(Dreams of) Places in European reality - Orts(T)räume in der europäischen Realität

Marko Heinke from our Altenburg Hub “Orts(T)räume” in Thuringia, Germany and Sarah Herke, the Hub’s Local Contact and Director of MitOst’s cultural exchange department, published an intriguing article about the importance of independent art and cultural spaces for Soziokultur magazine. They say these kinds of cultural oases are very much needed in the different localities of the programme. Dialogue, but also a shared experience and creation of cultural events, of various people in society are more needed than ever to create empathy for the needs and perspectives of others. 

As a region situated in former Eastern Germany the Altenburger Land can be taken as exemplary for the structural change since 1989 there. The hub asked questions like: where could the Thuringian Altenburger Land find opportunities? What approaches can be used to counter the perforated villages and landscapes? What can art and culture contribute in their interplay between European dimensions and regional forms?

Starting from these questions they looked for opportunities and occasions, to bring the residents in the various localities of the Altenburger Land into conversation with one another. They created room for dialogue true to the idea of an oasis which are originally places of encounter and exchange and relaxation in the desert area. 


To read the full article in German download the PDF.