2013: The "Region of Consciousness" Mauthausen − Gusen − St. Georgen. Space of Commemoration and Learning

The region of Mauthausen – Gusen – St. Georgen is marked by traces of the past − left by some of the cruellest National Socialist concentration camps. The project of the "region of consciousness" ("Bewusstseinsregion") picked up the idea/desire of the region's inhabitants to find a future-orientated and useful way of dealing with the burden of the National Socialist era. The inhabitants were invited to participate in the design of the future of their region. New formats of political participation were used to generate a consciousness which empowers people to develop a self-confident commitment to the region they live in, without keeping a marked distance to historical facts. The separation of past and present will be overcome by a forward-looking concept.

The core idea of the project "region of consciousness" was to develop a perspective for the future for the region Mauthausen − Gusen − St. Georgen which is backed by a majority of citizens and is nourished by their commitment and engagement.

The project activities were based on two pillars, both of which support active participation and contribution. The first pillar consisted of a series of creative workshops with experts from different disciplines, who relate to the region either through their professional background or their commitment to innovative processes (in the field of commemoration as well as political participation). In six focus groups (group 1: science, art and culture; group 2: regional development; group 3: economy; group 4: people born in the region but living abroad/in other regions of Austria/somewhere else; group 5: commemoration initiatives/victims' associations; group 6: reflexion) the invited individuals developed ideas for the future development of the region.

The second pillar was a so-called "forum of participation", a concept developed in the United States, which has been practised in Vorarlberg for a number of years: the wisdom councils, initiated by Jim Rough, in German called "BürgerInnenräte" [in this project named "Ideenwerkstätten"]. In the three wisdom councils, a dozen citizens of the three villages, chosen by random sample, came together for a day and a half. Under professional guidance (two experts from ÖGUT), and using the method of "dynamic facilitation" (which is an indispensable component of the wisdom council format) the inhabitants of the regions exchanged opinions about the current situation of their living environment. Anger, desires, disappointment, expectations − all forms of emotions and relations to their area of life were meant to be expressed. Listening, being listened to, and developing ideas through exchange and dialogue were the core factors of the three weekends. A "market of ideas" following the wisdom councils was used to match the results of the three weekends. On 26 April 2013 the ideas of the wisdom councils and focus groups were presented to the public at the "Donausaal Mauthausen".

In the final report to this project phase, which was dedicated to the development of ideas for the future of the region, the manifold ideas and measures for realising them were presented under the following thematic areas: expanded commemoration; contemporary and contextual learning (through the history of the region); continued use/re-using of historical remains; encounter, dialogue and communication; self-confident region; networking and new structures. A selection of ideas is available for public access at the project website www.bewusstseinsregion.at

In autumn 2013, the question of realisation of the ideas became ever more urgent. On 4 December 2013, the mayors of the three municipalities met for one day with representatives of the wisdom councils, the focus groups and some newly invited experts to come to an agreement about focusing on the phase of implementation and realization of ideas. The ultimate objective of these consultations was clearly announced in the invitation to this session: "What do we want to have achieved within three years? What is the way to this goal?"

Three work groups drafted their vision for the situation of the region three years ahead: "The visitors who come into our region to commemorate leave us with new ideas and perspectives (and not only full of consternation and distress)"; the region will be a model region with respect to a contemporary topic (like: democracy, diversity, poverty, political education); the region should be known because of its exemplary integration policy with respect to international and intergenerational co-existence.

The participants emphasised the importance of immediate implementation and prioritised the following activities: continuation of the wisdom councils; implementation of a coordination office; establishment of an implementation organization ("Trägerorganisation"), based on an association of the three municipalities Mauthausen, Langenstein and St. Georgen ("Gemeindeverband"). Several participants demanded an international youth meeting center and an immediate start of its conception and implementation.