Geschichtswerkstatt of the Alte Landesschule
creative-innovative

In cooperation with Kreisstadt Korbach, Wolfgang-Bonhage-Museum, Stadtarchiv, Waldeckischer Geschichtsverein, Förderverein der Alten Landesschule and Verein ehemaliger Korbacher Gymnasiasten

The idea of the Geschichtswerkstatt is not new. New, however, was the firm implementation at the Alte Landesschule. "Self-organized research and learning" was its maxim. It was constituted for seventh grade students at the beginning of the school year 2009/2010. Individual interests, skills and needs of the students were admitted in the structure of the project.

Jahresbericht

Soon a "study group" was formed. Seventeen motivated and historically enthusiastic seventh grade students and the high school students went on a search. They agreed on the topic "Lebendige Zeugnisse Korbachs" (vivid testimonies of Korbach). Priorities were the middle-age and new time city history.

The students spent many hours on excursions, guided city tours - even in middle age costumes - or in museums. They would have loved to visit many more historic sites, but, as usual, time was limited. The school term just flew by.

 

Ann-Katrin Pohlmann, Sarah Herrmann, Dominic Berger, Lennart Jahn, Torben Müller, Timon Schmidt, Adil Durakovic, Noah Bonck, Luisa Bethke, Micha Krause, Nele Friedrich, Elina Schönhardt, Nina Juppe, Carl v. Randow, Florian Mitze, Dominik Lerch, Jakob Gleumes, Alexander Ruhl, Sebastian Hessel

 
Jahresbericht

The students turned into researchers, tracers and criminologists of the own regional and school history. Teachers took a back seat and functioned as attendants and mentors. New learning and teaching methods, working and research at different sites were favored.

pausing for breath at the Kump

 

Many exciting things were to be discovered. Why was the Mönchehof given its name? What is it about with the Hexenturm, the Spukhaus, the Feldhühnerchenkump or the Lache- and Heulemännchen? What were the vice stones or the Pranger used for? What function did the "Rote Turm" originally have?

In the "Rote Turm" (red tower), for example, convicts sentenced to death were imprisoned until their execution. The "Rote Turm" is said to have been almost as high as Tylenturm. It was not called "Roter Turm" because of its red walls. A red blood flag (Blutfahne) was raised to announce forthcoming executions. The red flag at tower´s gable today still refers to its former use. Would you have known all this?

The working methods varied from archival studies and research on the ground to guided city tours, photo documentations, approach institutions and going through school and city historic secondary literature. At the beginning of 2010 the time had come: first results could be presented to the public on the own homepage.

27 stations give an insight into the historic depelopment of the city of Korbach: its origin, the union of old and new town, city fortification and defence, the devastating city smut of 1664, up to modern times and the present. Anecdotes and legends are taken into account as much as biographies of significant people.

The ´Geschichtswerkstättler´ have found many friends and patrons. The Förderverein made money available for the acquisition of important publications. Dr. Völker-Janssen, director of Korbach´s Wolgang-Bonhage-Museum, took visitors personally through the museum, members of the municipal archive assisted and encouraged the group, the Infobüro of the City of Korbach provided the ´Geschichtswerkstättler´ with brochures, city maps, ball pens and sweets, the town hall of the county town Korbach helped with map and photo licences. The students also got access to insights of historic buildings that, before, not everybody had had the privilege to see.

Special thanks go to Mister Dejan Danz, who prepared the homepage. In painstaking detailed work and much enthusiasm he worked out a homepage taking all requests into consideration. Thank you!

The first steps are done and many exciting events are yet to come for present and future ´Geschichtswerkstättler´. But one thing can already be stated: Those who were involved now walk through their city with different eyes! If you want to discover more about the history of the City of Korbach, its people, legends and anecdotes, visit the homepage http://www.geschichtswerkstatt-als.de

 

Übersetzt von Wilhelm Sauer
    williesauer@yahoo.de

Marion Möller