A Look Back at the Year of Democracy 2018 12 PROJEKTEPROJECTS

A look back at the Year of Democracy 2018 12 PROJEKTEPROJECTS

Contents

03 Background 07 Projects 23 Local Democracy 30 Résumé Experiencing and Co-Shaping Democracy

Democracy can be experienced in Leipzig on a daily basis – and not only in the City Council. Numerous citizens spend 365 days a year fighting for a democratic society. They take advantage of the numerous opportunities to get involved in society and are playing an active role in the shaping of Leipzig’s future.

The Year of Democracy in 2018, under the motto "Du.Wir. Leipzig" ("You.We.Leipzig"), illustrated the various ways in which residents show their social commitment. In addition, the project made it clear how co-determination and participation function at the municipal level. The aim was to strengthen local democracy and urban cohesion in Leipzig on a sustainable basis.

This brochure takes a look back at an eventful year, with all the projects, events, measures, experiences, questions and answers.

BACKGROUND 3 “We wanted to promote in May 2018. This motif was part of the kick-off poster campaign democratic participation and show possibilities.”

Ulrich Hörning is the Municipal Commissioner (Bei- How successful was the Year of Democracy, geordnete) and Mayor for General Administration of in your opinion? the City of Leipzig. He played a leading role in the Year of Democracy. In the following interview, he discuss- UH: I am very impressed with the many different ways in es the objectives for the year and gives a personal which residents have taken action. Many projects man- assessment of the results. aged to reach out to people in their communities. One good example was the “Great Gripe World Theatre", Mr Hörning, why did Leipzig need a which was performed at Leipzig’s markets. I’m also Year of Democracy? pleased that we were able to experiment with new outreach formats, like the tram ride where citizens and ULRICH HÖRNING: The initiative for the project came political leaders had the chance to converse in a laid- from the political groups of the Leipzig City Council. In back atmosphere. recent years, we have been seeing increasing trends to- ward radicalisation – many people feel that their concerns aren’t being heard by their political leaders. At the same “It has certainly once time, there are many Leipzig residents who are active in again confirmed how shaping the city’s future through democratic processes. important dialogue is.” By organising the Year of Democracy, we wanted to not Politicians do only give everyone the opportunity to express their views, but also show how any citizen can get involved and make contact with local politicians and administrators. Will the Year of Democracy have whatever they an impact beyond the year 2018? UH: It has certainly once again confirmed how import- “By organising the Year of ant dialogue is. I, myself, have learned that many problems are also based on misunderstandings between want anyway Democracy, we wanted to give citizens and the City Administration. This is why we everyone the opportunity to are now offering additional consultation hours with the ONLY THOSE WHO SPEAK OUT CAN BE express their views.” mayor at the City Offices. We are also working on giving the district advisory and local community councils bet- HEARD. GET INVOLVED. AFTER ALL, ter meeting locations and equipment in order to make it easier for people to access local democracy in their What role does local democracy play in a city? DEMOCRACY MEANS DIALOGUE. neighbourhoods. Our aim is to establish an improved culture of democracy and strengthen the political par- UH: A very significant role that affects our lives in many ticipation of our citizens. This includes a commitment to ways. At the local level, direct negotiation processes continue recognising and supporting the projects of our take place between municipal policymakers, adminis- active residents. trators and society. It’s important to look for solutions together – however, this requires transparency and Ulrich Hörning has been serving trust. I firmly believe that the foundations of our democ- as Deputy Mayor for General racy can be strengthened through local involvement. Services of the City of Leipzig This is where we wanted to start, with the aim of motivat- since November 2015. ing residents to play a more active role in shaping their own communities. 4 BACKGROUND BACKGROUND 5

Questions and Answers. How much time Facts and Figures. was spent on the 80 planning process? people took

The Year of Democracy 2018 Planning meetings were held on 29 part in the June and 14 August 2017. At these planning at a Glance. meetings, stakeholders from local pol- meetings itics and civil society discussed the di- “This year, I learned ↘ rection and organisation of the theme that democratic values year. A key-issues paper served as the differ very little from basis for the planning process and was generation to generation.” Whose idea was it to Who organised further developed in various working organise the project? and carried out groups. Around 80 people took part in Participant in the project “Calendar-Goers” the Year of the planning meetings. The idea for the Year of Democracy came from the political groups of the Leipzig City Council. The aim of the Democracy? theme year was to strengthen democratic values in gen- The Municipal Department for Gener- eral. In addition, the organisers strove to make citizens How were the projects al Administration held overall respon- more aware of the existing opportunities for getting in- 131 funding sibility for the Year of Democracy. The selected? volved in local democracy in Leipzig. The decision to or- applications Coordination Office for the Promotion ganise the Year of Democracy was made at the council On 13 February 2018 the call for applications was published were of Civic Involvement “Leipzig weiter meeting on 26 October 2016. on the Year of Democracy website, in the Official Journal and submitted denken” (“Thinking Leipzig Ahead”) in additional media. The deadline for submitting project pro- at the Department for Construction posals was 14 March 2018. A total of 131 applications were and Urban Development was respon- submitted to the project team for the theme year. After a for- sible for process organisation and mal evaluation, the extended monitoring committee for the implementation. strategy “Leipzig. City of Diversity” with the City Council Ad- How much funding did the How much did the projects receive? visory Group chose 13 smaller projects. The five large projects were selected by the City Council Advisory Group. The theme year cost? The projects were divided into two categories based Division for International Cooperation of the City of Leipzig The Leipzig City Council budgeted €500,000 for the plan- on the level of funding. Smaller projects with fund- chose the ten international projects. ning and implementation of the theme year. Collectively, the ing between €1,000 and €15,000 were categorised as 28 selected projects received a total of €270,000. The vari- Type A. Larger projects were categorised as Type B 194 associations, ous outreach measures for strengthening local democracy and received between €15,000 and €40,000 in funding. initiatives and cost an additional €215,000. These measures included the organisations website, campaigns and cargo bikes for the Year of Democ- took part 47 racy. Another €15,000 were spent on project management. public events “Today, I learned that pupils Were local policymakers should be allowed to partici- involved in the planning What criteria were used for selecting pate more in decision-making.” process? the projects? Participant in the project “Democracy Days 2018 – Yes. In the spring of 2017, a City Council Advisory Group After the first planning meeting, the City Council Advisory Group came up Making Schools and Society More Democratic” began offering support in planning content for the Year of with four criteria to be taken into consideration in the selection of the fund- 28 projects were Democracy. One representative was named for each po- ed projects: cooperation, innovation, the reaching of new target groups and funded — including litical group of the City Council. Members of the CDU, Die the extent to which the projects would be hands-on, interactive and visible. ten European Linke, SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, AfD and Freibeuter This is how the organisers were able to provide participants and guests with projects took part. Advisory Group representatives also actively a direct, unmediated would be hands-on, interactive and visible of the Year of supported the projects and campaigns throughout 2018, Democracy – particularly residents who had previously taken little advantage the Year of Democracy. of the opportunities for getting involved in local democracy.

This motif was part of the in November 2018. statement poster campaign

Projects

The City of Leipzig funded 28 projects for the Year of Democracy: 28 very different examples of what democracy can look like and how it can be experienced. You can find an overview of these projects on the Democracy is a following pages. star-studded sky of opinions THE PEOPLE OF LEIPZIG SHARE THEIR OPINIONS. BECAUSE ONLY THOSE WHO SPEAK OUT CAN BE HEARD. 8 PROJECTS PROJECTS 9

01 The Great Gripe World Theatre 02 A to Z – Poster Series and Creative Workshops at Youth Clubs

At 21 workshops, numerous children LEAD PARTNER Kulturbahnhof e. V. I’m so tired of and young people designed a total of filthy bus stops, eight posters, as well as a mobile ex- COOPERATION PARTNERS hibition about various aspects of de- Kinder- und Jugendfreizeitzentrum rising rents ... Holzhausen, Jugendclub Crazy in mocracy – including courage, equal Paunsdorf, Club Sellerhausen, rights, respect, inclusion and diversity. Jugendclub Tante Hedwig, Leben- This project focused on a cooperation shilfe e. V., Geschwister-Scholl- Schule, Bürgerverein Neustädter with youth clubs that are also frequent- Markt e. V., Mütterzentrum e. V. ed by children and young people with a migrant background. FUNDING €12,000

03 Everyone’s Involved

In this project, around 30 primary LEAD PARTNER Friends’ association of the school pupils used direct democracy Astrid-Lindgren-Grundschule to develop the theatre play “Stell dir (primary school and after-school- vor, die Schule wird von Kindern regi- care programme)

ert!” (“Imagine a school governed by COOPERATION PARTNERS children”). In the process, the children Theater Bühnenzauber, Förder- had the chance to experience partici- schule Schloss Schönefeld (special-needs school), Leipzig pative and constructive collaboration Children’s Office, Galerie für first-hand. The project also includ- Zeitgenössische Kunst (Leipzig ed a democracy project week and a Museum of Contemporary Art), scavenger hunt focused on topics like Schönefeld District Office LEAD PARTNER Community-level exchange on the big stage – and right in the middle of equal rights, children’s rights and free- FUNDING Theater der Jungen Welt Leipzig’s weekly markets. That was the idea behind the “Great Gripe World dom of speech. €2,888 Theatre”. COOPERATION PARTNERS Leipzig Market Office, various members of the Leipzig City Puppet theatre boasts a long tradition as a form of popular touring theatre. It was Council, Council of the Community 04 Exchange of Ideas about of Liebertwolkwitz viewed as a reflection of the respective period and society. This is why the Theater der Jungen Welt chose this format for its “Great Gripe World Theatre”. It sought to Forms of Youth Participation in Europe FUNDING discover and process the thoughts, opinions and fears of residents in an artistic €34,750 manner at Leipzig’s weekly markets. In December 2018 the Leipzig Youth LEAD PARTNER Parliament invited similar bodies from Leipzig Youth Parliament In the fall of 2018 actors spoke with citizens in various local neighbourhoods. Be- the cities of Frankfurt am Main, Görlitz, FUNDING tween fruit and vegetable stands, they collected their wishes, concerns and sug- Copenhagen, Krakow and Gdańsk to €4,088 gestions. The actors then used this input to create several short sketches that a project in Leipzig. In workshops, the were performed with hand puppets on the same site a few days after the initial 15 participants learned about various discussion sessions. The main characters were Volker, Protest Paloma and the approaches to youth participation and Saxon Sheriff. They complained about various issues, such as filthy bus stops discussed related problems and solu- and closed shops, and expressed their concerns about safety and rising rent tions. The results were presented at a prices. public event.

After these performances, citizens had the chance to discuss the issues with each other and with members of the Leipzig City Council. This motif was part of the statement poster campaign 10 PROJECTS in November 2018.

05 Building Bridges – Brücken bauen

Three authors from the US were invit- LEAD PARTNER Kulturwerk deutscher ed to Leipzig in the context of the se- Schriftsteller e. V. ries “Leipziger Literarischer Herbst”. The aim was to promote exchange be- FUNDING tween the US and Germany – through €5,000 poetry slams, lectures, book presenta- tions and discussions – on both literary and socio-political issues. The demo cratic processes of both countries were also discussed.

06 Bridge Festival – Come. Take a seat. Get involved.

The Bridge Festival in Clara-Zetkin- LEAD PARTNER Park has established itself as a mul- Say it loud e. V. tifaceted format for community build- COOPERATION PARTNERS ing. During the Year of Democracy, the Aktionsnetzwerk Leipzig nimmt Platz, Werk 2, Demokratie für event was held for the fourth time – un- Brasilien, Initiative Weltoffenes der the motto “Co-Shaping Democ- Gohlis / Dialoge fur Gohlis, racy”. The highlight of the event was Netzwerk gegen Islamfeindlichkeit und Rassismus Leipzig the exhibition “Straße der Begegnung” + 47 other partners (“Street of Encounter”). It offered insights into various political systems FUNDING and presented biographies of people €12,150 with a migrant background.

07 Community picnic “Demokratie airleben”

On 27 May a community picnic was LEAD PARTNER Action group “Bürgerinitiative held in in a park in Kleinzschocher. The Kleinzschocher” event was open to not only residents Only the acceptance but also organisations, initiatives, COOPERATION PARTNERS Mütterzentrum e. V., schools, nursery schools and civil so- Zollschuppen e. V. with the project ciety actors from the neighbourhood. Zirkomania, Musik-Vereinigung of other opinions In a relaxed picnic atmosphere, par- Euscacore, Kantatenweg 31 e. V., Kirchgemeinde Tabor, organisation ticipants were able to discuss a wide- team “Kleinzschocher” from range of issues, including neighbour- nebenan.de, Haus- und WagenRat hood problems. Leipzig e. V. can make open FUNDING €3,999 exchange possible THE PEOPLE OF LEIPZIG SHARE THEIR OPINIONS. BECAUSE ONLY THOSE WHO SPEAK OUT CAN BE HEARD. 12 PROJECTS PROJECTS 13

08 Democracy, What’s That? 09 Community Lawn in Grünau

In the summer of 2018 the garden of LEAD PARTNER the “Müzel” Family Centre Grünau was Mütterzentrum e. V. Leipzig transformed into a “Community Lawn” COOPERATION PARTNERS for the neighbourhood – through a Mütterzentrum e. V. Leipzig, “Müzel” Family Centre Grünau, Restlos – The resource-friendly and democratic pro- Creative Upcycling Project cess. Participants, including Grünau residents, worked together to create FUNDING flower beds using old tires and plas- €1,326.50 tic wastes. The visionary concept included not only the use of upcycling approaches, but also the future care of the beds by children.

10 Club Politics

In three workshops, individuals from LEAD PARTNER various music clubs in Leipzig ex- UT Connewitz changed ideas on the options and COOPERATION PARTNERS methods of emancipatory, critical and Conne Island, Werk 2, Institut für Zukunft, Moritzbastei, So&So, Mjut, self-reflective event policy. This project Täubchenthal, Pracht and indepen- What will was focused on the promotion of non- dent programme-makers, as well as male artists, the prevention of anti- Landstreicher, Powerline and other democracy look booking agencies like in the Semitism and how to deal with precar- ious working conditions. FUNDING year 2030? €4,270

Democracy is practised and experienced around the world – but what is it? LEAD PARTNER This question was examined by pupils from Leipzig and its partner cities of Städtepartnerschaftsverein 11 The Flying Forum Leipzig-Thessaloniki e. V. Thessaloniki and Travnik. They summarised their results in a programme for a grand closing gala. COOPERATION PARTNERS The “Flying Forum” is a mobile, wood- LEAD PARTNER Verein zur Förderung der Städtepart- en amphitheatre-like structure that can Tripolis GbR nerschaft Leipzig-Travnik e. V., Previously, several workshops took place in which various aspects of democra- German School of Thessaloniki, be quickly assembled. With its circu- COOPERATION PARTNERS cy were discussed. First, the term was examined in a historical context and in the Humboldt Gymnasium Leipzig lar seating arrangement, it was able to Interaction e. V., Bridge Festival, (secondary school), Europa-Haus offer an optimal space for presenting Anker e. V., Konzeptwerk Neue context of current European politics. Participants also reflected on their under- e. V., Theater der Ökonomie e. V., Helden Wider standing and use of democracy and looked into the future by developing visions Jungen Welt information and facilitating dialogue at Willen e. V., GeyserHaus e. V. for democracy in the year 2030. numerous events, including the Bridge FUNDING Festival, the Day of Democracy and FUNDING €5,200 €7,700 In Leipzig 14 pupils from the Humboldt Gymnasium, a secondary school, exam- “Whose City Is It”. ined the topic in a creative manner. They used modelling clay to create objects that they felt symbolised democracy. They also asked their families and friends, as well as members of the public, for their thoughts on democracy. On 15 Sep- tember 2018, the International Day of Democracy, representatives from the three project cities met for a final workshop with the aim of reaching a consensus. That evening, their findings were presented to the general public at the Theater der Jungen Welt. The programme included a discussion with politicians, a poetry slam and a catwalk of nations. 14 PROJECTS PROJECTS 15

12 Experiencing Democracy – Beyond Leipzig 15 Democracy Days 2018 – Making Schools and Society More Democratic The basketball club BBV Leipzig Ea- LEAD PARTNER gles has been in close contact with BBV Leipzig Eagles e. V. On 14 and 15 September 2018 the LEAD PARTNER its partner club, KK Travnik, for many COOPERATION PARTNERS event Democracy Days Leipzig offered Initiative Bildung in Zukunft e. V. years. In 2018 this partnership was fur- KK Travnik Basketball Club a forum for bringing together pupils, ther strengthened. At a workshop and COOPERATION PARTNERS FUNDING parents, teachers, school social work- Representatives from the network a “future lab”, participants exchanged €2,222 ers and individuals from the field of ex- “Demokratie.Macht.Schule”, ideas cross-culturally. In this demo- beta – die Beteiligungsagentur, tracurricular education for the first time. cratic context, they decided how the Deutsche Kinder- und Jugend- In a total of 28 workshops, more than stiftung, Evangelische Schule Berlin cooperation should be managed in the 350 participants networked, developed Zentrum, State Office for Schools future. The project ended with a friend- and Education + 9 other partners new ideas and exchanged opinions on ly match. various subjects concerning the teach- FUNDING ing of democratic principles in schools. €1,327 13 Experiencing Democracy – directly.digitally.barrier-free 16 The Long Path to Democracy for All – 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage in Germany Three partner schools took part in this LEAD PARTNER media project. The aim was to pro- Landesfilmdienst Sachsen für Jugend- und Erwachsenenbil- Twenty women between the ages of 16 LEAD PARTNER mote the participation of people with dung e. V. and 100 were asked questions about Louise-Otto-Peters- disabilities in society and the media. Gesellschaft e. V. voting and suffrage. In addition, four Interviews on subjects like democrat- COOPERATION PARTNERS Archiv Bürgerbewegung podcasts were created on the history COOPERATION PARTNERS ic traditions, threats to democracy and Leipzig e. V., Lindenhofschule – of women’s suffrage in Leipzig, Saxony Department of Gender Equality of opportunities for participation were School for the Mentally Handi- the City of Leipzig, Advisory Board and Germany. All pieces show the con- filmed. The results were presented to capped, Samuel-Heinicke-Schule for Gender Equality, Department of Leipzig – Saxon State School for the structive achievements and changes Migration and Integration of the City the public and made available online. Hearing Impaired Leipzig, Wladi- of Leipzig, Migrant Advisory Board, mir-Filatow-Schule – School for the behind terms like democracy. The in- Leipzig Municipal Archives,Ges- Blind and Visually Impaired terviews were broadcast on the station chichtsverein Leipzig e. V., Archiv Radio Blau. They can also be heard on Bürgerbewegung Leipzig e. V.,Hör- FUNDING funk- und Projektwerkstatt Leipzig €13,500 Soundcloud. e. V., Radio Blau, Radio-Verein e. V.

FUNDING €1,327 14 Democracy in Anger-Crottendorf

In the fall of 2018, the citizens’ asso- LEAD PARTNER 17 International Round Table – Network of ciation Bürgerverein Anger-Crotten- Bürgerverein Anger-Crottendorf e. V. Movements for Freedom and Democracy 2018 dorf organised two workshops where COOPERATION PARTNERS citizens could speak directly with lo- Neighbourhood project “Dresdner This project brought German and inter- LEAD PARTNER cal political representatives. At these 59”, neighbourhood management project Quartiersmanagement national representatives from opposi- Stiftung Friedliche Revolution workshops, participants discussed Leipziger Osten, Transport and Civil tional organisations together with civil opinions, wishes and suggestions for a Engineering Office and the Office for FUNDING and human rights activists and stake- €8,000 positive development of the local com- Urban Renewal and Housing Development of the City of Leipzig holders from the field of civic educa- munity. The Leipzig Transport Authori- tion. At the round-table discussions, ty (LVB) and various government offic- FUNDING participants shared experiences con- es took part in the workshops. €1,266 cerning the political situation in their respective countries. In addition, all participants were able to network and support one another.

PROJECTS 17 18 Calendar-Goers This motif was part of the in November 2018. statement poster campaign

Democracy? Totally My Thing!

“What does democracy in Leipzig mean to me?” – this was the key question LEAD PARTNER of the media education project “Calendar-Goers”. In this project, citizens Volkshochschule Leipzig

designed a calendar from an intergenerational perspective. COOPERATION PARTNERS Leipzig Municipal Libraries

Participants discussed the meaning of the term democracy, as well as their per- FUNDING sonal perception of democracy in their own surroundings. In addition, they creat- €2,482 ed photo motifs with selected positive statements on democracy. One product of this work was a free calendar that has been available since November 2018. The motifs can also be seen as a travelling exhibition at Leipzig’s municipal libraries.

Through the project, participants were able to make new contacts and recog- Democracy nise that they often have the same interests and wishes as other people – regardless of whether they are 11 or 75 years old, and regardless of where they live. All decision-making and individual tasks were carried out in mixed-age teams.

Needs Heart The finished calendar was presented at the closing event. And a “speed dating” session was organised, giving all project participants the opportunity to reflect on THE PEOPLE OF LEIPZIG SHARE THEIR and share their perspectives on democracy in a casual format. The differing opinions were what made this exchange particularly valuable. OPINIONS. BECAUSE ONLY THOSE WHO SPEAK OUT CAN BE HEARD. 18 PROJECTS PROJECTS 19

19 Leipzig Debates 22 Photo Voice and School Development – a Contribution to Democratic Education Differing opinions are the lifeblood of LEAD PARTNER Leipziger Debattier- & any democracy. In order to teach stu- Disputationsgesellschaft e. V. How attractive is our school environ- LEAD PARTNER dents about real debate, several de- ment – and how could it be sustainably Leipzig University bate coaches visited 45 school class- COOPERATION PARTNERS Leipzig University, Parents Council of improved? These are the questions that COOPERATION PARTNERS es in Leipzig. These coaches provided the City of Leipzig, Centre for were discussed by pupils of the Voca- Vocational School Centre 12 more than 1,000 pupils with informa- Teacher Education and School tional School Centre 12 and students “Robert Blum”, GCS in Addis Ababa, tion on the art of debating. Teachers Research, Initiative Bildung in Leipzig University Zukunft e. V., Volkshochschule from the department of Special Needs and student teachers also received Leipzig, Carl und Anneliese Education at Leipzig University. The par- FUNDING training. In addition, two public de- Goerdeler-Stiftung ticipants first took photos of the school €500 bates were held, one of them with FUNDING environment, then discussed possible Mayor Burkhard Jung. €23,000 improvements and made changes. The project will be continued with a vocational school in Addis Ababa. 20 Leipzig, a European Catalyst for Youth Participation 23 Meeting of Students in Travnik with Democracy In this project, 15 young adults from LEAD PARTNER CUBE. Your Take on Europe Workshop “Democratic School” Leipzig, Berlin and the Czech Re- (organisation in process of founding) public were trained as workshop The Vocational School Centre 12 LEAD PARTNER leaders. With the help of innovative COOPERATION PARTNER Vocational School Centre 12 “Robert Social Impact Lab Leipzig “Robert Blum” has been in close con- Blum” Leipzig methods, the participants learned fun- tact with the Travnik Vocational School damental skills of non-formal, discrim- FUNDING since 2015. In 2018 metalworking stu- COOPERATION PARTNERS ination-sensitive education in Europe. €1,470 Vocational school in Travnik, dents from socially disadvantaged partner-city association These skills will be used in the future backgrounds took part in an exchange Leipzig-Travnik e. V. to identify the wishes of young people programme. There, they met students and discuss them with local politicians. FUNDING from Travnik and learned about con- €1,495 cepts of global thinking, other cul- tures and international employment 21 My Sport, Our History. opportunities. Democracy in Athletic Experiences 24 Show Your Voice! The values and norms of democracy LEAD PARTNER Initiative für interdisziplinäre are also becoming visible in the world Kooperation Leipzig In five creative workshops, partici- LEAD PARTNER of popular and competitive sports. This pants were able to discover individu- Protegat gemeinnützige UG fact was demonstrated by the project COOPERATION PARTNERS Kulturstiftung des Freistaates al, artistic forms of expression at the COOPERATION PARTNERS “My Sport, Our History” on the basis of Sachsen (Cultural Heritage Founda- Inclusive Community Centre on Lin- Inclusive Community Centre on three interactive event formats. It was tion of the Free State of Saxony), denauer Markt. Dancing, writing, sing- Lindenauer Markt (project of the co-organised by local institutions from Halle 14 – Centre for Contemporary Mobile Behindertenhilfe), Art, Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig ing and presenting, they explored is- Eva Geckeler (freiraus e. V.), the fields of sports, art and science. (HGB), Sportuniversität Leipzig, FSR sues related to the social participation Robert Klement (Theater Rote The participants met in discussion Sport, Student Council of the Faculty of people with disabilities. The pro- Rübe), Vera Rosner (DanceAbility groups and worked on a film project. of Sport Science, Leipzig University, Austria), Franz Sramek (SlowFor- private individuals, 16th and 20th duced works were presented in late ward Performances), bookshop Oberschule (secondary schools), 2018 in four locations on the Linde- SeitenBlick, “INTERIM” Project and Humboldt-Gymnasium (secondary nauer Markt. State Parliament Member Office of school), BSG Chemie Leipzig e. V., the Left Party (Die Linke), Tanzlabor SC DHfK Leipzig e. V., Roter Stern Leipzig, Kippe Leipzig Leipzig '99 e. V., Luru Kino FUNDING FUNDING €8,500 €24,000 20 PROJECTS PROJECTS 21

25 Whose City Is It 26 Many Chairs — (Not) One Opinion!?

In the context of the project, two reg- LEAD PARTNER ular meetings of the District Advisory Anker e. V. Council North West were held at the COOPERATION PARTNERS newly designed square "Renftplatz". District Advisory Council North West, Tilo Esche, Wolfgang Zeyen, At both meetings, local residents had Annika Taute, Pinder VA-Technik, the opportunity to express their con- Victoria Schätzle, Social Street Work cerns and wishes. Representatives “Team North”, Social Street Work for Adults “Team Residential”, from the City Council and City Admin- Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium istration were also in attendance. The (secondary school), Wilhelm-Hauff- discussions in public spaces were so Grundschule (primary school), Office for Youth, Family and Education well received that they were repeated Leipzig, Public Order Office Leipzig, in 2019. Office for Building Management, Police Station Leipzig-Nord

FUNDING €8,000

Important for our city: Infrastructure 27 Resistance, Yesterday and Today and integration. Pupils from six countries explored the LEAD PARTNERS The foundations Europäische issue of political resistance. In the pro- Stiftung der Rahn-Dittrich-Group für cess, they examined the aims and val- Bildung und Kultur and Carl und ues of emancipatory youth groups and Anneliese Goerdeler-Stiftung

individuals – from both historical and COOPERATION PARTNERS country-specific perspectives – as Schools in Addis Ababa, Warsaw, well as the dangers they faced. Each Kiev, Lyon, Cairo, Leipzig; Leipzig school discussed the issues individ- City Administration ually. The results were presented at a FUNDING Leipzig has developed into a quickly growing city. In the project “Whose City LEAD PARTNER closing workshop in Leipzig. €17,300 Is It” residents had the opportunity to use an artistic approach to address the GeyserHaus e. V. challenges associated with this growth. COOPERATION PARTNERS Anker e. V., Budde-Haus – Fairbund e. V., Frauenkultur e. V., The collaborative project was carried out by Leipzig’s nine socio-cultural centres. Haus Steinstraße e. V., Mühlstraße 14 They identified various pressing issues, including the development of infrastruc- e. V., Kultur- und Kommunikationsz- 28 #wehavetotalk ture, the creation of housing, care services, educational programmes and the in- entrum naTo e. V., VILLA e. V. and tegration of people with a migrant background. Werk 2 – Kulturfabrik Leipzig e. V. Several international artists were fea- LEAD PARTNER Lindenfels Westflügel e. V. FUNDING tured in the 2018 programme of the At the participating locations, seven creative workshops were organised, where €24,000 theatre Lindenfels Westflügel. Some FUNDING people of different ages and with different cultural backgrounds came together to of them offered the opportunity for €2,000 address the project topic. The artistic activities ranged from theatre, dance and discussions with experts and Leipzig visual arts to installations and music. residents. Topics included political approaches in theatre, the effects of During the week of rehearsals at the "Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz", a central square Brexit on artistic work and the pro- in Leipzig, director Stefan Ebeling merged the artistic contributions from the motion of culture in an international workshops into a single performance. In the end, a public performance was or- context. ganised. The programme of fringe activities for the rehearsal week included numerous open formats and an info café, providing more opportunities for people to come in contact with one another and join in spontaneously.

This motif was part of the in November 2018. statement poster campaign

Local Democracy

The Year of Democracy sought not only to support projects, but also to provide the citizens of Leipzig with information about existing opportunities to participate in local Human dignity democratic decision-making. For this pur- pose, various information-sharing formats is inviolable! were developed. THE PEOPLE OF LEIPZIG SHARE THEIR OPINIONS. BECAUSE ONLY THOSE WHO SPEAK OUT CAN BE HEARD. 24 LOCAL DEMOCRACY LOCAL DEMOCRACY 25

Eye-Catching Democracy Democracy on Wheels

The Year of Democracy was promoted using programme fly- Not only are cargo bikes useful for the environmentally ers, newsletters, press releases, a website and, last but not friendly transport of small loads in the city – they can also be least, a high-profile poster campaign. The aim of the post- used for teaching citizens about democracy. This is why the er campaign was to use bold statements to make local resi City Administration purchased two cargo bikes with cam- dents think and give them information on existing options paign motifs for the Year of Democracy. for getting involved in the democratic future of their city. The bikes were on site for most major events, where they served as central points of contact. They provided visitors from Leipzig with free informational materials on local democracy and gave them the opportunity to speak with a local politician. The cargo bikes are now available for use by organisations and initiatives, as well as local politicians and administrators.

Democracy on the Go Trams are a permanent fixture of Leipzig’s urban landscape. Thanks to the Leipziger Gruppe (public services body), a type NGT 8 tram was decorated with promotional graphics for the Year of Democracy. On 17 May 2018 the Democracy Tram took its maiden voyage through the city, presenting selected campaign motifs on its external surfaces. In addition to its use for daily public transport services, it offered a total of three free city tours during which citizens could chat with local politicians. During its period of use, the Democracy Tram travelled thousands of kilometres through the streets of Leipzig.

The campaign was carried out in two stages. For its launch in May 2018 the focus was on thought-provoking motifs. They used common opinions, such as “Politicians do what- “In these times of social radical- ever they want anyway”. Then, in November 2018, a state- isation, it is particularly impor ment campaign was launched, showing various local res- tant that we talk about our fun- idents with positive statements about democracy. The damental democratic values – for motifs were created in a photo box that was set up at seven different events. For these photos, the residents could use example, at the tram stop.” pre-written statements or formulate their own. Participants Ulrich Hörning, Municipal Commissioner (Beigeordnete) and Mayor came up with a total of 45 statements, of which seven were for General Administration of the City of Leipzig chosen for the second stage of the poster campaign. 26 LOCAL DEMOCRACY LOCAL DEMOCRACY 27

Democracy Explained

How does local democracy actually work? What responsi- important processes, institutions and roles of local demo- Stadt Leipzig bilities do the City Council and Local Community Council cratic decision-making with descriptive infographics and und ihre Ortschafts- und Stadtbezirksbeiräte have? And how can citizens get involved? In the context of easy-to-understand text blocks. The videos can be found the Year of Democracy, several one- and two-minute explan- online. In early 2019 they were also featured on the passen- atory videos were made, providing an overview of the most ger TV programme of the Leipzig Transport Authority (LVB). Seehausen

Wiederitzsch Lindenthal Plaußig Lützschena-Stahmeln

NORDOST NORDWEST NORD Böhlitz-Ehrenberg

Burghausen OST Rückmarsdorf ALT-WEST MITTE Engelsdorf

Miltitz Mölkau WEST SÜDOST SÜD Holzhausen Miltitz SÜDWEST Demokratie in Leipzig. Episode 01

Liebertwolkwitz Die Bürger/-innen Hartmannsdorf- der Ortschaften Knautnaundorf Die Wahlen

Die Ortschaftsräte Die StadtbezirksbeiräteWas Ein Ortschaftsrat ist die für fünf Jahre gewählte Vertretung einer Das Leipziger Stadtgebiet ist in zehn Stadtbezirke unterteilt, für die rederecht ehemaligen selbstständigen Gemeinde, die im Zuge der sächsischen jeweils ein Beirat gebildet wird. Die Stadtbezirksbeiräte haben im Was Ist eigentlich Gemeindegebietsreform in die Stadt Leipzig eingegliedert wurde. Stadtrat eine beratende Funktion. Er kann keine rechtlich bindenden zum Stadtrat Demokratie in Leipzig. Episode 03 Durch die Bildung eines Ortschaftsrates behält die Ortschaft ihr poli- Entscheidungen treffen, aber er hat ein Anhörungsrecht im Stadtrat. tisches Gewicht und kann ihre öffentliche Identität besser wahren. Der Der Stadtbezirksbeirat kann zudem wichtige Angelegenheiten aus Ortschaftsrat kann zwar außer bei ortschaftsbezogenen Brauchtums- den Stadtteilen beim Stadtrat einreichen. 1996 nahmen alle zehn Demokratie? mitteln keine rechtlich bindenden Entscheidungen treffen, aber er hat Stadtbezirksbeiräte ihre Arbeit auf. ein Anhörungs-, Vorschlags- und Antragsrecht im Stadtrat. bedeutet Fünf Fragen Wie funktioniert ein Ortschaftsrat? Stadtrat Was bedeutet Wer hat die das Wort Demokratie? Nur wer mitmacht, Demokratie Demo- Altgriechisch: Der/die Ortschafts vorsteher/- erfunden? dēmos = „Staatsvolk“ und kratós = „Herrschaft“, „Macht“, „Gewalt“ Eine frühe Form der Volkssouveränität war die → zu Deutsch: „Herrschaft des Staatsvolkes“ attische Demokratie. Diese entstand im 6. und kann etwas in vertritt den Ortschaftsrat 7. Jahrhundert v. Chr. in der Polis Athen (Polis = der Stadtstaat) und gilt als Vorläuferin unserer heutigen demokratischen Systeme. Auf dem vor dem Stadtrat Marktplatz ihrer Polis versammelten sich die frei- en Bürger, um über die politischen Fragen zu ent- verändern! kratie scheiden. Diese Form der Mitbestimmung galt nicht für alle: Frauen, Sklaven und Metöken Was kennzeichnet die Demokratie? (Bewohner/-innen ohne Bürgerstatus, oft Fremde) Mitbestimmung vor Ort waren davon ausgeschlossen. • Freiheit und Gleichheit vor dem Gesetz, Achtung der Menschenrechte • V olkssouveränität: die staatliche Machtausübung wird vom Volk legitimiert, z. B. durch die Wahl eines Parlaments • M ehrheitsprinzip: bei Wahlen und Abstimmungen entscheidet die Mehrheit Die Meinungen, Sorgen und Nöte aller Bürgerinnen und Bürger sind für die Stadt Leipzig wichtig. • M ehrparteienprinzip und Chancengleichheit: mehrere Parteien haben die Deshalb können alle ihre Standpunkte einbringen und Entscheidungen mitgestalten – und das auf Möglichkeit, die Politik des Staates, insbesondere durch Regierungsbeteili- den unterschiedlichsten Wegen. gung, zu lenken für mich? • H errschaft auf Zeit: eine gewählte Partei/Regierung kann auch wieder „Jedermann hat das Recht, sich einzeln oder in Gemeinschaft mit anderen schriftlich mit Bitten und abgewählt werden Watch videos at: https://demokratie.leipzig.de Beschwerden an die zuständigen Stellen und an die Volksvertretung zu wenden.“ • G ewaltenteilung: die Gesetzgebung (Legislative), die ausführende Gewalt (Artikel 17 Grundgesetz) (Exekutive) und die Rechtsprechung (Judikative) sind streng voneinander Sich diese Frage zu stellen ist wichtig, gerade in Zeiten, in denen Welche Form der getrennt Demokratie haben vereinfachende Positionen immer häufiger zu hören sind. Schweigen wir in Deutschland?

Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist als parlamentarische Demokratie Das Stadtbüro will Bürgerschaft und oder sich gegenseitig anschreien ersetzt oft das lösungsorientierte organisiert und somit eine repräsentative Demokratie. Das heißt, dass die Verwaltung an einen Tisch bringen. Hier stimmberechtigten Bürgerinnen und Bürger durch eine Wahl entscheiden, wird zu Themen der Stadtentwicklung und zu Gespräch. Diese Entwicklung nahm die Stadt Leipzig zum Anlass, wer später im Parlament als Vertreter/-in des Volkes die Politik mitbe- laufenden Beteiligungsverfahren informiert und stimmt. In Deutschland ist das der Deutsche Bundestag. Hinweise, Ideen und Kritik können eingebracht werden. Durch gemeinsames Entwickeln von Ideen 2018 zum Jahr der Demokratie zu machen. Unter dem Motto Weitere Formen der Demokratie und Konzepten sollen Bürgerinnen und Bürger in Präsidentielle Demokratie Entscheidungsprozesse einbezogen werden. „Du. Wir. Leipzig.“ gab es eine breite Palette von Veranstaltungen (eine weitere Form der repräsentativen Demokratie) Zudem finden hier regelmäßig Sprechstunden In einer präsidentiellen Demokratie sind die Funktionen des Staatsober- Wo ist die Demokratie mit dem Oberbürgermeister bzw. der und Projekten, die das Ziel hatten, die lokale Demokratie zu stärken hauptes und der Regierungschefin bzw. des Regierungschefs in einer im deutschen Grund- Oberbürgermeisterin statt. Person vereinigt (z.B. in den USA). Die Präsidentin/der Präsident sowie gesetz verankert? 2018 das Parlament werden direkt vom Volk gewählt und sind auch nur diesem und den Dialog zu fördern. gegenüber verantwortlich. Das bedeutet eine strenge Trennung zwischen Offen für Sie – Ratssitzungen in In Artikel 20 GG ist die grundlegende Ordnung der der Exekutive und der Legislative. Bundesrepublik Deutschland festgeschrieben. Für die Democracy on Your Doorstep Demokratie bedeutet das unter anderem: Direkte Demokratie Die direkte Demokratie ist eine Form der Demokratie, in der die Bürger- Leipzig-Mitte und im Stadtrat (1) Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist ein demokratischer Alle Bürgerinnen und Bürger Außerdem sollte sichtbar gemacht werden, wie die repräsentative innen und Bürger unmittelbar selbst die politischen Entscheidungen fällen und sozialer Bundesstaat. haben das Recht, sich in kommunalen und dies nicht den gewählten Vertreterinnen bzw. den Vertretern über- (2) Alle Staatsgewalt geht vom Volke aus. Sie wird vom Vol- Angelegenheiten an die Stadt zu wenden. lassen (z.B. in der Schweiz). Demokratie vor Ort funktioniert und wo sich jede und jeder ke in Wahlen und Abstimmungen und durch besondere Dafür gibt es den Petitionsausschuss, der Organe der Gesetzgebung, der vollziehenden ein Anliegen prüft und einordnet. Sofern sie Gewalt und der Rechtsprechung ausgeübt. Einzelne selbst aktiv einbringen kann – sei es im Stadtbezirksbeirat, in seine Zuständigkeit fällt, trifft der Stadt- What many citizens fail to realise is that democratic partic- rat die abschließende Entscheidung 11 Januar 31 Januar 15 Februar 28 Februar Eine Gemeinde ist in Deutschland aus rechtlicher Sicht 11 Januar 31 Januar 15 Februar 28 Februar im Ortschaftsrat oder dem Jugendparlament. Denn Demokratie keine vollwertige Staatsebene sondern vielmehr eine über eine Petition. Körperschaft mit Selbstverwaltungsrecht. Somit zählt die Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung Kommunale Selbstverwaltung ebenfalls zu den Grundprin- Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus heißt Mitbestimmung. zipien der Demokratie und besitzt durch die Selbstverwal- ipation starts in their own neighbourhood, meaning right Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus tungsgarantie des Artikel 28 Abs. 2 GG Verfassungsrang. 18 Uhr 14 Uhr 18 Uhr 14 Uhr 18 Uhr 14 Uhr 18 Uhr 14 Uhr (2) Den Gemeinden muß das Recht gewährleistet sein, alle Angelegenheiten der örtlichen Gemeinschaft im Rahmen Mehr Informationen unter: der Gesetze in eigener Verantwortung zu regeln. (1. Satz zitiert) Es besteht die Möglichkeit, zu jeder on their doorstep. In Leipzig, ten district advisory councils 08 März 21 März 05 April 18 April Ratsversammlung Einwohneranfragen zu 08 März 21 März 05 April 18 April stellen. Diese müssen sich auf die Belange Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung der Stadt beziehen und spätestens am Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus demokratie.leipzig.de 15. Tag vor der Ratsversammlung schrift- Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus lich eingereicht werden. Der Oberbürger- and 14 local community councils advocate for matters of lo- 18 Uhr 14 Uhr 18 Uhr 14 Uhr meister bzw. die Oberbürgermeisterin 18 Uhr 14 Uhr 18 Uhr 14 Uhr entscheidet nach Absprache mit dem Ältestenrat, ob die Einwohner- anfrage mündlich oder schriftlich 03 Mai 16 Mai 07 Juni 20 Juni beantwortet wird. cal concern. Their members meet once a month for public 03 Mai 16 Mai 07 Juni 20 Juni Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im NeuenIhre Rathaus Ansprechpartner/innenStadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathausvor Ort: EngerEnger Austausch Austausch mit mit dem dem Stadtrat Stadtrat 18 Uhr 14 Uhr 18 Uhr 14 Uhr council meetings and discuss current issues affecting their 18 Uhr 14 Uhr 18 Uhr 14 Uhr DieDie Stadtbezirksbeiräte Stadtbezirksbeiräte arbeiten arbeiten dem dem Stadtrat Stadtrat zu. zu. Dieser Dieser setzt setzt sich sich aktuell aktuell Die Stadtbezirksbeiräte Mitte ausaus 70 70 Frauen Frauen und und Männern Männern zusammen, zusammen, die die Sie Sie politisch politisch in in allen allen wichti wichtigengen Leipzig-ThemenLeipzig-Themen vertreten. vertreten. Mehr Mehr zum zum Stadtrat Stadtrat ﬁ ndenﬁ nden Sie Sie online online unter: unter: district or community. They also follow ideas and sugges- — Juli 09 August 22 August 06 September 44 www.leipzig.de/stadtrat www.leipzig.de/stadtrat Sitzungspause Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Sitzungspause Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte Copyright: gettyimages/Annie Engel gettyimages/Annie Copyright: 18 Uhr 14 Uhr 18 Uhr tions from local citizens. 18 Uhr 14 Uhr 18 Uhr 19 September 11 Oktober 24 Oktober 08 November Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung Sitzung im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte 14 Uhr 18 Uhr 14 Uhr 18 Uhr With the project “Democracy on Your Doorstep”, several 14 Uhr 18 Uhr 14 Uhr 18 Uhr 22 November 06 Dezember 12 Dezember Ratsversammlung Sitzung Ratsversammlung brochures were published for each city district. These bro- Ratsversammlung Sitzung Marian Schmidt RatsversammlungMartin Biederstedt Dagmar Geithner Mike Demmig Karsten Fehske im Neuen Rathaus Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte im Neuen Rathaus im Neuen Rathaus StadtbezirksbeiratStadtbezirksbeiratsvorsitzender Mitte im Neuenvorgeschlagen Rathaus durch vorgeschlagen durch SPD vorgeschlagen durch CDU vorgeschlagen durch DIE LINKE 14 Uhr 18 Uhr [email protected] 14 UhrBündnis 90/Die Grünen [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] chures provide information on the members and meeting 14 Uhr 201818 Uhr 14 [email protected]

Hinweis auf aktuelle Terminänderungen dates of the respective district advisory councils and local Hinweis auf aktuelle Terminänderungen Stadtbezirks Teilweise fallen Sitzungen aus oder Termine ändern sich. Im elektronischen Rats- Teilweise fallen Sitzungen aus oder Termine ändern sich. Im elektronischen Rats- beiräte informationssystem (ALLRIS) sowie dem Amtsblatt ﬁ nden Sie die aktuellen Termine. informationssystem (ALLRIS) sowie dem Amtsblatt ﬁ nden Sie die aktuellen Termine. ohne Foto 4 ratsinfo.leipzig.de community councils. The brochures were updated after the DEMOKRATIE4 ratsinfo.leipzig.de Frank Pörner vorgeschlagen durch Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen local elections in 2019 and are available at all local adminis- [email protected] VOR IHRER Marco Handrick Karin Gründel Falk Warnecke Karsten Kietz Heike Stadör Leonie Weber vorgeschlagen durch vorgeschlagen durch DIE LINKE vorgeschlagen durch CDU vorgeschlagen durch DIE LINKE vorgeschlagen durch CDU vorgeschlagen durch SPD Bündnis 90/Die Grünen [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Democracy Rolled Out trative offices, as well as online. HAUSTÜ[email protected] Ihr Stadtbezirksbeirat Mitte stellt sich vor A roll-up exhibition was developed as an additional outreach “We succeeded in giving resi- format. It comprised 20 large roll-up banners that could be dents a better understanding used modularly or as a complete set to provide information of local democracy using about the people, responsibilities and processes of our local representative democracy. The banners were on display at many different campaigns several locations, including the "Festhalle" (banquet room) and outreach formats.” of the New Town Hall, and various events in the context of Silvia Haas, Head of Coordination Office the Year of Democracy. for the Promotion of Civic Involvement This motif was part of the statement poster campaign 28 LOCAL DEMOCRACY in November 2018.

Equipping Local Democracy

Local democracy requires good infrastructure. This is why, in 2018, an agency was commissioned to assess the meeting locations of all district advisory and local community coun- “This year, we started cils, including the entrances, rooms and technical equip- several projects that will ment. On the basis of their findings, potential changes and have a long-term impact. concrete measures for optimisation were recommended. And, of course, the city The Bureau for Municipal Councils is now in the process of administrators and politi implementing these changes in stages. There are also plans cal leaders will continue to renovate the City Council’s assembly room in the New to approach citizens in Town Hall with the aim of creating a contemporary setting for Democracy order to break down a modern democratic debate culture and making it easier for barriers and obstacles.” all citizens to experience the Council meetings first-hand. Ulrich Hörning, Municipal Commissioner is the greatest (Beigeordnete) and Mayor for General Administration of the City of Leipzig Relocation of the City Offices

Another stepping stone in the development of citizen participation in Leipzig is the relocation of the City Offices. In opportunity April 2019 they were moved from the Market Square into the rooms of the former citizens’ registration office in the "Stadthaus". Since then, this location has been the central for citizens point of contact for all local residents looking for information on urban planning, local democracy and citizen involvement. The City Offices can also be used by organisations THE PEOPLE OF LEIPZIG SHARE THEIR and initiatives. OPINIONS. BECAUSE ONLY THOSE WHO SPEAK OUT CAN BE HEARD. RÉSUMÉ 31

Reaching New Target Groups

Democracy is quite an abstract topic. This is why it is important that the main aspects and processes be made clearly relatable to the real-life experiences of as many citizens as possible. In order to accomplish this, existing networks should be taken into account and further developed with the aim of better establishing public spaces and community-based “every- day places” as sites for mutual exchange.

The Year of Democracy, with its 28 successful projects, offered a great variety of activities and covered numerous issues. In particular, the various outreach formats made it possible to reach a wide range of target groups. A conscious effort was made to ensure that the hur- dles to participation in the planning and implementation of the theme year were low – this is why it was possible for private individuals, as well as organisations and companies, to sub- mit funding proposals for their project ideas. The applicants were also not required to show any proof of co-funding sources.

At the closing event, great emphasis was placed on the integration of younger target groups. Many of the projects were aimed at reaching out to pupils and educating them about demo cratic processes. However, it was often a challenge to squeeze these projects into the pupils’ tightly packed school days. A future alternative could be to work with after-school-care Résumé programmes, as they generally have more flexible schedules.

Citizen Involvement Requires Support Many of the project leaders who shared their feedback about the theme year expressed a wish that the City Ad- ministration offer even stronger support – for example, in Creating Space for the submission of applications and the implementation and New Things On 14 March 2019 a closing event was organisational management of the projects. The freedom and scope that was offered in the design of in- held at the New Town Hall with the lead It was also suggested that the projects be more closely dividual projects was seen as a major strength of the Year of partners, City Administration and local linked to the respective district advisory and local Democracy. This flexibility made it possible to not only de- community councils. Through the active inclusion of local political leaders. This event offered indivi velop but also try out innovative project formats. However, it councils, it would be possible to establish valuable inter also required the courage to accept the possibility of failure. duals who had been involved in the Year of faces between the various stakeholders of the community. Democracy the opportunity to discuss their Furthermore, the opportunities offered by local represen- The objectives and requirements were associated with chal- tative democracy could be made significantly more visible. lenging tasks for many stakeholders. In some cases, chang- insights and experiences. The most impor es had to be made over the course of the year in order to tant points have been summarised here. reach the respective target groups and achieve project aims. This approach of learning by doing required a certain level of professionalisation among everyone involved. Another as- pect of the theme year that received positive feedback was the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with “new” “Actually, every year is a Year partners. These opportunities made it possible to gain new of Democracy – but I think it’s experience and create a basis for future cooperation, par- great that Leipzig declared a ticularly as the City Administration will continue to support special year for this topic.” projects for strengthening local democracy in the future. Participant in the project “The Great Gripe World Theatre”

PROJECTS 35

Photo credits Imprint in May 2018. This motif was part of the kick-off poster campaign Publisher Full-page campaign motifs (pages 2, 6, 11, 16, 22, City of Leipzig 29, 32): Heimrich & Hannot GmbH Everything was Department of General Services Page 3: City of Leipzig New Town Hall Martin-Luther-Ring 4–6 Page 8, from left to right: Sebastian Schimmel, 04109 Leipzig, Germany better in the Sebastian Schimmel (top right), Heimrich & Hannot GmbH Contact Page 9, from top to bottom: Kulturbahnhof e.V., [email protected] old days Melanie Schöler, Youth Parliament of the City of Leipzig Editor Page 10, from top to bottom: AND NOW, YOU CAN HELP SHAPE THE Gaby Waldeck, Heimrich & Hannot GmbH, City of Leipzig Barbara Röhner Department of Urban Development und Construction FUTURE OF LEIPZIG. GET INVOLVED. City Planning Oﬃ ce Page 12 Olaf Lehmann Coordination oﬃ ce "Thinking Leipzig Ahead" AFTER ALL, DEMOCRACY MEANS DIALOGUE. Page 13, from top to bottom: Stephanie Texts and editing Gundelach, UT Connewitz, Heimrich & Hannot GmbH Jens Wollweber www.jenswollweber.de Page 14, from top to bottom: Vanessa Schreier, Heide Luckmann, Vimarius, Design and implementation CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cate- Anna Ihle www.annaihle.de gory:Anger-Crottendorf?uselang=de#/media/File:Anger- Crottendorf,_Leipzig,_Germany_-_panoramio_(2).jpg English translation Page 15, from top to bottom: Stefan Hopf, Leslie Ocker www.leslieocker.com screenshot from soundcloud.com, Stiftung Friedliche Revolution Printing Printing Department of the City of Leipzig Page 17: Stefan Hopf

Page 18, from top to bottom: Leipziger Debattier- & Dis- putations-Gesellschaft e.V. (LDDG), Cube. Your Take on Europe, Initiative für interdisziplinäre Kooperation Leipzig

Page 19, from top to bottom: Students of the Vocational School Centre 12, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travnik#/ media/Datei:Travnik_Panorama_2.JPG, Robert Clement

Page 20: GeyserHaus e.V.

Page 21, from top to bottom: Stefan Hopf, Uwe Moldenhauer, Jonas Klinkenberg

Page 24, top left, top right and bottom right: André Matthei, middle left: Heimrich & Hannot GmbH, bottom left: City of Leipzig

Page 25: André Matthei

Page 26: Heimrich & Hannot GmbH

Page 27, top: Heimrich & Hannot GmbH, bottom: Anna Ihle

Page 28: Hans-Georg Unrau 36 PROJECTS PROJECTS 37

DEC DEC 23 + 24/11 24/11 + 23 Everyone’s Involved 23 + 24/11 + 24/11 23 Everyone’s Involved 14 – 16/12 – 14

14 – 16/12 – 14

04 04

Yesterday and Today and Yesterday Yesterday and Today and Yesterday 03 Resistance, 08/11 + 07 03 Resistance, 08/11 + 07 04/10 + 22/11 + 04/10 in Democracy Anger-Crottendorf 04/10 + 22/11 + 04/10 in Democracy Anger-Crottendorf

NOV NOV 27 + 28/10 28/10 + 27 Bridges Building 27 + 28/10 + 28/10 27 Bridges Building

27 08 – 13/10 13/10 – 08 Is It Whose City 08 – 13/10 – 13/10 08 Is It Whose City 29/09 – 03/11 – 29/09 #WeHaveToTalk 29/09 – 03/11 – 29/09 #WeHaveToTalk

14 14 Leipzig, a European Catalyst Catalyst a European Leipzig, Leipzig, a European Catalyst Catalyst a European Leipzig, 01/10 – 31/12 – 01/10 Development School and Voice Photo 01/10 – 31/12 – 01/10 Development School and Voice Photo 25 28 28 25 International Round Table 2018 International Table Round

International Round Table 2018 International Table Round

05 10/10 – 06 05 10/10 – 06 04/10 + 06/12 06/12 + 04/10 Opinion!? One (Not) – Chairs Many 08 – 13/10 – 08 That? What’s Democracy, 04/10 + 06/12 06/12 + 04/10 Opinion!? One (Not) – Chairs Many 08 – 13/10 – 08 That? What’s Democracy, 27/09 – 30/10 – 27/09 Theatre Gripe World Great The 27/09 – 30/10 – 27/09 Theatre Gripe World Great The

OCT OCT 14 + 15/09 + 14 2018 Leipzig Days Democracy 14 + 15/09 + 14 2018 Leipzig Days Democracy

14 – 16/09 16/09 – 14 Participation Youth for

14 – 16/09 16/09 – 14 Participation Youth for 17 22 26 08

17 22 26 08

01 01

20 15 20 15 25/08 Involved. Get a Seat. Take – Come. Festival Bridge 25/08 Involved. Get a Seat. Take – Come. Festival Bridge

SEP SEP Exchange of Ideas about Forms of Youth Participation in Europe in Participation Youth of Forms about Ideas of Exchange Exchange of Ideas about Forms of Youth Participation in Europe in Participation Youth of Forms about Ideas of Exchange 06 06 15 + 22/09 22/09 + 15 Democracy rides Tram 15 + 22/09 22/09 + 15 Democracy rides Tram 06 – 10/08 – 06 Calender-Goers 06 – 10/08 – 06 Calender-Goers

AUG AUG 18

19/07 History Our Sport, My 19/07 History Our Sport, My

07/07 – 08/12 08/12 – 07/07 Voice! Your Show 07/07 – 08/12 08/12 – 07/07 Voice! Your Show

21 21 JUL JUL 6/04/2017 – 04/03/2019 – 04/03/2019 6/04/2017 6/04/2017 – 04/03/2019 – 04/03/2019 6/04/2017 13 Meetings of the City Council Advisory Group Advisory Council City the of Meetings 13 13 Meetings of the City Council Advisory Group Advisory Council City the of Meetings 13 24 24 13/06 – 17/12 17/12 – 13/06 clubs youth at workshops creative and series – Poster Z A to 13/06 – 17/12 17/12 – 13/06 clubs youth at workshops creative and series – Poster Z A to 0 0 Community Lawn in Grünau in Lawn Community Community Lawn in Grünau in Lawn Community – 11/09 16/06 – 11/09 16/06 from July from in Germany Suffrage Women’s of Years 100 – All for Democracy to Path Long The from July from in Germany Suffrage Women’s of Years 100 – All for Democracy to Path Long The 02 09 02

Community Picnic “Demokratie airleben” “Demokratie Picnic Community Community Picnic “Demokratie airleben” “Demokratie Picnic Community Experiencing Democracy – Beyond Leipzig – Beyond Democracy Experiencing JUN Experiencing Democracy – Beyond Leipzig Beyond – Democracy Experiencing JUN 27/05 27/05 27/05 27/05 – 02/06 30/05 – 02/06 30/05 09/05 – 20/12 – 09/05 Debates Leipzig

09/05 – 20/12 – 09/05 Debates Leipzig

14 – 19/05 – 14 Meeting of Students in Travnik with Democracy Workshop “Democratic School” “Democratic Workshop Democracy with Travnik in Students of Meeting 14 – 19/05 – 14 Meeting of Students in Travnik with Democracy Workshop “Democratic School” “Democratic Workshop Democracy with Travnik in Students of Meeting

03/05 – 29/11 – 03/05 directly.digitally.barrier-free – Democracy Experiencing

03/05 – 29/11 – 03/05 directly.digitally.barrier-free – Democracy Experiencing 16 Club Politics Club 16 Club Politics Club

– 20/12 16/05 – 20/12 16/05

12 12

The Flying Forum Flying The The Flying Forum Flying The 31/12 – 01/04 10 13 19 23 31/12 – 01/04 10 13 19 23 May May 11 11 APR APR 17/05 event Kick-off Year for the Democracy of 17/05 event Kick-off Year for the Democracy of MAR MAR FEB FEB 7 + 08/01 7 + 08/01 0 Democracy of Year for applications project on Consultation 0 Democracy of Year for applications project on Consultation

JAN JAN This Was the Year of Democracy 2018. 2018. Democracy Year of the Was This a glance. at 12 months All This Was the Year of Democracy 2018. 2018. Democracy Year of the Was This a glance. at 12 months All PROJECTSPROJEKTE 386

Imprint

Publisher City of Leipzig Department of General Services New Town Hall Martin-Luther-Ring 4–6 04109 Leipzig, Germany

Contact [email protected]

Editor City of Leipzig Department of Urban Development und Construction City Planning Oﬃ ce Coordination oﬃ ce "Thinking Leipzig Ahead"

Texts and editing Jens Wollweber www.jenswollweber.de

Design and implementation Anna Ihle www.annaihle.de

English translation Leslie Ocker www.leslieocker.com

Printing Printing Department of the City of Leipzig

demokratie.leipzig.de