About the conference
The conference is aimed at full-time and voluntary staff at memorials and places of remembrance in Lower Saxony as well as history initiatives, researchers, students and pupils from Lower Saxony.
It examines Nazi society and sheds light on the processes behind the ideologically charged concept of the "people's community" (Volksgemeinschaft). Although this term itself remained vague, it was propagated as the utopia of an ideal society. The Nazi regime attempted to implement this utopia through the propagandistic and forced integration of all social groups, through the "Gleichschaltung" (synchronisation) of the media and through political and economic measures. At the same time, this led to a steadily radicalising exclusion of all those who did not belong to the imagined community.
Throughout Germany, and not least in what is now Lower Saxony, numerous spaces or theatres were created for the propagandistic staging of the "people's community" (Volksgemeinschaft). Existing historical sites and regional narratives were ideologically reshaped. Using concrete examples, the conference will deconstruct propagandistic stagings of the Nazi regime and show the spectrum of possible behaviours of the local population between consent, participation, distancing and refusal. This will reveal the scope for action of individuals and groups, institutions and organisations that shaped everyday life in National Socialist Germany.
The topic has been the subject of intensive research over the past two decades. The conference will categorise the debates associated with the term "people's community" (Volksgemeinschaft) in retrospect and take the opportunity to critically review recent research on the social history of National Socialism. At the same time, perspectives for historical-political education will be developed from this. The conference programme includes lectures, workshops, a panel discussion and excursions.
Registration
For students and pupils (up to the age of 28) the participation fee is € 30.00, for all other participants € 100.00 including accommodation. In justified exceptional cases, the participation fee can be waived.
If you would like to participate in the conference, please send us the completed registration form by e-mail to GFN@stiftung-ng.de. You will receive a confirmation of receipt within a few days. Due to limited hotel availability, we can only guarantee accommodation for registrations received by 27 March. Participation without hotel booking is also possible for later registrations.
After the registration deadline (27 March 2026), you will receive an invoice from us for the participation fee. Once we have received your payment, you will receive confirmation of your participation, the final programme and further information on travel and other organisational details. If participation is no longer possible for capacity reasons, we will inform you in good time.