Understanding the Past & Practicing the Present
Understanding the Past & Practicing the Present
19. November 2026 | Dresden, Germany
City Walk | Workshops | Panel Discussion | Performances | Exhibition
How have historical events shaped the way our cities look, and how do they influence the inclusion of people today?
How are citizens’ rights reflected in our everyday urban environments? How can citizens work together with municipalities to improve their communities? How can we make our cities more inclusive and accessible so that everyone can feel that they belong? What can Dresden, Prague, Ostrava, Oleśnica, and Khmelnytskyi learn from one another about inclusion, participation, and belonging?
These are some of the questions that will guide “Understanding the Past & Practicing the Present”, an international event bringing together citizens, municipalities, organisations, artists, educators, and local communities from Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine.
Aligned with the commemoration of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, this event explores the connections between history, collective memory, citizens’ rights, and present-day urban realities. The Fall of the Berlin Wall invites us to reflect on freedom, participation, democratic values, inclusion, and the role citizens play in shaping their communities. At the same time, it provides an opportunity to ask how these values are reflected in our cities today.
Throughout the event, we will explore how historical events continue to influence urban spaces, how cities remember their past, and how issues such as accessibility, participation, inclusion, and belonging are experienced in everyday life. We will also look at public spaces, culture, community initiatives, and opportunities for participation that help create cities where everyone feels represented and included.
Why Participate?
“Cities of Belonging” offers a unique opportunity to:
- Meet participants from Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine
- Exchange ideas and experiences across borders
- Reflect on rights, participation, and urban life
- Engage directly with municipal representatives and local stakeholders
- Present your work, research, initiatives, or artistic practice
- Build new collaborations and connections
- Contribute to discussions on more inclusive and accessible cities
Because cities become more inclusive, democratic, and welcoming when the people who live in them are part of shaping them.
Programme
Thursday, 19 November 2026 | Dresden
13:45–15:20 | City Walk & Photography / Videography Workshop
Join a guided walk through selected sites in Dresden connected to the city’s history and collective memory. Along the way, an experienced photographer will guide participants in creatively capturing the places, public spaces, and details they encounter. Dedicated moments during and at the end of the walk will offer time to pause, reflect, and document impressions through photographs and short video clips.
Accessibility note: Dresden’s cobblestone streets may pose challenges for people with limited mobility. To make the City Walk more accessible and comfortable, rest stops will be included approximately every 15 minutes.
Museum Visit at Gedenkstätte Bautzner Straße
The Stasi in Dresden
From 1953 to 1989, the Stasi’s Dresden district headquarters was located on Bautzner Straße. The guided tour of the preserved pre-trial detention centre offers insights into the conditions of detention at the time, the reasons for imprisonment, and the personal stories of those detained. Visitors can see, among other things, former detention cells, an interrogation room, and the vehicle checkpoint.
Visit & Guided Tour at Zentrum für Baukultur Sachsen
Ostmoderne.Kultur-Orte. Redevelopment of Industrial Heritage in Dresden, Chemnitz, and Leipzig
Through six building projects in Dresden, Chemnitz, and Leipzig, the exhibition shows how buildings from the GDR modernist era are being preserved, repurposed, and transformed into cultural venues. The focus is on the history of the buildings, current challenges, and their future use. Photographs, historical plans, and architectural models illustrate this transformation.
15:30–16:00 | Arrival at Stadtforum & Coffee Break
Take a short break, enjoy a snack and a coffee, and settle in at Stadtforum before we continue with the rest of the programme.
16:00–17:30 | Panel Discussion
Municipal representatives from the participating cities will join experts and local initiatives to exchange perspectives on belonging, inclusion, accessibility, and civic participation.
Starting from the commemoration of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the discussion will connect past and present while presenting city-led initiatives, grassroots activities, and citizen-driven projects. There will also be space for open dialogue with participants.
17:30–17:40 | Coffee Break
Take a short break, grab a refreshment, and get ready for the next part of the event.
18:00–18:45 | Tour of Stadtforum
City halls and other municipal buildings are not always considered welcoming or accessible spaces. Opened in 2025, Dresden’s new municipal building, Stadtforum, aims to change this perception.
Join us to discover how Stadtforum is rethinking the relationship between city administration and citizens through architecture, accessibility, and public events. The guided tour of the building’s public areas will also introduce its approach to digitalisation, climate and energy issues, and new ways of working.
17:40–19:20 | Zine Workshop
Explore what an inclusive city can look like through the creative world of zines. Using collage, text, drawing, magazines, and photographs, participants will reflect on inclusion and accessibility in public spaces, the barriers people experience, and how we can imagine more inclusive urban environments together.
No prior experience is required.
17:40–19:20 | Active Citizenship & Media Production Workshop
Explore what it means to be an active citizen and how media can help you express your ideas and concerns. Discover how images, voices, and sounds shape the stories we tell, and get creative with “Vox Pops” (short street interviews) to capture different perspectives, ask questions, and spark conversations about the world around you.
17:30–20:00 | Exhibition
Discover the creative contributions of participants alongside historical photographs and documents from Oleśnica, shared by the project partners. The exhibition brings together different stories, perspectives, and experiences explored throughout the event, offering a creative reflection on the relationship between history, public space, and belonging.
19:20–20:00 | Performances
Enjoy creative contributions from our partner cities, including an intergenerational choir and a band performance from Oleśnica. Experience a shared cultural moment to close the day, bringing people together through music, creativity, and exchange.
Intergenerational Choir
An intergenerational choir bringing together singers of different ages, celebrating music as a way to connect generations, share cultural traditions, and bring communities together.
KOPER Folk Band
KOPER brings traditional Polish folk music to life through contemporary arrangements. Combining traditional folk melodies, original compositions inspired by Slavic traditions, and unique instruments, including handmade ones, the band creates its distinctive “folk-now” sound.
Join Us in Dresden!
Whether you are interested in urban life, inclusion, accessibility, citizens’ rights, or culture, or simply want to exchange perspectives with people from different European cities, we warmly invite you to join us in Dresden on 19 November.
Bring your experiences, ideas, and perspectives, and become part of the conversation about what it means to belong in our cities today.
About the Project
“Understanding the Past & Practicing the Present” is the first international event of the European project “Cities of Belonging”, funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme of the European Union.
“Cities of Belonging” brings together citizens and municipalities from Dresden (Germany), Prague and Ostrava (the Czech Republic), Oleśnica (Poland), and Khmelnytskyi (Ukraine) to explore how cities can become more inclusive, accessible, participatory, and democratic for everyone.
Through two international events, creative activities, dialogue with municipalities, and cross-border exchange, the project creates opportunities for citizens to reflect on rights, inclusion, accessibility, collective memory, and the future of European cities.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Project Reference Number: 101292350
This measure is co-financed with tax revenues on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.
