At the end of the First World War, the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 designed the narrative and geographical architecture of Europe in the 20th century in order to prevent another calamity of this kind. Have you ever imagined being in the shoes of a decision maker in this post-war period?
In this workshop you can take over historical responsibility for a moment and understand these negotiations with the aim of establishing peace in Europe within the framework of a simulation game. You play-act a delegate of one of the states that actively participated in the negotiations. However, you have to change sides: no one is allowed to represent one’s own country. In the first part of the event you will simulate the historical negotiations; in the second part, ‘Versailles Revisited’, you will be even more challenged: How would you influence the form(ation) of Europe if you were able to remake the decisions of 1919 with your historical knowledge from today?
The workshop offers you the unique chance to cross imaginary and historical demarcations and to leave your personal imprint on European history. Together with your negotiating partners, you develop new contracts that might engender a very different status quo of Europe with regard to its geographical configuration and its identity. How could an alternative order have looked like that would have brought about an alternative post-war history?
You should bring arguing skills, fantasy and creativity, courage and diplomatic competence for the simulation of the negotiations and their remake in particular in order to achieve the best result possible. For whom? This remains the key question. From 1914 to 2014 and beyond.
Ideally you are at least 20 years old.
Workshop speakers:
Corinna Erlebach, Collegium Hungaricum Berlin, Externer Link: www.hungaricum.de
Björn Warkalla & Klaus Schneider, planpolitik, Berlin, Externer Link: www.planpolitik.de