Minorities Matter: Learning from the Past, Embracing Diversity in the Future

With the “Minorities Matter” project, we aimed to raise awareness among our students about the importance of protecting minorities in democratic societies - both historically and today. We wanted ...

With the “Minorities Matter” project, we aimed to raise awareness among our students about the importance of protecting minorities in democratic societies - both historically and today. We wanted them to recognize mechanisms of exclusion, question prejudices, and take an active stance against discrimination. More than just conveying knowledge, the project sought to shape attitudes: empathy, a sense of responsibility, and the courage to stand up for others. Another goal was to connect historical remembrance with personal engagement - through the cleaning of Stolpersteine and the research of individual biographies of victims of National Socialism. Through international exchange, students were also meant to experience that the protection of minorities is a shared European task that transcends borders. We wanted to give them the opportunity to see themselves as part of an active, value-based European community and to experience their own impact - both locally and internationally. In this way, the project served as character education, democracy building, and lived European cooperation.

As part of the “Minorities Matter” project, we carried out diverse activities that combined historical learning, intercultural encounters, and creative reflection. In Germany, students visited the former concentration camp Natzweiler-Struthof in France, worked on the biographies of victims of National Socialism, and cleaned Stolpersteine in Lahr as an active form of remembrance. They also visited the European Parliament in Strasbourg and the open-air museum Vogtsbauernhöfe in Gutach to explore European identity and cultural diversity. In Romania (Oțelu Roșu), students met with representatives of various ethnic and religious minorities (e.g., Roma, Serbs, Evangelical Christians) and conducted interviews. These encounters were documented in a powerful photo exhibition. In Spain (Vitoria-Gasteiz), the focus was on the Basque minority. Students visited the Museo de la Paz in Guernica and the Basque Parliament. They created video reflections on their experiences, which were later presented at a final international celebration, highlighting the richness and diversity of European voices.

The “Minorities Matter” project resulted in several concrete and sustainable outputs. In Romania, a physical photo exhibition was created, featuring portraits and quotes from representatives of ethnic and religious minorities who were interviewed by students. The exhibition is now used in local educational contexts. In Spain, the student-created reflection videos became part of the curriculum for learners of German as a foreign language and are now used as a creative tool to address social topics. In Germany, students are working on a collection of biographies behind the Stolpersteine in Lahr. However, the project revealed that such a publication will never be complete, as new stories and stones continue to be added. As a long-term result, a collaboration with the Lahr city archive has been established: students will now contribute annually to the city’s new Book of Remembrance, enriching it with further biographies. This living document connects historical responsibility with ongoing civic engagement and ensures the memory of victims continues to grow with each generation.