contemporary witnesses

Under the direction of the teacher Dennis Vennewald, six students from the Stensenschule voluntarily took part in the project. This opportunity to collect information about the turning time in Schwerin was willingly used by the young people. The contemporary witnesses also included Uta Loatkeit, one of the organizers of the memorable meeting.

Luca, a 16-year-old student, reports of the emotional stories that opened up the contemporary witnesses. Many of them described that they no longer wanted to live in a dictatorship. Their main concern was to create a better future for their children. The students plan to summarize their conversations and publish them in their own newspaper to capture what they have learned.

The project not only includes the Stensenschule, but also students from Ecolea, Fridericianum, the Pedagogical and the Evangelical Technical School of Social Pedagogy. The idea of bringing these different school groups together comes from Dr. Ulrike Petschulat, who also took part in the 1989 event. She is concerned that the turning time is often not sufficiently treated in history and would like to clarify here.

support and presentation of the results

The Initiative October 2, 1989 - October 2, 2024 receives support from different partners, including the Peace Community and the State Center for Political Education. The Stasi documents archive and the Mecklenburg Foundation are also involved. Dr. Florian Ostrop, Managing Director of the Mecklenburg Foundation, was excited about the results of the talks and its presentation.

On October 2, 2024, the results of the students and contemporary witnesses are to be presented in the Paulskirche. All interested parties are invited at 4 p.m. Sophia, 16 years old, says: "The conversations once again made me aware of how well we are in a democracy." This reflection on its own social situation plays a central role in dealing with the past.