Contemporary witness café: History made alive for students in Tulln!

The students of class 5BK of the HAK Tulln have launched an extraordinary project that brings the voices of history alive. As part of their lessons in the field of international economic and cultural areas (IWK), they organized a “contemporary witness café” in which nine women shared their personal experiences and memories. These events not only offer an exciting teaching unit, but also enable the students to gain unadorned, authentic insights into the story, such as

The term “contemporary witness” has developed into an indispensable part of historical science over the years. Contemporary witnesses report the events around flight, displacement and life in their homeland, which is essential for the reconstruction of historical events. According to omee-lexikon , these reports fulfill an important function, especially for the documentation of German history in and from Eastern Central Europe, where many Germans lived in minority for centuries. Their statements form the basis for research and understanding of historical processes that have been directly connected to the recent past.

The importance of contemporary witnesses

In research, contemporary witnesses, which often act as living history books, have gained a new status as sources through their stories. Her reports are not only important for historians, but also for society as a whole, since they represent a fundamental component of the collective memory. A growing interest in contemporary witnesses has developed in Germany in recent years, since many contemporary witnesses of the experiences of the 20th century have to belong to the "generation of experience" and their stories have to be documented before they are lost forever.

These developments show how important it is to support events such as the contemporary witness café so that the valuable experiences and memories of these women do not be forgotten and future generations are accessible. With their commitment, the students from HAK Tulln make a valuable contribution to the culture of remembrance.