The Democracy 2019 Exhibition in Berlin
From April until September 2019 the Deutsches Historisches Museum is all about democracy
April 10th, 2019
The Democracy 2019 exhibition focuses on current social negotiation processes. It seeks to raise awareness that this form of government lives on the participation and commitment of all, and that it is characterized by the continual negotiation of different opinions and positions. However, the exhibition encourages critical reflection weather basic rights are guaranteed for everybody in a liberal democracy.
One part of the exhibition is Weimar: The Essence and Value of Democracy. It is a historical path that shows Weimar’s development into a democracy. According to Kelsen, one of the defenders of the Weimar democracy, freedom and equality are significant arguments for the justification of the democratic idea. The focus therefore does not lie on the downfall of the Weimar Republic, but rather on how the citizens dealt with the controversial topic of what democracy is and should be, and how the decisive principles of democracy are evolved.
The Democracy Lab is another part of the exhibition, which offers visitors an opportunity to express their own opinions and present them for discussion.
The exhibition architecture illustrates the fact that democracy is not a fixed system, but rather that it consists out of controversies and compromises, movement and change. Therefore the exhibition creates an open space for cultural diplomacy and encourages people to critically reflect what should be done differently.
References:
- - https://www.visitberlin.de/en/event/democracy-2019-german-historical-museum-entry-free-action-days-12-and-13-april
- - https://www.visitberlin.de/en/event/democracy-lab
- - https://www.dhm.de/en/ausstellungen/democracy-2019/weimar.html
