German-Polish youth exchange in Bocholt: a creative approach to the culture of remembrance

Sixteen young adults from Germany and Poland spent two days working intensively on the history of the persecution of Jews in Bocholt. As part of the project "Youth shapes the future", the participants combined historical research with artistic design. The resulting works are now on public display for a few days in the foyer of the LernWerk.

On 22 and 23 April 2026, the city of Bocholt welcomed an international group to investigate the local history of the Holocaust and the National Socialist era as part of an exchange programme. The first day of the event focussed on historical education directly on site. During a guided tour through the city, the participants visited key memorial sites such as the Stolpersteine and the memorial site of the former synagogue. Cultural manager Oliver Brenn reported on the fates of the victims, the role of the perpetrators and examples of civil society resistance.

On the following day, the young guests deepened their knowledge using specific exhibits from the Bocholt City Museum. Museum director Lisa Resing presented selected pieces that established a direct connection to the previous city tour and made the historical events tangible. The programme concluded with a creative work phase under the expert guidance of Andrea de Ruiter from the Bocholt art and culture community. The young adults used various artistic techniques to creatively process their personal impressions and perspectives on the topics of remembrance and responsibility.

The resulting works were presented in the foyer of the LernWerk at the end of the project. The exhibition will remain open to all interested citizens for several days and offers an insight into the young people's intensive examination of their shared history.

The event was jointly organised by the culture department, the archives of the city of Bocholt, the city museum, the Bocholt-Rhede-Isselburg adult education centre and the Bocholt art and culture community. It took place as part of the exchange "Jugend gestaltet Zukunft" organised by the Akademie Klausenhof and OHP Lublin of the LVR Youth Welfare Office Rhineland.