Living history

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Living History: Revitalization of a 7th century courtyard in the Oerlinghausen Archaeological Open-Air Museum

Living History is the name given to the representation of historical worlds by people whose clothing, equipment and objects of daily use correspond as realistically as possible to the depicted epoch in terms of material and style . The presentation can take place in a private setting or at public events.

Definition, demarcation and origin of the term

The term living history, which has been adopted in German usage, is not officially precisely defined and therefore also includes experimental archeology and re-enactment as an umbrella term . The medieval scene and the live role-playing game LARP are often mentioned in this context, although they are more likely to be part of the histotainment .

In North America, no distinction is made between living history and reenactment . In the German-speaking area, however, the following delimitations can be derived. However, the boundaries are fluid.

  • Living history in the narrower sense would e.g. B. the representation of a fictitious daily routine in the Middle Ages, the building of a Germanic house, the demonstration of old handicraft techniques, the cooking of traditional recipes or a crossing of the Alps in Roman clothing. Often one goal of the presentation is to convey the presented content to viewers. Due to its experimental character, the latter action also falls under ...
  • Experimental archeology . Here, experts or laypeople try to understand in practice techniques or processes, the exact function of which has not been handed down or has only survived in fragments. This can e.g. B. be the construction of a seaworthy Viking ship or the cultivation of old grains in a historical way. While these two preoccupations with history and archeology generally refer to past realities of life, the ...
  • Reenactment always relates to an actual event in the past, e.g. B. a specific battle is re-enacted. The mediation to third parties takes a back seat, since the reenactor strives to be completely absorbed in the historical event to be represented, so that there is little time for clarification of any viewers. If the actorsfocuson having fun with historical or historicizing disguises or fantasy role-playing games, one speaks more of the ...
  • Medieval scene, a scene where the boundaries are very blurred. Basically it is assigned to the histotainment , but it is not limited to it. It goes from the animation of a place through pure presence ( histotainment ) or the representation of a mercenary camp as well as the widespread sword fight ( living history ) to the reenactment of battles ( reenactment ). The authenticity of the participants or the representations of historical circumstances and battles can be of very good to rather creative quality.
  • LARP / live role-playing game in which little or no value is placed on authenticity . Here the unscientific presentation of fictitious scenarios takes place, but the fun factor for the participants is more in the foreground.

The English term Living History stands for the attempt to process fictional historical material, so-called generic events, under scientific conditions. It developed from the theory of historiography which the philosopher and historian Robin George Collingwood put forward for historical reenactment . According to Collingwood, history can only be understood through reliving. In his view, living history should therefore be “lived history”, which, on the basis of a scientific approach, makes entire historical epochs understandable and communicable.

History and Development

Since the beginning of historical research in the early modern period, not only experts, historians, naturalists and scholars have been involved in new findings, but also hobbyists , amateurs and private individuals, for whom practical occupation with historical content - also outside of museums - exerted a great attraction .

An early example of the considerations connected with living history is Guido List's book Der Wiederaufbau von Carnuntum (Vienna 1900) . When reconstructing the earlier Carnuntum, List wanted not only to wrap the staff (innkeepers, salespeople, security staff) but also the visitors in historical garb. List's description of the clothing as the central element that enables one to change times and slip into a different alter ego is still relevant today. List, a neo-pagan and esoteric racist, also envisaged spiritual aspects of initiation and purification, which newcomers should deepen their historical approach.

Living History has emerged in the US since the 1930s as part of museum educational practice. Freeman Tilden had a trend-setting influence with his book Interpreting Our Heritage (1957), in which he formulated fundamental principles of the interpretation of nature and culture (English Heritage Interpretation) . With visitors to the national parks, Tilden recognized that the best way to understand the essence of nature in its entirety is to experience a landscape that is as pristine as possible and without being forced to be useful. This knowledge could also be transferred to the essence of culture. In this respect, Living History should also make excerpts of past life worlds comprehensible "on one's own body and without the compulsion of being useful" .

In German-speaking countries, the roots of laypersons' living history are primarily in England, but were also promoted by American soldiers in Germany. The first forerunners were western groups that had been founded in Germany since the end of the 19th century. The writer Karl May gave an impetus for this with his cowboy and Indian novels . The presentation of European history began in Germany in the 1970s in the context of hippie culture and corresponding currents in music. Names like Johannes Faget alias Johannes Fogelvrei or music groups like Elster Silberflug are associated with this tendency . One of the oldest and most famous medieval events is the Medieval and Knight Festival at Satzvey Castle in the Eifel .

Especially in the GDR, Wild West and Middle Ages clubs soon led to an extensive subculture between refusal to consume, security and an idealized view of history that often arose more from fantasy than reality. In the Federal Republic of Germany, the more professional representation emerged from the already established medieval scene in the 1980s . Since the 1990s one can speak of a boom here, as the steadily growing number of Internet sites from the scene shows. The following is estimated to be tens of thousands in Germany, although it is very difficult to get an overview and the transition to historical groups is very blurred. In Switzerland, however , living history is rarer.

The development of the almost unmanageable scene between the medieval market , living history, reenactment and event industry is difficult to grasp and is rarely documented. In addition, it is very fast and not linear.

classification

The reason for the emergence of living history as an intensely pursued leisure activity, in addition to the fundamental interest in history, is probably the need not only to consume information from museums and books, but to actively think along with it and bring in one's own interests and thoughts. Since their emergence in the time of the hippies, living history and re-enactment have mainly been a subculture for young people, who find the opportunity to stand out from the rest of society, especially through the unusual clothing. Nevertheless, the age groups in Living History are more widely spread than in other comparable subcultures (such as live role-playing ). Living History has its own vocabulary and is constantly redefining itself. Conflicts in and between different groups about the desired or desired degree of authenticity are also typical.

At living history events, the exhibition fight is often given a significant share, which is performed by professional actors with sometimes up to several thousand participants. This part of Living History is a separate sub-section of the respective representation from internationally organized groups with fixed fighting rules and the claim to reproduce actual historical armed forces as faithfully as possible.

subjects

In addition to the very personal use as a meaningful and enjoyable leisure activity, some living history actors have been aiming for some time to arouse interest in history. At a conference of serious living history actors in Bonn in July 2009, an attempt was made to define the goals and requirements more precisely. Living History should connect to the world of life, the experiences and memories of the visitors, reveal networked relationships and perceive the visitor as a whole person. The focus should not be on data and facts, but on people and their learning experience. The actors - “costumed interpreters” - must have academic knowledge, but they are not allowed to communicate like academics (R. Schörken 1995, Encounters with History). Other communication and presentation techniques are required for the general public, ranging from classic rhetoric to acting. These sometimes playful forms of representation of history do not necessarily have to lag behind traditional research reports in terms of their truthfulness and are therefore legitimate (J. Fried 2007, Guest in the Middle Ages). A costumed interpreter has to face his audience at eye level and adapt to them again and again. In addition to a lot of experience in dealing with people of all ages and levels of education, he also needs prior didactic knowledge. But above all else, he must be passionate - for history and for his audience (L. Beck & T. Cable 2002, Interpretation for the 21st century).

Living history is usually carried out in groups of different sizes. The groups try to achieve a certain degree of authenticity . The spectrum ranges from very cheap clothes (the Middle Ages scene often speaks of “ garb ”) to objects that are manufactured with the utmost meticulousness based on original models ( replicas ). Museum pieces, archaeological excavation finds and historical pictures and illustrations serve as templates for such works . Written sources are used less often. Some groups try to create as dense an atmosphere as possible for the duration of the temporary events, which should be maintained without interruptions. Depending on the epoch, the location of the staging can vary: the Indian camp created from a campsite, the landscape around the Limes to the lively museum village .

Ancient and Middle Ages

The Roman Imperial Era , the Bronze and Iron Ages and the Middle Ages have proven to be the preferred epochs for historical presentation . While the early Middle Ages are mostly only represented by Viking actors, the High Middle Ages are likely to have the most supporters. The late 15th century is another focus from which the English roots can be read, as the Wars of the Roses are often recreated in England .

Modern times

The time of the Landsknechte is also shown, as individual groups also dedicate themselves to the time of the Thirty Years' War . The time of the coalition and liberation wars (so-called Napoleonic events) as well as the reenactment of the American Civil War are the later epochs shown, which enjoy increasing popularity. A large group of reenactors who are interested in recreating historically guaranteed acts of war also deal with the subject of civil wars and the events of war. There are numerous associations and free groups that are dedicated to the American Civil War, the European Wars of Liberation or the Second World War . Their number now exceeds the number of medieval groups. However, they are less well known. This is probably due to the fact that this form is not made known or promoted to the same extent by tourism and advertising.

National Socialism

In contrast to the English-speaking area, the 20th century is less represented in the German-speaking area. For example, addressing Nazi organizations (such as the SS) is prohibited by law in Germany. This is also controversial internationally and a number of groups concerned with living history refuse to deal with the unfortunate history on principle. In this context, the WWII Living History Agreement was formulated in 2007 .

Occasional right-wing extremist groups

Even with the representation of Germanic tribes , individual Germanic groups with a right esoteric background still appear. This is the basis for the accusation that some right-wing extremists use this as a propaganda forum. An indication of this is provided, for example, when the items of equipment bear the swastika symbol noticeably often . The serious part of the living history scene distances itself from this, as can be seen from the “Aachen Declaration”, which was initiated in 2008 by the living history organization “Rete-Amicorum”. The central point of the declaration reads "... Living History (must) be free from any political, religious or ideological influence by the actors themselves or by third parties."

Sociological background

One reason for the expansion of histories of all kinds in western countries, which has been observable for around 30 years, is seen in the disappearance of the basic national consensus prevailing there. So previously valid norms and certainties become postmodern constructions through intellectual reinterpretations . These artificial constructs are unable to offer many people a comprehensive set of values ​​because, due to their arbitrariness, they are not based on historically grown, individual social foundations and therefore no longer offer cross-generational cultural security. This is why many people today are looking for personal niches far away from intellectually and state-propagated worldviews, in which they can build up temporary parallel worlds with like-minded people. In this context, critics of re-enactment and similar trends have spoken of an autism in the historical scene .

Living history in the museum context

A simulated court hearing in a Hunsrück village around 1760 in the
Roscheider Hof open-air museum

In addition to a form of leisure activity, the term living history also describes a method of museum education known as “personal history interpretation” . This offers great opportunities for comprehensive learning experiences for visitors to museums and historical sites, provided that it is operated in a scientifically correct manner and conveyed in a didactically correct manner. The requirements for such museum work are far stricter and more varied than in the leisure scene. Unlike in England and America, where “living images” have a long and uninterrupted tradition in museums, historical interpretations are a relatively new phenomenon in German museums. The additional financial outlay and, last but not least, the great risk of confusion between the two means that the acceptance of living history in museums is only growing slowly in Germany. In order to reduce the likelihood of confusion, Michael Herbert Faber from the LVR open-air museum in Kommern favors the term “ acted history” in order to clarify the difference between the subjective “replay” of history and historical reality in its complex historical horizon. In addition to the museum in Kommern, the path of a certified museum history representation in Germany is also taken by the open-air museum at Kiekeberg and the Franconian open-air museum in Bad Windsheim .

The Museum Viking Reserve Foteviken in Sweden tries to win as many recreational Vikings as possible from all over Europe as members in order to bring the seriousness and authenticity of the representation inside and outside the museum to a high level. In the meantime, the museum has actually become the international meeting place for Vikings, which is recognized by thousands of Viking actors from 22 countries.

Further examples of this form of museum education can be found e.g. B. in the Netherlands in the Archeon and in the Historisch Openluchtmuseum Eindhoven , or in Germany in Ukranenland as well as on the adventure tours through the Roman Trier .

Medial Living History Projects (selection)

Television has also been enriching the living history scene for a number of years. The model for the first German series with the theme of time travel was the British television program “ Das Victorianische Haus ” (1900 House) from 1999. These TV productions are projects of lived history in the form of documentary soaps, which were accompanied by scientists. People lived for several weeks / months like people at a given historical point in time. In some cases, scientists even gained new knowledge from the projects.

title Broadcast Channel producer Internet Movie Database Link to the homepage
Black Forest house 1902 2002 The first SWR Entry in the Internet Movie Database (English) [2]
Adventure 1900 - life in the manor house 2004 The first Zero movie Entry in the Internet Movie Database (English) [3]
Life like in Gotthelf's time (Sahlenweidli) 2004 SRF1 SRG SSR
The hard school of the fifties 2005 ZDF Safe TV Entry in the Internet Movie Database (English) [4]
The boarding school - school like 50 years ago 2005 SRF1 SRG SSR
Adventure 1927 - summer vacation 2005 The first Zero movie Entry in the Internet Movie Database (English) [5]
Adventure Middle Ages - Life in the 15th Century 2005 ARTE / Das Erste / MDR DocStation Entry in the Internet Movie Database (English) [6]
Wind force 8 2005 Das Erste / WDR Caligari movie Entry in the Internet Movie Database (English) [7]
The Bridal School 1958 2007 The first Lichtblick film Entry in the Internet Movie Database (English) [8th]
Stone Age - The Experiment 2007 The first SWR Entry in the Internet Movie Database (English) [9]
Pfyn pile dwellers 2007 SRF1 SRG SSR [10]
Build like 1808 2008 NDR NDR [11]
Alpine fortress - life in the Réduit 2009 SRF1 SRG SSR [12]
1914 - the factory 2014 SRF1 SRG SSR srf.ch/sendung/die-fabrik
In the shadow of the castle - life 500 years ago 2017 SRF1 SRG SSR srf.ch/sendung/im-schatten-der-burg

Criticism and quality assurance

Archaeologists and historians are often ambivalent about the “lively interest” in history. On the one hand, it fills the museums, museum villages and exhibitions. On the other hand, this form of popular history communication is not infrequently grossly wrong. The feasibility and the pros and cons of a "quality certificate" have therefore been discussed for some time by the groups that strive for the greatest possible authenticity .

Due to the appearances of the German-Polish reenactment group Ulfhednar , a controversy arose in archeology. After 2000, the group made a significant contribution to shaping the image of early history in the German and international media and was also supported by important early history institutions. Among other things, under the programmatic title Under the Crochet Cross, Germanic Living History and Right Affects , the criticism of the group's frequent involvement in and through archaeological museums and institutions was loud.

photos

literature

See also

Web links

swell

  1. ^ Andrew Gallup: The State of Living History Interpretation in the Former North American Colonies of Great Britain. In: Journal of The Institute of Historical Interpretation. 1 (1999), pp. 7-10.
  2. a b c Andreas Sturm: Quo vadis Living History? The search for the right way to deal with history as a world of experience. (PDF; 154 kB)
  3. Jan Carstensen, Uwe Meiners, Ruth-Elisabeth Mohrmann (ed.): Living History in the Museum. Waxmann Verlag, 2008, ISBN 978-3-8309-2029-8 , p. 22.
  4. Michael Walter Hebeisen: Law and State as Objectivations of Spirit in History. Books on Demand, 2004, ISBN 3-8334-1847-8 .
  5. Dietmar Hartwich, Christian Swertz, Monika Witsch, Norbert Meder: With players: reflections on postmodern language games in education. Königshausen & Neumann, 2007, ISBN 978-3-8260-3648-4 , p. 109.
  6. a b c Sylvia Crumbach: Help, the story lives! on: chronico.de
  7. a b Karl Banghard: Under the crochet cross. Germanic Living History and Right Affects: A Historical Overview in Three Highlights. In: Hans-Peter Killguss: The Invention of the Germans. Reception of the Varus Battle and the mystification of the Teutons. Publishing house NS Documentation Center, Cologne 2009, ISBN 978-3-938636-12-1 . With contributions from Professor Reinhard Wolters, Dr. Tilmann Bendikowski, Dirk Mellies, Michael Fehrenschild, Karl Banghard, Alexander Häusler, Jan Raabe, Dr. Michael cell.
  8. [1]
  9. Source: SWR , accessed on December 31, 2010.
  10.  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Aachen declaration.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.living-history-network.de
  11. Christoph Marx: Pictures after the storm - truth commissions and historical identity creation between state and civil society. LIT Verlag, Berlin / Hamburg / Münster, 2007, ISBN 978-3-8258-0767-2 , p. 92.
  12. Valentin Groebner : The Middle Ages do not end. CH Beck Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-406-57093-3 , p. 142.
  13. Ullrich Brandt-Schwarz: "Living History" as a contribution to museum mediation - possibilities, limits and risks . In: European Association for the Promotion of Experimental Archeology eV (Ed.): Experimental Archeology in Europe Balance 2010 . Isensee, Oldenburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-89995-739-6 , p. 23-26 .
  14. Living History in Open Air Museums. New ways of conveying history
  15. Seal of approval discussion: Quality with a certificate - in the history theater. on: chronico.de April 7, 2008.