History competition: Pupil researches factory settlement
Searching for clues in the neighborhood: A 16-year-old schoolgirl from the Ruhr area city will receive an award at Bellevue Palace on Tuesday for her historical research on a now demolished workers' housing estate in Dortmund. Valérie Raillon from Dortmund's Goethe-Gymnasium will receive one of five first prizes of 2500 euros each in the Federal President's History Competition. The pupil spent three months working intensively on the "Felicitas Settlement" - one of the early workers' colonies in the Ruhr area and the second works settlement of a colliery in what is now Dortmund. "I was very fascinated by how old the settlement actually was," she told the German Press Agency.
For her more than 30-page thesis, she not only researched on the Internet and in archives, but also spoke to former residents of the colliery settlement. In order to find out more about her research subject, she rang doorbells in the area surrounding the former "Felicitas estate" and came across contemporary witnesses who were resettled in the 1970s. "That was of course a stroke of luck," said the 16-year-old.
The schoolgirl was also able to find out from them how the traditional colony came to be demolished: the 40 houses located directly next to the blast furnace were torn down due to new noise protection and environmental laws. "Against the protest of the residents at the time", as Raillon reported. At the time, many workers were of the opinion that emission protection was just a pretext and that it was really about economic interests. "They felt that having to move out was a great loss."
The Körber Foundation organizes the history competition every two years. Its aim is to encourage young people to engage with the history on their own doorstep. This time, more than 5600 pupils took part with 1651 entries. The competition was entitled "More than just a roof over your head. Housing has a history".
Valérie's historical research on the "Felicitas Settlement" has sparked interest in the local schools, with history lessons now incorporating the story of this early workers' colony. The youth of today are inspired to explore their community's history, understanding the importance of preserving their town's past and celebrating its awards.
Source: www.dpa.com
