New beginnings and reforms

Pioneers of modern social work in Prenzlauer Berg during the Weimar Republic

Blick in die Ausstellung "Aufbruch und Refomen" – Blick in die Ausstellung "Aufbruch und Refomen"

The social hardship suffered by large sections of the population as a result of the First World War and inflation hit children and young people particularly hard. Many remain without education or employment.

With the entry into force of the "Law on the Formation of the New Municipality of Berlin" (Greater Berlin Law) on October 1, 1920 and the foundations it created for local self-government, the new Berlin districts were able to set their own political priorities. One example of this is youth and welfare policy.

The Prenzlauer Berg district youth welfare office plays a special role under city councillor Walter Friedländer. Together, the staff around Walter Friedländer initiated numerous reform steps in youth welfare that had a pioneering and model character beyond Berlin.

The exhibition sheds light on the fields of work of youth care and youth welfare, introduces key players and employees, presents case studies of young people in care and thus refers to the social context in which the work took place.

From 1933, the National Socialists destroyed what had been achieved. The majority of Walter Friedländer's employees emigrated to the USA, as he did. The next caesuras followed in 1945 and 1989.

In the course of the unification of East and West Berlin after 1990, the newly created Prenzlauer Berg Youth Welfare Office once again became a reform youth welfare office within the former eastern districts, because active members of the peaceful revolution dared to rebuild it with experience and ideas similar to those of the 1920s.

Translated with DeepL

Runtime: Thu, 27/06/2024 to Tue, 31/12/2024

Takes place here:

• Rathaus Weißensee