Bocholt Contemporary Witnesses 2.0: City Museum launches interview project

Recording memories, documenting experiences and sharing insights. Contemporary witnesses can give first-hand accounts of history and, with their testimonies, make an important contribution to the research and reconstruction of historical events. The city of Bocholt is now launching an interview project.

The Second World War and the National Socialist era have now passed almost 80 years. "Many people who personally experienced and survived this time have never been able to tell their story," explains museum director Lisa Resing. In addition to the major historical events, however, it is often the small, personal and very individual experiences of people that can provide us with new knowledge from everyday life as it was actually lived.

"With this project, we want to give people who lived through the 1930s and 1940s a new chance to record their stories for future generations," Resing continues.

With the project "Bocholt Contemporary Witnesses 2.0", the Bocholt City Museum wants to offer a way to preserve the memories, stories and experiences that still exist around Bocholt. "We are currently primarily interested in everything to do with the National Socialist era, the Second World War, the end of the war and the first post-war years in and around Bocholt," Resing explains the procedure.

The project "Bocholt Contemporary Witnesses 2.0" revives the previous project "Bocholt Contemporary Witnesses" from the 1990s. Even then, many exciting impressions could be secured through the interviews. In cooperation with the University of Münster, the City Museum is now putting the project on a scientific footing. An experienced group of students will not only conduct the interviews for the City Museum, but also place the results in a scientific context.

Before each interview, a non-binding preliminary discussion will take place together with the students, as well as a first meeting to get to know each other. The interviews will then be conducted in a further appointment in a private setting or at a quiet, external location, depending on your wishes.

Do you know any contemporary witnesses or can you perhaps tell us about your own life story? If you are interested or have further questions, please contact Lisa Resing (Tel: 02871-9532171 / Email: stadtmuseum(at)bocholt(dot)de ).