Nr.177-25 | 10.11.2025 | BM |Ministry of Education and Child Care
Around 40 students from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein met at the Schlagsdorf Regional School. On the occasion of the annual student encounter, they commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall and the opening of the border in 1989. The event was organized by the Ministry of General and Vocational Education, Science, Research and Culture of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, the Ministry of Education and Child Day Care Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in cooperation with the State Commissioner for Political Education Schleswig-Holstein, the State Center for Political Education Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the Grenzhus Schlagsdorf.
“The Peaceful Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall gave people the courage to stand up for democracy and freedom. These achievements cannot be taken for granted – they must be defended again and again and filled with life. The fact that young people today are looking for traces of division and unity in their own world shows: culture of remembrance is not backward-looking, but an active contribution to shaping our common future,” said Simone Oldenburg, Minister of Education in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and President of the Conference of Education Ministers.
“German unity is not complete. It remains an ongoing task. Our students deal with it in class. This contributes significantly to social cohesion and democratic coexistence,” said Dorit Stenke, Education Minister in Schleswig-Holstein.
The central aim of the meeting is to make the meaning of freedom and democracy visible in the light of Germany’s history of division and to connect it with current social challenges. Pupils in grades 9 to 12/13 presented competition entries that deal with historical traces of division in their hometowns as well as questions of the culture of remembrance, social cohesion and trust in democratic processes.
The following student contributions were recognized:
- Winners in the “Regional Schools” category:
Jilljana Kleye and Mia Rott, Friedegart Belusa Community School Büchen
Title: “Two thoughts – one feeling”
- Winner of the “High Schools” category:
Elisa Liebrecht, music high school “Käthe Kollwitz” Rostock
Title: “Golden waves, gray times – 35 years of German unity in Rostock”
Following the award ceremony, the students took part in workshops to address questions about the culture of remembrance, how to deal with history in the age of digital media, and the personal perspectives of contemporary witnesses. In the afternoon, Education Minister Simone Oldenburg discussed the period of the Peaceful Revolution and German reunification with students.
The student meeting takes place annually around November 9th. The Schlagsdorf region represents the history of the inner-German border in a special way. The aim of the competition is to make historical experiences tangible for young people and to encourage active participation in democratic design.
Text:
Image: Dr. Steffen Schoon
