Zeitz is a post-industrial city in the east of Germany that encapsulates the challenges that arose in this region after reunification. The abandonment of the established industry and its privatization led to a cascade of effects, resulting in low infrastructure and opportunities for the dwindling population and the question of how to dream of a better future.
On these grounds we held a workshop for the participants of the International Summercamp in May 2026, called ‚From collective memory to collective dreams – A journey through three slices of time‘. The focus of the workshop was to investigate how we collectively narrate and remember histories and futures. The participants began by dissecting the history of Zeitz through different narratives, artefacts, archive material, and inhabitants‘ stories. Drawing on a collection of subjective impressions, on-site sensations and the wealth of their previous experiences and hopes, we then mapped collective dreams through creative writing – while always reflecting on our agency and that of others in shaping these scenarios and the political dimensions of stories and how they are told.

A collaboration with:
Johanna Catalina Soto Vargas (Co-Lead)
Bauhaus Dessau Foundation