“It was as if history suddenly became tangible. The place touched me deeply. It is important to see what it was like back then and I think we are lucky to be able to express our opinions freely today and live and travel freely in Europe,” says Neela. She is one of 14 French pupils from Vimoutiers in Normandy who recently visited the Schifflersgrund Border Museum together with their German exchange partners. For the young people from the Adam-von-Trott School in Sontra and their French partner school Collège Arlette Hée Fergant, this was not only an exciting excursion, but also a lively history lesson that went far beyond the classroom setting.
Accompanied by Bernd Urban, teacher at the Adam-von-Trott School and educator at the border museum, the Franco-German group walked from the train station in Bad Sooden-Allendorf along the former inner-German border to the museum. On the way, they learned what it meant to live in a divided country and what fates took place along this border. “This hike is always a special experience for the pupils – it shows how vivid history can be when you visit the places where it happened,” emphasizes Urban.
Once at the museum, the young people explored the new permanent exhibition. The new, multilingual information flyers of the memorial, which were funded by the Thuringian State Chancellery, were also used for the first time. These flyers, which are now available in German, French, English and Dutch, provide a compact introduction to the history of Schifflersgrund. They also include a map of the newly designed outdoor area, making it easier for visitors to find their way around the site.
“With the new flyers, our international visitors can understand the content in their own language,” explains museum director Dr. Christian Stöber. “Especially during intercultural encounters, such as this school exchange, they promote dialog and an intensive examination of history – a central component of our educational work.”
The flyers were designed and co-designed by the marketing agency hs match. “When designing the new multilingual information flyers, it was important to us that the information was easy to understand and visually appealing. We are delighted to be able to support the museum on its journey to keep history alive,” says agency manager Martina Adler.
After an eventful day at the Schifflersgrund border museum, the group of students walked back to Bad Sooden-Allendorf – carrying not only the new flyers, but also unforgettable impressions, lively discussions and a deeper understanding of a shared piece of European remembrance culture.