Brüche und Brücken

Media narration on the change of industrial culture and work biographies in Königstein

From September to November 2022, participants can look forward to a varied programme in and around Königstein on the topic of changes in industrial culture and work biographies before and after the political turnaround in the GDR.

On the second weekend in September, we will start with an introduction to journalistic writing and photography, before we talk to contemporary witnesses about everyday working life and culture before and after the fall of the Wall. What were the working conditions like in the uranium mining company Wismut? How and on what occasions did people celebrate at the paper factory (Louisenthal) or where could they go on holiday when they worked at the VEB Linoleumwerk Kohlmühle? We can also add our own present-day perspective on the topic.

On the second weekend in October, as an important part of our research, we will look at the former workplaces with our contemporary witnesses and see how they coped with social and economic change and what problems they struggled with or what opportunities they seized. On these two weekends, the participants can try out their skills as citizen journalists under expert guidance.

On the first weekend in November, we will present the results of the research as text and image stories in an exhibition, a blog or newspaper article, as a podcast or video contribution online and in public in Workshop 26 of Weltbewusst e.V. and discuss what positive and negative consequences the social upheaval 30 years ago brought with it in terms of work and industrial culture, how working conditions have changed in general and what challenges we have to face today in a globalised world of work.