75 years of the Basic Law - Democracy Festival of the Federal Government
From 24 to 26 May 2024, the Federal Republic of Germany celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law with a large public democracy festival around the Chancellery and the German Bundestag in Berlin.
Not only the departments of the Federal Government and the constitutional bodies presented themselves here, but also the federal states and numerous civil society actors. There were four central venues: the Dialogue Forum infront of the Reichstag, a 360-degree stage, the Tipi at the Chancellery and the action area in Spreebogenpark.
The anniversary of the constitution was used as an opportunity to hold a political discussion about Germany's self-image. The aim was to bring the meaning of the Basic Law closer to everyday life.
Together with the BMUV, we developed the idea of an open, dialogue-oriented space for the departmental presentation: a relaxed BMUV court festival. This was reflected in the graphic and spatial design, which included elements of street art and various green areas.
On the 150 square metre outdoor area, a treasure hunt invited visitors to solve tasks related to the Basic Law and the environment. Participants had fun discovering all the topics and interactions at the stand. There were treasure hunts for children and adults.
The table discussions formed the communicative centrepiece of the stand. Over three days, current issues were discussed in small groups over coffee and cake in 13 dialogue formats. From quizzes to role-playing games on populism, a lively dialogue developed.
Another area was dedicated to the perspective of East Germany. Visitors were able to experience three different routes on the Green Belt, the former inner-German border, virtually on bicycles with VR glasses. This immersive experience provided information about the development of the so-called death zone into Germany's largest contiguous nature reserve.
Visitors were able to discover the BMUV's wide range of topics in the pavilion. It was fully furnished like a tiny house. Many objects were labelled with information about the work of the BMUV and its impact on our everyday lives. All topics were clearly displayed on the BMUV theme wall and further information was available.
In the living area of the pavilion, we presented a quiz app that was specially developed for the Democracy Festival. Visitors were able to playfully identify misinformation and false information on environmental topics on the couch using mobile phones or their own devices and thus improve their knowledge to verify facts.
We are delighted that the BMUV's departmental presentation was so well received by visitors and that we were able to support the BMUV in strengthening democracy in Germany.