AG Orte der Demokratiegeschichte

AG Orte der Demokratiegeschichte (Working Group on Sites of Democracy History) is a German network and working group dedicated to identifying, researching and communicating the historic places where democracy was fought for, shaped and defended. It operates in close association with the Stiftung Orte der deutschen Demokratiegeschichte (Foundation for Sites of German Democracy History), a federal public-law foundation based in Frankfurt am Main. The working group brings together institutions, scholars, museums, memorial sites and civic initiatives that share an interest in democracy history, and it serves as a collaborative platform for projects, exhibitions, events and digital resources. The best-known public-facing output associated with this field is the digital map of democracy history, which presents sites across Germany that stand for democratic traditions and make the democratic process tangible. The map is complemented by educational material and by the annual Tag der Demokratiegeschichte (Day of Democracy History), for which the foundation invites organisers to register events and apply for funding. The working group also cooperates with the foundation on European projects such as MILEY – Milestones of European History, an Erasmus+ project running from 2023 to 2025 that created a digital map of democracy sites in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic, together with a didactic teaching-and-learning concept aimed particularly at adult education. The working group is not a commercial company in the classic sense; it is a publicly anchored, non-profit-oriented network. Its activities are funded and supported within the framework of the federal foundation, whose legal supervisor is the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. The foundation is represented by its director, Dr. Kai-Michael Sprenger, and its online editorial work is handled by Paula Riechardt. The working group's partners include the Gesellschaft zur Erforschung der Demokratiegeschichte e.V. in Germany, the Demokratiezentrum Wien in Austria and CEVRO University in the Czech Republic. In practical terms, the AG Orte der Demokratiegeschichte functions as a brand-like umbrella for a set of public-history offerings: the digital democracy map, the Day of Democracy History, travelling or temporary exhibitions, publications and educational formats. Its positioning is civic and educational rather than commercial, aiming to strengthen awareness of democratic traditions and to make democracy history accessible to a broad public.

The AG Orte der Demokratiegeschichte is a working group (Arbeitsgemeinschaft) that emerged in the context of a broader German and European effort to research and communicate the history of democracy through its physical sites. It is closely tied to the Stiftung Orte der deutschen Demokratiegeschichte, a federal public-law foundation seated at Adickesallee 1 in Frankfurt am Main. The foundation's legal supervisor is the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, and it is represented by its director, Dr. Kai-Michael Sprenger. The working group's central idea is that democracy is not an abstract system but something that was fought for, negotiated and defended in specific places. Its digital map of democracy history presents sites across Germany that stand for democratic traditions, allowing users to explore where people campaigned for freedom, pluralism and participation. The map is complemented by a short German democracy history and by educational formats. A major collaborative milestone was the Erasmus+ project MILEY – Milestones of European History. Exploring Sites of Democracy in a Digital Learning Space, implemented from 2023 to 2025. MILEY created a digital map (democracy-map.eu) that makes historic democracy sites in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic visible and places them in their political and social contexts. The project was carried out with the Demokratiezentrum Wien (Austria), CEVRO University (Czech Republic), the Gesellschaft zur Erforschung der Demokratie-Geschichte e.V. (Germany) and the Stiftung Orte der deutschen Demokratiegeschichte. It was accompanied by a didactic teaching-and-learning concept with materials and task formats aimed particularly at adult education. The working group and foundation also organise and promote the Tag der Demokratiegeschichte (Day of Democracy History). For the 2027 edition, organisers were invited to register events and apply for funding, and an information event was held for those wishing to take part. Other activities include exhibitions such as one on club culture as a site of democratic negotiation after 1989, a sculpture project in Neu-Isenburg, and anniversary projects such as Liebknecht200. The foundation also engages with questions of democratic symbolism, for example in the format 'Wem gehört Schwarz-Rot-Gold?' on the German national colours. Institutionally, the AG Orte der Demokratiegeschichte functions as a network and brand-like umbrella for these activities. It connects memorial sites, museums, universities, civil-society initiatives and public bodies, and it cooperates with partners in Austria and the Czech Republic. Its work is publicly funded and non-commercial, and its main public interface is the website demokratie-geschichte.de.

• 2026

  Partnership dialogue in Frankfurt with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Orte der Demokratiegeschichte on 24 August 2026.

• 2025

  Conclusion of the MILEY project (2023–2025), producing the democracy-map.eu digital map and accompanying educational material.

• 2023

  Start of the Erasmus+ project MILEY – Milestones of European History, exploring sites of democracy in a digital learning space.

• Tag der Demokratiegeschichte 2027: organisers invited to register events and apply for funding.

A publicly anchored, non-profit working group and network for researching and communicating the historic sites of German and European democracy.

• Digital map of democracy history

  An interactive map showing sites in Germany that stand for democratic traditions and make the democratic process tangible.

• MILEY – Milestones of European History digital map

  A digital map (democracy-map.eu) making historic democracy sites in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic visible and contextualised.

• Tag der Demokratiegeschichte

  An annual day of events for which organisers can register and apply for funding.

1. 1Impressum - Stiftung Orte der deutschen Demokratiegeschichtedemokratie-geschichte.de
2. 2MILEY – Milestones of European History. Exploring Sites of Democracy in a Digital Learning Space - Stiftung Orte der deutschen Demokratiegeschichtedemokratie-geschichte.de
3. 3Stiftung Orte der deutschen Demokratiegeschichtedemokratie-geschichte.de
4. 4Orte der Demokratiegeschichtedemokratie-geschichte.de
5. 5AG Orte der Demokratiegeschichtewikidata.org