02.05.2025
Save the date! Registration for the Day of Contemporary Witnesses on October 1 and 2 is now open.
Teachers, researchers, and multipliers in the field of historical and political education can register for the Day of Contemporary Witnesses starting May 2.
By Rebecca Beiter
Starting May 2, registration will be open for the Day of Contemporary Witnesses, taking place in Tübingen on October 1–2, 2025. This two-day professional conference and public event focuses on the role of contemporary witnesses in historical-political education and history teaching. The event emphasizes witnesses of German-German history and explores how their experiences can contribute to effective civic education in schools. A special highlight is the public vernissage of the video installation "Eine Geschichte der Deutschen? Einschlüsse und Ausschlüsse in der Erinnerungskultur", taking place on the evening of October 1. The remainder of the program is aimed at professionals in the field – teachers, researchers, and facilitators in historical-political education. The Day of Contemporary Witnesses is a mandatory Landesfachtag (state-level specialist training day) for educational trainers in Baden-Württemberg and is officially recognized as a teacher training event by the Lehrkräftefortbildung des Zentrums für Schulqualität und Lehrerbildung (ZSL).
Event website | Program (.pdf) | Registration
German-German History in Dialogue
Renowned experts on the German-German discourse – such as Prof. Dr. Detlef Pollack (sociology of religion), Prof. Dr. Monika Oberle (civic education), Prof. Dr. Christina Morina (contemporary history), Prof. Dr. Dirk Oschmann (literary studies), and Dr. Anna Lux (history and sociology) – will engage in discussions with teachers and facilitators in historical-political education.
Memories of Germany’s division and reunification differ greatly between those who grew up in East and West Germany. Disciplines such as history, sociology, and cultural studies explore the period of division, the process of transformation, and its societal effects. Meanwhile, history didactics and educational research examine how accounts by contemporary witnesses can be meaningfully integrated into educational contexts.
The conference provides a space for exchange and promotes networking among professionals working in historical-political education and research.
Conference Highlights
Interdisciplinary researchers will meet with teacher trainers, schoolteachers, and political educators in various formats to discuss the pressing issues surrounding memory culture and the histories of divided Germany.
Teacher trainers from the Lehrkräftefortbildung des Zentrums für Schulqualität und Lehrerbildung (ZSL) Baden-Württemberg will present teaching units that incorporate the "Generationen" video interviews. The accompanying didactic materials are available on the Baden-Württemberg state education server.
With the public vernissage of a new video installation titled "Eine Geschichte der Deutschen? Einschlüsse und Ausschlüsse in der Erinnerungskultur", the conference also reaches out to the broader civil society.
At the Markt der Möglichkeiten, organizations and institutions will present their educational and research projects related to German-German memory and discourse.
Contact
Media Contact
Rebecca Beiter
Rebecca.Beiter@uni-tuebingen.de
Contact for the Day of Contemporary Witnesses
Dr. Christiane Bertram
christiane.bertram@uni-tuebingen.de