Adult education centre events in November 2020
Monday, 2 November, 6 to 7.30 p.m.
Revolution and Republic: Chemnitz and Saxony at the beginning of the Weimar Republic
Venue: Haus der Gewerkschaften, Augustusburger Straße 33, hall on the ground floor
Admission: free
Event series "Places of historical remembrance in Chemnitz": We invite you to discover the history of the city of Chemnitz and the neighbouring regions. Four events will take you on a journey through the 20th century.
The lecture sheds light on the end of the First World War and the transition from monarchy to republic. The causes and course of the political upheavals of 1918/19 in Saxony and Chemnitz as well as the founding of the Free State of Saxony take centre stage. Who were the various protagonists of the revolution and what were their programmes? What were the new workers' and soldiers' councils all about? What was their relationship to parliamentarianism? What role did Chemnitz play in comparison to other Saxon cities? And finally: What were the preliminary burdens with which this first Saxon Free State and the German Republic started in terms of domestic and foreign policy? Was this democracy doomed to fail from the outset?
This measure is co-financed by tax revenue on the basis of the budget approved by the members of the Saxon State Parliament.
Monday, 2 November, 6.45 to 8.15 p.m.
Fake news on the internet - a self-experiment fact check
Location: online
Admission: free
Do you trust all news, reports and images from the media and internet? In this event, you will learn how false reports and manipulated images are created and how you can check their credibility. Illustrative examples will show how manipulation can be used to completely change image statements, e.g. to spread other political or social messages. You will learn simple ways in which you can check the credibility of sources and media content. These easy-to-use fact-checking methods include, for example, reverse image searches or checking information in the imprint.
The event will take place online and can be accessed via this link:
Fake news on the internet - fact check in a self-experiment
This event is a cooperation between SAEK Chemnitz and the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre as part of the "medienkundig" course series.
Tuesday, 3 November, 7 to 9.15 p.m.
Café Philo: Capitalism and crisis
Location: Kulturhaus Arthur, Hohe Straße 33
Admission: free
Like a magnifying glass, the coronavirus pandemic highlights the vulnerability of global capitalism: The flow of capital, goods and data is being followed by the flow of viruses, supply chains are collapsing and privatised healthcare systems are reaching the limits of economic viability. The question of whether the economy serves people or people serve the economy is becoming existential in view of the current situation. The over-rich economic system is revealing its design flaws.
The topic of "capitalism" remains topical: what are the advantages and disadvantages of the capitalist form of production and what are its prospects for the future? How does it differ from other economic systems, how did it develop historically? Are there alternatives? How will and can things continue?
Café Philo is a free discussion event that is dedicated to one overarching topic each semester. The topic is fanned out in four moderated individual discussions and experts are consulted where necessary. The aim is not to provide knowledge that can be interrogated, but rather a dialogue that combines experience, science and theory.
Café Philo is a co-operation between the Freie Institut für Bildung e. V. and the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre.
Thursday, 5 November, 7 to 8.30 pm
Chemical Cotton Kills. Workshop on the origin of our clothing
Venue: TIETZ, event hall
Admission: free
The workshop takes you on a journey to the countries where textiles are produced and opens up a view of a globalised textile chain. Dr André Matthes, Head of Natural Textiles and Sustainability at the Chair of Textile Technologies at Chemnitz University of Technology, will vividly explain the journey our clothes take from the cotton fields to our wardrobes. A T-shirt is worth more than its retail price, the true cost is much higher. A T-shirt contains a number of resources whose origin and use often remain unclear. Dr Matthes takes a critical look behind the scenes of the fashion industry with his audience and also addresses our own consumer behaviour. It is about the true economic, ecological and social costs of our clothing. The workshop aims to encourage people to think about a healthy, sustainable and conscious clothing style and to facilitate a dialogue.
The textile researcher will provide an overview of textile labels and present various sustainable brands and initiatives to help you take action. We invite you to contribute your thoughts and ideas to the discussion.
This event is a cooperation between the Saxon State Centre for Political Education and the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre as part of the "Kontrovers vor Ort" series. It is co-financed by tax revenue on the basis of the budget approved by the members of the Saxon State Parliament.
Thursday, 5 November, 7.30 to 9 p.m.
Commentary and discussion on the outcome of the presidential election in the USA
Venue: online
Admission: free
The 2020 presidential election in the United States is scheduled for 3 November 2020. Stephan Bierling will comment on it for us and analyse the most important developments in a discussion with Andrea Kister, head of the "Politics and Economics" department at Bayerischer Rundfunk.
Stephan Bierling is Professor of International Politics at the University of Regensburg and one of the leading experts on the power shifts in global politics. He has been a visiting professor in the USA, Israel, South Africa and Australia and has written more than a dozen books on US and German foreign policy.
This event is part of the series "vhs.wissen live - the digital science programme" as a cooperation between the VHS Chemnitz and the adult education centres in the Erding and SüdOst districts of Munich and also in cooperation with the Hans Seidel Foundation.
You can register by e-mail or online until midnight on the day before the course. On the day of the event, you will receive an access link by e-mail which you can use to dial in.
Tuesday, 10 November, 6.45 p.m. to 8.15 p.m.
Right to your own photo - information for parents
Location: TIEZ, see VHS room advert
Admission: free
Children are a popular subject and photos are taken quickly. Photos of their own and other people's children are just as quickly and readily published on social networks or on the notice board at nurseries or schools. What should parents know about publishing rights? What actually happens to photos of your own children that are distributed online? Where do they end up? What exceptions restrict the so-called "right to one's own image"? Who is authorised to make decisions? The event will shed light on these questions and raise awareness of how to handle photos of people and especially children with care. The course is aimed at parents of children of all ages as well as teachers.
This event is a co-operation between SAEK Chemnitz and the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre as part of the "medienkundig" course series.
Wednesday, 11 November, 2.30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Complementary, alternative therapies for Parkinson's disease
Venue: Pro Seniore Residenz Chemnitz, Salzstraße 40
Admission: free
Conventional medicine has already achieved a great deal in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, as with all chronic diseases, there are a large number of alternative, complementary therapeutic approaches to Parkinson's that have different effects on the symptoms. However, not all of these therapies fulfil the expectations placed in them. The lecture provides an overview of the various methods and their therapeutic possibilities. The speaker, Dr Peter Themann, is Head Physician at the Parkinson's Specialist Clinic in the Klinik am Tharandter Wald.
Wednesday, 11 November, 7 to 8.30 p.m.
Book presentation: How did the social come into the market economy?
Venue: Haus der Gewerkschaften, Augustusburger Staße 33, hall on the ground floor
Admission: free
The "social market economy" was introduced by Ludwig Erhard on 20 June 1948, according to the popular narrative. But this is not true, as millions were still on strike against Erhard's free market policy in autumn 1948. It was only in response to these protests that "social" measures were incorporated into the concept of a market economy at the time.
In his book "Die Entstehung der "Sozialen Marktwirtschaft" 1948/49", historian Uwe Fuhrmann has presented a highly regarded analysis of these developments. He also shows that the history of the years 1948/1949 and what is (not) told about them can reveal a lot about social protests and their effects - and about the politics of history. The author will present his book on this evening and would like to enter into dialogue with the participants.
This event is a cooperation between the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Saxony, the DGB Southwest Saxony region and the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre.
Thursday, 12 November, 7 to 8.30 pm
NS-Raubgut. On the state of provenance research in Saxony - book presentation and discussion
Venue: TIETZ, Room 4.07
Admission: free
The term "Nazi-looted property" refers to cultural assets that were stolen during the National Socialist era. Nazi-looted property can also be found in Saxon libraries and museums. How did they get there? And how do we deal with this heritage in Saxony?
Provenance researcher Elisabeth Geldmacher sheds light on these questions in her book "NS-Raubgut. The state of provenance research in Saxony", Elisabeth Geldmacher sheds light on the current state of research. The author provides a comprehensive overview. She conducted extensive surveys at Saxon libraries and museums. Based on the experiences of researchers and those responsible, she compiles the current picture of Nazi-looted property research in Saxony. In addition, wishes, problems and gaps are addressed.
This event is a co-operation between Weiterdenken - Heinrich Böll Foundation Saxony and the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre.
Thursday, 12 November, 7.30 to 9 p.m.
The invention of (Jewish) food: pop culture, nutrition, identity
Location: online
Admission: free
Why were so many tinned foods, flour and sugar bought during the coronavirus crisis - even though the security of supply was never jeopardised? Apparently, certain foods have cultural values in addition to their nutritional value: Food can appear solid and suggest security - or become "soul food". The French theorist Roland Barthes called food a "system of communication, a corpus of images, an arrangement of uses, a system of situations and behaviours". For Barthes, food is a sign that can be read. In a first step, the lecture explains these and other theoretical approaches to the omnipresent "cultural theme of food" (Alois Wierlacher). In a second step, the question is asked why someone perceives a certain food as "Jewish": What is Jewish about pastrami, bagels and gefilte fish? We will look at pop-cultural contexts as well as contemporary literature. The evening's speaker, PD Dr Caspar Battegay, is a lecturer at the Department of German Linguistics and Literature at the University of Basel. He has been a member of the Young Academy of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina since 2015.
This event is part of the series "vhs.wissen live - the digital science programme" as a cooperation between the VHS Chemnitz and the adult education centres in the Erding and SüdOst districts of Munich.
You can register by e-mail or online until midnight on the day before the course. On the day of the event, you will receive an access link by e-mail with which you can log in.
Monday, 16 November, 6 to 7.30 p.m.
Saxon coal - the bread and butter of the industry
Venue: Haus der Gewerkschaften, Augustusburger Straße 33, hall on the ground floor
Admission: free
One of the main drivers of Saxony's industrialisation in the 19th century were the local coal deposits in the three large coalfields of Zwickau, Lugau-Oelsnitz and the Döhlen Basin. As the "bread and butter of industry", they were of great importance for Saxony's pioneering role during Germany's industrialisation. The "black diamonds" were spread across a total of eight deposits. Names such as Georgius Agricola, Otto Lilienthal, Karl Marx, Richard Hartmann, Karl May and Adolf Hennecke are associated with this branch of mining. The lecture spans the period from the first utilisation of coal in the Middle Ages to the cessation of mining for uranium-bearing coal in Dresden-Gittersee in 1989.
This event is a co-operation between the Oelsnitz/Erzgebirge Mining Museum and the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre.
This event is co-financed by tax funds on the basis of the budget approved by the members of the Saxon State Parliament.
Thursday, 19 November, 6.45 to 8.15 p.m.
Saying goodbye - rituals of death and dying in Judaism
Venue: TIETZ, Room 4.07
Admission: free
In the Jewish religion, various rituals and rules are practised when a family member dies. Saying the prayer "Kaddish" is a well-known ritual. There are also many other traditions relating to death and mourning. They serve to respect the dignity of the deceased and alleviate the pain of the relatives.
On this evening, we will be in dialogue with Renate Aris, a Jewish woman from Chemnitz, and look at the rituals and traditions surrounding death and dying. What is still lived and practised today? Excerpts from the film comedy "Alles auf Zucker" will be shown to illustrate and accompany the topic. This multi-award-winning film by director Dani Levy was released in cinemas in 2004.
Thursday, 19 November, 7 to 8.30 p.m.
"Growing up behind bars." As a teenager in a GDR prison
Venue: TIETZ, event hall
Admission: free
Event series "Places of historical remembrance in Chemnitz": We invite you to discover the history of the city of Chemnitz and the neighbouring regions. Four events will take you on a journey through the 20th century.
The readings and talks will focus on Falk Mrázek's experiences as a young man in the GDR and his motives for leaving the country. "We were no longer allowed to live normally in the GDR, but we weren't allowed to leave either." This is how he describes his situation as a schoolboy whose parents applied to leave the country in the 1970s. He made a serious decision: knowing about the German-German prisoner release programme, he voluntarily handed himself over to the state authorities. In September 1978, he made his way to the Brandenburg Gate, where he demonstratively entered the border area. After being sentenced to several years' imprisonment, after various periods of detention and hard labour in the Bitterfeld prison, Falk Mrázek was sent to the Kaßberg prison in the summer of 1979 at the age of 18. You can follow in his footsteps in conversation until his release.
This event is a co-operation between the Lern- und Gedenkort Kaßberg-Gefängnis e. V. Chemnitz and the Volkshochschule Chemnitz. It is supported by the Local Action Plan of the City of Chemnitz.
This measure is co-financed by tax funds on the basis of the budget approved by the members of the Saxon State Parliament.
Friday, 20 November, 7.30 to 9 p.m.
Justice and health - how can pharmaceutical research benefit everyone?
Venues: online
Admission: free
Pharmaceuticals are one of mankind's greatest achievements. They have contributed to dramatic improvements in health and longevity as well as enormous cost savings through fewer days of illness and hospitalisation. The global market for pharmaceuticals is currently worth 1,430 billion dollars annually. Around 800 billion dollars of this is accounted for by branded products, which are generally patent-protected and can therefore be sold at very high prices. The pharmaceutical industry justifies its high product prices by the costs incurred in the research and development of medicines. These high prices are often unaffordable for poorer societies.
What could a solution look like that would give the industry sufficient incentives to carry out research and then offer the drugs at a significantly lower price? The evening's speaker, Thomas Pogge, will present a possible solution based on the Health Impact Fund.
Thomas Pogge is Professor of Philosophy and International Affairs at Yale University. He completed his doctorate at Harvard University under John Rawls.
This event is part of the series "vhs.wissen live - the digital science programme" as a cooperation between the VHS Chemnitz and the adult education centres Landkreis Erding and SüdOst im Landkreis München.
You can register by e-mail or online until midnight on the day before the course. On the day of the event, you will receive an access link by e-mail with which you can log in.
Monday, 23 November, 6 to 7.30 p.m.
Partridge, lapwing, corncrake... Is the extinction of species continuing?
Location: TIETZ
Admission: free
Over the past 20 years, more than ten breeding bird species have disappeared or "died out" in Chemnitz. Around a third of breeding birds are in decline. The situation is dramatic for many bird species! Many nature and garden enthusiasts report the disappearance of once common bird species such as blackbirds and skylarks. The lecture explains the current state of bird life in Chemnitz. What can or must we do? Is there a dramatic "blackbird extinction" here too? Are magpies and crows a danger to our garden birds? These and many other questions will be explored in this illustrated lecture. The speaker explains the dangers to our native birdlife. He will present both global and local causes for the decline of many bird species.
This event is a co-operation between the NABU Regionalverband Erzgebirge e. V., the Verein Sächsischer Ornithologen e. V. and the Volkshochschule Chemnitz.
This measure is co-financed by tax funds on the basis of the budget approved by the members of the Saxon state parliament.
Tuesday, 24 November, 6 to 7.30 p.m.
Between traditional costume, habit and uniform. The clothing of miners and smelters
Location: Town Hall, Room 118
Admission: free
Who doesn't get their heart pumping when, in the glare of the glare, the honourable mining parade marches through the dark evening streets of a snow-covered town in the Ore Mountains? The miners and smelters parade in their traditional costumes to the sound of familiar marches. The lecture opens a unique chapter in the history of mining and metallurgy in Saxony: In vivid images, it tells of the development of practical work clothing, which changed from the distinctive traditional costume to a regimented "mountain parade habit" to the prescribed service and parade uniform. The event traces their development in the field of tension between the splendour and misery of a profession.
This event is a co-operation between the Oelsnitz/Erzgebirge Mining Museum and the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre.
This event is co-financed by tax funds on the basis of the budget approved by the members of the Saxon State Parliament.
Wednesday, 25 November, 6 to 7.30 p.m.
Change in housing: from the housing issue to the "Fritz Heckert" residential area
Venue: TIETZ, Room 4.07
Admission: free
Event series "Places of historical remembrance in Chemnitz": We invite you to discover the history of the city of Chemnitz and neighbouring regions. Four events will take you on a search for traces of the 20th century.
The Fritz Heckert area was one of the largest new housing estates in the GDR. The history of the city is closely linked to it. Chemnitz benefited from the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. However, the tens of thousands of new jobs were not matched by nearly enough affordable housing. The first attempts to remedy this situation date back to the early 20th century. From the 1960s onwards, tens of thousands of industrially produced flats were built in Karl-Marx-Stadt. However, for every new flat in the periphery, an old flat in the city fell into disrepair. After 1990, the housing situation changed and flats were available in abundance. And today? The historically orientated lecture also asks about the future of the Chemnitz housing market.
This measure is co-financed by tax revenue on the basis of the budget approved by the members of the Saxon state parliament.
Notes:
Due to social distancing rules, there is less space for participants in the course rooms. It is therefore necessary to book in advance.
If your desired course is already fully booked, you can put your name on the waiting list without obligation. We will contact you as soon as a place becomes available.
Current information can be found at www.vhs-chemnitz.de.