What can the engagement with art and cultural history objects in museums contribute to the political education of children, adolescents and young adults? This question was the focus of the project "Political Education in Museums" (2019 - 2022), in which Haus Bastian - Center for Cultural Education and the collections of the Museumsinsel Berlin became an experimental field for political education. In collaboration with experts in cultural and political education, teachers and students, questions and topics were developed that emerged from political education and were transferred to the museum context. Prototypical project days for students were transferred to the regular education and outreach program.
Since 2020, experts from the fields of political education, cultural education, and educational science have been meeting regularly in a working group at Haus Bastian. The aim is to discuss central issues of political, cultural and historical education for museums and other cultural institutions and to develop practical solutions. The working group is continued as an agile interdisciplinary network and invites to monthly exchanges.
Prototypical event formats, such as project days and weeks, were developed, tested and evaluated with students and teachers. Socio-political topics were identified in a practical way, which form points of contact both in the collections of the museums and in the life worlds of the participants. In addition, a methodological repertoire for the political education of young people in museums was developed.
In further training courses, staff from museums, schools and youth institutions exchanged information about formats and methods that can be used in both school and non-school educational work.
"Political Education in Museums" was part of the project "Common Past, Common Future". It was realized in close cooperation with the Museum of Islamic Art.
The project „Political Education in Museums“ was funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
