Iron Curtain Crossings - Exploring Transformations on the Trail

The aim of the project is to show 9th and 10th grade students the opportunities for civil society to shape change, which led from the once insurmountable, militarily secured border of the Iron Cur...

The aim of the project is to show 9th and 10th grade students the opportunities for civil society to shape change, which led from the once insurmountable, militarily secured border of the Iron Curtain to a European Green Belt. The focus is on ecologically oriented actors and learning locations that initiated the transnationally oriented ecological, historical and peace-oriented project and continue to contribute to its realisation today. Using selected case studies – particularly at the former inner-German border and the border between Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic – young people discover how transnational cooperation, compromises between different interest groups and peaceful conflict resolution are making the Green Belt a reality. They recognise the harmony with the values of the European Union and its supportive role in this process. The specific case studies of civil society engagement can serve as guidance and inspiration for young people to help shape their own lives, thus enabling them to experience self-efficacy.

The project brought together educational teams from extracurricular ecological learning centres and associations along the Green Belt with teachers from the participating countries of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. In an initial project workshop in the Šumava National Park, learning centres and nature conservation associations provided insights into their respective experiences of developing the Green Belt and their ecological education work on site. On this basis, ideas for school education work were developed and discussed. Following the workshop, the project partners, led by Bund für Bildung e.V., developed a first draft of the educational materials. This was discussed and commented on by the participants in a second project workshop at the Green Belt Centre in Windhaag. Further revision by the editorial team followed. The workshop process was framed by four teacher focus groups, with the first focus group in Berlin focusing on the needs and expectations of teachers. Following the second project workshop, focus groups on specific issues were held again at all three partner institutions with the target group of teachers. Their feedback was then incorporated into the teaching materials.

Educational materials for use in 9th and 10th grade were developed as the central product. They include an introduction for teachers and working materials in nine learning units (LU), with LU 1-4 addressing the topic of borders from the perspective of the ideological and physical division of Europe and its overcoming in 1989/90, which made the Green Belt Europe project possible. LE 5-8 are devoted to examples of design options for individual border sections with specific challenges and solutions. LE 9 brings the results together by addressing the role of the actors involved as “change agents.” All learning units offer suggestions for developing questions, information on the work assignments, and action-oriented extensions. The integration of digital sources from selected providers is designed to tie in with young people's research behavior and teach media literacy. A slightly modified version is available in Czech. The joint learning process has given rise to a network of school and extracurricular education that is already engaged in intensive exchange on the further development of the project.