Traveling exhibition on Werner Seelenbinder: Raising students' awareness of democracy

Traveling exhibition on Werner Seelenbinder: Raising students' awareness of democracy

There is currently a lot happening in Kyritz in raising awareness about the values ​​of democracy. Teacher Max Krause from the Jahn-Gymnasium, in cooperation with the activist Wolfgang Haak, has launched a traveling exhibition that focuses on the resistance fighter and wrestler Werner Seelenbinder. This exhibition is entitled "Werner Seelenbinder. Wrestler, Communist. Enemy of the State" and will be on view from October 13th to 16th in the Kyritz Cultural Center. At the opening on October 13th at 6:30 p.m., Krause, Haak, Oliver Rump and students from the high school will also have their say to shed light on the relevance of Seelenbinder's life and his resistance to National Socialism. This is reported by the Märkische Allgemeine.

Werner Seelenbinder, born 120 years ago, was not only a successful wrestler, but also a real resistance fighter. In 1933 he refused to give the Hitler salute and joined the Communist Party, which earned him a 16-month ban from training. His commitment ultimately led to his arrest and execution in 1944. Seelenbinder is seen as an example of what happens when people oppose radicalization and xenophobia - a topic that Max Krause actively addresses in class. Racism, anti-Semitism and the brutalization of discourse are on his agenda, as shown by the appropriate discussion of an incident in Flensburg in which a shop owner banned Jews from entering the premises.

Raise students' awareness of democracy

The increase in inquiries about incidents in schools registered by the Victim Perspective Association highlights the lack of teacher awareness of such issues. Krause is aware of this and reports that students are increasingly questioning what they consume on social media. The school management of the Jahn-Gymnasium supports Krause's commitment: The traveling exhibition on Werner Seelenbinder is all about conveying values ​​and underlines the responsibility of educational institutions in dealing with the past and the lessons learned from it.

Seelenbinder's life path, which brought him into focus as a two-time German champion and Olympian, was presented in this traveling exhibition using carefully selected materials. Much of the information comes from the GDR and represents a time when Seelenbinder was celebrated as a hero of the labor movement. The support from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and other initiatives also shows how important it is to remember such courageous personalities. The New German media adds that there is another exhibition about soul binders in Potsdam that has the same title and underlines its importance for society.

Memory as active action

The example of Seelenbinder not only provides information about the past, but also serves as an incentive to actively address current social issues. At a time when the fundamental values ​​of our society are being challenged by various movements and discourses, the value of democracy remains an important asset that must be protected. The exhibition is intended not only to commemorate Seelebinder, but also to encourage people to learn from his courage and to take a stand against the current rise in xenophobia and radicalism, as the initiatives of Krause and his colleagues make clear.

The commemoration of Soulbinders is therefore much more than the dredging up of historical facts. It's about actively helping to shape a future in which tolerance and respect for all people are the norm. In this sense, the message of the traveling exhibition is clear: Let us learn from history and set an example – here and now.