Despite many successes in the reconstruction of eastern Germany, sub-regions of the new federal states have particular structural weaknesses compared to the rest of the country. At the same time, the upheavals of the transformation following reunification continue to have an impact, especially mentally. The economic and social challenges facing Germany and Europe present increased hurdles here. In addition, the population's satisfaction with the economic and social situation, development and political achievements is significantly lower than in the West. In some areas, particular fears and a lack of prospects can be observed. A lack of appreciation and respect for the lifetime achievements of people in the new federal states is also repeatedly emphasized.
The Federal Government Commissioner for the New Federal States has therefore supported three storytelling salons with different content from its budget to date, most recently as a digital offering during the coronavirus pandemic. People have talked about their experiences, feelings, wishes, expectations and even disappointments on selected topics, some with a regional focus - in a defined discussion framework with rules that, above all, allowed people to listen without interruption.
The projects were implemented successfully as requested. However, without previous experience with this innovative event format, the storytelling salons have so far had a pilot character and their effects, effectiveness and potential should be analyzed in more detail. In light of this experience, the question arises as to whether storytelling salons should also be funded as a regular instrument in the future and, if so, how the funding conditions should be structured and the scope dimensioned. In its final report, the Government Commission "30 Years of Peaceful Revolution and German Unity" also recommended making greater use of the transformation experiences of people in East Germany through several instruments and providing more financial support for storytelling salons. In this context, the following three projects that have already been approved will be analyzed and evaluated both in terms of their short-term verifiable results and the long-term intended impulses, in order to subsequently discuss the fundamental potential of the instrument with regard to a possible optimization of the method.
The first project "Lusatia at one table - for sustainability and change" took place from 01.06.2015 to 31.10.2016 and consisted of 18 discussion forums in places with de-industrialization and unused tourism potential.
Exchanging experiences, activating and networking with press work and publishing the best stories in the form of brochures and books were the subject of the project and at the same time short-term verifiable goals. Beyond the binding criteria for success, the intention was also to create impulses that constitute a community and stimulate civic involvement in order to develop the tourist potential of the locations.
The second project, "Handwerk erzählt - Zwischen Tradition und Zukunft", which ran from 01.03.2019 to 31.10.2020, used storytelling salons as an instrument to share authentic reports from craft businesses that are up for succession directly with interested parties and potential successors. A total of 30 storytelling salons were held in smaller, rural locations in Saxony and Thuringia. These were supplemented by press work as well as brochures and books with the best stories. Salonnières were also trained locally in order to create the possibility of continuing storytelling salons after the project period.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the storytelling salons were offered online for the first time as part of a third project entitled "My story, our future: digital storytelling salons on German unity" rather than as traditional face-to-face events. In the first season, 138 storytellers took part and over 10,000 people watched the YouTube videos live and via the project website (project duration: 07.05.2020 - 07.12.2020). The videos continued to be viewed even after the end of the project, meaning that the number of users continued to increase. In view of this success, the great interest and the continuation of the pandemic, project funds were again approved for a second season of another 20 digital storytelling salons (project duration: 15.10.2020 - 15.07.2021). The publications were published both in print and as eBooks. The contributions are documented on the project website. There was also extensive press coverage and multiple participation via social media. The online accesses for both seasons together are now over 30,000.
The requested study aims to empirically evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the applied method of the storytelling salon on the basis of the projects already funded and to critically examine the methodological premises of the instrument. For this purpose, in addition to the empirical analysis of the results to date in comparison with the agreed objectives of the BMWi, a comprehensive methodological critique will also be carried out, which will pay particular attention to the suitability and accuracy of the applied method with regard to the long-term intended impulses in the sense of an ongoing constitution of community, the promotion of civic engagement and the unfolding of economic-social development potential in eastern Germany and its regions.
Finally, based on the results of the analysis, both case-oriented and general recommendations will be made and the usefulness of future long-term monitoring will be discussed. To this end, the study proceeds in three parts. The respective work packages are followed by the assignment of tasks to the participants. The final product of the evaluation is planned to be a detailed report with all relevant results and recommendations of 80-100 pages on the one hand and a handy summary of the core statements on the other, which should not exceed 10 pages.
Dr. Thomas Prennig
