In the memory of the city

What do Count Anton Günther, kale and VFB Oldenburg have in common? Students set out in search of places of remembrance for a book. They already knew of one such place: the university.

The students’ findings have now been published in an anthology: “Places of Remembrance in Oldenburg. From the Castle to the Hell of the North, from Count Anton Günther to Horst Janssen”, edited by the historian Mareike Witkowski.

Places of remembrance are locations in the topographical sense, but also people, events, ideas or rituals that have become ingrained in the collective memory. The students have compiled a total of 17 such focal points across the city and the region. These are focal points that play a role in the consciousness of Oldenburg’s residents and serve to shape the identity of the city’s population.

The idea for the book dates back to a history seminar in the winter semester of 2009/2010, during which the students interviewed numerous residents of the city, as well as experts from the region, historians and museum specialists. A total of 200 places of remembrance were identified in this way; 17 were selected and included in the book project – among them the University of Oldenburg. According to seminar leader Witkowski, this marks the first time the concept of ‘places of remembrance’ has been applied locally, to a single city.

“Places of Remembrance in Oldenburg. From the Castle to the Hell of the North, from Count Anton Günther to Horst Janssen”, ed. Mareike Witkowski, Florian Isensee GmbH, ISBN: 978-3-89995-777-8, €14.80