Wir Bleiben Hier! : History, Memory, Aging, and Civic Activism in Berlin

Abstract

This project explored the connections between collective memory formation, identity politics, and civic engagement in Prenzlauer Berg, a neighborhood in the Pankow district of the German capital, Berlin. The neighborhood is home to the Herbstlaube, a senior center that helped establish and maintains a small adjacent house museum, which it jointly administers with district history museum. The research team traced the history of this unique relationship and examined its significance for seniors in the neighborhood and the staff/volunteers who work with them.