Chemnitz, August 2018: Bonn student Marcel Müller and his friends watch how groups of right-wing extremists use violence on actual or alleged migrants, police officers, members of the press and counterdemonstrators. They take part in the protest concert but have the feeling that it is not enough. “The way people were being hounded in Chemnitz and the reactions of other radical groups made it clear to us how over-represented the fringes of our society are in the public arena,” says Müller, who is studying at the University of Bonn. His friend Julian Krauskopf, a student at RWTH Aachen University, adds: “We were shocked that there could be so much hatred – in a tolerant society with the right basic values.”
Back home in Bonn and Aachen, the friends watch the news, read articles and talk. How could it have come to the clashes in Chemnitz? What characterizes the mainstream of society? And what can bring it together?
“The mainstream of society has no one distinguishing feature,” Krauskopf says. “It’s pluralist, but it represents common values. Germany has one of the best constitutions in the world, one that serves as a role model for many other countries.” For the 20- to 25-year-olds, one thing is clear: they want to strengthen society’s values.
Introducing the next generation to the basic values
February 2019, six months later: the students set up the non-profit association “Schlüssel zur Gesellschaft e.V.,” meaning “key to society.” Marcel Müller, Julian Krauskopf and five other friends from the universities of Bonn and Cologne, RWTH Aachen University and HSBA Hamburg are intent on making a difference. “We want to reach all groups in society and, above all, teach the next generation about our basic values.” Krauskopf says.
Out of this, the idea is born. The group, who between them are studying chemistry, human medicine, agricultural sciences, industrial engineering, law and international business administration, are going to create a children’s book. “There weren’t any books that introduced children to the basic values in a fun way,” explains University of Bonn alumna Leah Eitelberg. “We had no idea how a children’s book was made. So we needed a professional editor to help us with it. It wasn’t enough for just us to like the story.” The friends found an editor via social media. They don’t want to sell the book to a publisher: “What interested us wasn’t making money, it was the impact the book was going to have. Donations and prize money allowed us to make the whole project a reality while remaining commercially independent,” Müller says.
The group divide up the tasks: Leah Eitelberg and Marcel Müller, for example, discuss their idea with primary school teachers, while Julian Krauskopf organizes printing and Fabian Haedge from RWTH Aachen University is the creative mastermind. But how does one actually go about writing a children’s book? “Fabian would study children’s books in the library, then come home in the evenings to the house we shared and say, ‘Children’s books are incredibly brutal,’” Julian Krauskopf recounts.
A children’s book and a downloadable handout for teachers
Over a year later, in November 2020, the students hold their self-published book in their hands. It is called Abenteuer mit Gigi – Ben und Mia entdecken die deutschen Grundrechte (“An adventure with Gigi – Ben and Mia discover Germany’s fundamental rights”). On the cover is a professionally designed, creative version of the eagle that appears on Germany’s coat of arms. “That’s Gigi. Her name is based on the GG, the abbreviation for Germany’s Basic Law,” Marcel Müller reveals. At various stages of their adventure, Gigi explains social values to the two children Ben and Mia: everyone has freedom of movement, nobody is allowed to destroy another person’s home, and you may only open someone else’s letters with their permission.
June 2021: Ideally, the students would have liked to have their books on school bookshelves already, not least as a teachers’ handout is ready to download. “Of course, we’re aware that our book isn’t a high priority during the months of lockdown,” says Bonn chemistry student Marcel Müller. “But the interest is still there, and the book is timeless and won’t lose any of its relevance.”
Looking a few years into the future, the students envisage an organization with 50 or 100 members. “We already represent several sets of beliefs,” Leah Eitelberg says. “But we want to get people outside university excited about our association too.” The students are confident of their success: “We’re very optimistic,” Marcel Müller says. “We want to reinforce what’s already there and give the mainstream of society a voice.”
