In the Transition Dialogue project, which is dedicated to the perception and representation of the political and social transition of the 1990s in various countries of Eastern and Central Europe, the year 2021 will be marked by digital learning formats on the topic of this time of change. So far, a virtual walk through Sofia (Bulgaria) has been created as a mini-series with, among others, the writer Georgi Gospodinov and the former Prime Minister Philip Dimitrov. A short film on the topic of transformation and education in Russia and a podcast series on topics such as “Crime and Punishment” and “Winners and Losers of Transition” have been produced.

From April 26 – 28, the international online conference “Rethinking the Democratic Future: Lessons from the 20th Century” was held in Vilnius, Lithuania, where Bulgarian and Lithuanian experts from the Transition Dialogue network discussed the challenges of transition in formal and non-formal education. Another expert discussion has been held in March 2021 in Croatia, which was also accessible online, and provided insights on the current Croatian discourse on the matter. Among other things, a new teaching module was discussed, which deals with the economic change of the transition period using the example of tourism. The social significance of this topic, which has so far been rather neglected in school curricula in Croatia, was clearly evident.

Furthermore, a group of experts from seven Eastern European countries is currently working on a handbook for youth civic education, “Teaching Transition”, which will be published here at the end of 2021.

The project “Transition Dialogue 2019-2021” is realized with the kind support of the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb).

At the site of the Mausoleum of Georgi Dimitrov: Louisa Slavkova, Director of Sofia Platform Foundation with Georgi Gospodinov, writer, author of the “Inventory Book of Socialism”. “The less memory, the more the past,” as the character in Gospodinov’s latest novel “Time Shelter” wrote in his notebook.