Blog parade: What does Democracy mean to me? #DHMDemokratie

30 April 2019

Amidst the current upheaval represented by the global upsurge in anti-democratic movements, the threat of Brexit, and the approaching European Parliament election, the Deutsches Historisches Museum—as part of its 2019 theme on democracy—takes a look at the challenges for democracy past and present. The blog parade ‘What Does Democracy Mean to Me?’, running from 30 April to 28 May 2019, broadens our focus on democracy to include the Internet. We invite you to make use of the hashtag #DHMDemokratie to disclose your completely personal relationship to democracy. After all, democracy concerns every single one of us!

Democracy Theme 2019

From April to September 2019, the Deutsches Historisches Museum is dedicating our program to democracy. How has it challenged society in the past—and how does it do so in the present? We analyse these questions from various local perspectives:

1. The exhibition Weimar: On the Nature and Value of Democracy (4 April–22 September 2019):

We use the historical example of the Weimar Republic to pose the question: what is democracy? The exhibition sheds light on key challenges in politics and society at that time, with reference to current debates and crises surrounding democracy.

2. The Participatory Democracy Lab (4 April–4 August 2019)

The Democracy Lab aims to raise awareness that democracy thrives on participation and engagement from all citizens. This form of government is shaped by an ongoing process of negotiation between different opinions and standpoints.

3. Events: Dialogues, Salons, and Debates

In these public programs, we address key questions about democracy. Experts will discuss various topics within the format of discussions and salons. These are the questions and topics we intend to bring online through our blog parade.

Blog Parade #DHMDemokratie

And this is where you come in! We want to know:

What significance does democracy have for you personally? We’ll use your thoughts, with your consent, as points for discussion in our Democracy Lab. We want to link up the analogue with the digital. Tell us your story; we’re listening.

Themes for the #DHMDemokratie Blog Parade

The hashtag #DHMDemokratie can be used to cover all aspects of democracy, its significance, and its historical achievements in the last 100 years, from 1919 until today. We want to work together with you to further this conversation.

We’re excited to hear your thoughts on democracy—a challenging and important issue. You can interpret the topic as broadly or narrowly as you’d like. We offer the questions below as a way to get the ball rolling. You’re welcome to answer your own questions related to the theme. So join the conversation—we look forward to hearing your thoughts!

• What is the current state of democracy? What challenges does it face?

• Value of democracy—how is democracy valued, both in Germany and internationally? Have you had experiences while travelling that shed light on this question? Is democracy under threat by a rise in anti-democratic practices, or is everything in your opinion just fine as it is? What do you think about the role of populist statements in the election campaign?

• Democracy and education—how important is it for us and for our children? When it comes to democracy, how far should education go and what form should it take?

• Democracy and the future of Europe—where is Europe headed, and what kind of Europe do you wish for in the future? What do you think about Brexit?

• Democracy then and now—how has it evolved, in your eyes, to become what it is today? Are the achievements of the Weimar Republic (for example, the establishment of the welfare state or the struggle for an open approach to sexuality) still palpable? What do you think of universal basic income and marriage equality?

• Democracy for equal rights and equal opportunities—given a century of women’s suffrage, what is left to do? What do you think of a quota based on gender? Also welcome are thoughts on education, inclusion, and housing for all.

• Democracy and freedom of expression—what does it mean to you? What role do social media play in the formation of opinions, and how do you view this as a blogger? What endangers or supports democracy online?

Who can participate in our blog parade?

Everyone. We invite bloggers of all stripes to the blog parade! Our hope is to gather diverse perspectives and a lively exchange with each other on the subject of ‘democracy’. You are welcome to apply this to your own personal experience, or explore its relevance for politics and society. Let your imagination run wild!

We’d like to extend a special invitation to our colleagues from other cultural institutions! What significance does democracy have for your collections, your projects, and/or your research? Tell us the stories behind your work.

Participating without a blog? Yes, you can!

Even without a blog, you can join in with the #DHMDemokratie project. Leave your contribution as a comment or send it to us as a guest contribution. We’ll publish it on our blog. Send your guest posts to blog@dhm.de. We’re looking forward to your contributions!