In the organizer's words:

In 2013, three Haasenburg homes were closed due to harassing educational practices. Now former children from the homes are describing their views in a book and making their stories public.

In the book "Jenseits des Kindeswohls", 14 young people talk about their time in the "Haasenburg". This was the name of three closed homes in Brandenburg to which youth welfare offices sent children from all over Germany. Brandenburg's youth minister had the facility closed in 2013 due to harassing educational practices. The taz has been following the scandal since 2012.

An astonishing ten years later, when memories of the scandal had faded, the Cottbus Administrative Court ruled that the closure was unlawful. However, the judges had based their ruling largely on files from the care home company from more recent times, when the facility had long been under public scrutiny. The views of the inmates concerned played no role.

However, social scientist Michael Lindenberg and taz editor Kaija Kutter thought that the last word should not be spoken on this matter. Over the years, both had spoken to many former residents who expressed the desire to make their home stories public - to prevent them from being forgotten.

This has now resulted in a joint book, over 300 pages long, in which 14 former Haasenburg children describe their ordeal: How they came to the home, what had happened before, how they tried to fight back, how life went on afterwards.

The protocols, created using a guideline and illustrated with drawings by Imke Staats, are intended as a cautionary reminder of this largest youth welfare scandal of the post-reunification period to date. And because certain patterns are repeated in closed homes, they are supplemented by two reports from homes in the FRG and the GDR in the 1960s and 1970s.

At this event, the authors of the book will be joined by former residents who will read from their chapters. The book "Jenseits des Kindeswohls: Junge Menschen aus den Haasenburg-Heimen erzählen" has been published by IGfH-Fachverlag.

A taz Salon with these guests:

🐾 Dominik G., former resident of a Haasenburg home

Kaija Kutter, taz editor and author of the book

Michael Lindenberg, social scientist and author of the book

🐾 Michelle L., former resident of a Haasenburg home

taz nord editorial director Jan Kahlcke moderates this salon.

Free admission, we appreciate a solidarity contribution to taz zahl ich

Participation is only possible with a pre-booked ticket. We therefore ask you to register via https://taz.de/!vn6126644/

Price information:

Registration required via https://taz.de/taz-Salon-ueber-Jugendhilfe-Skandal/!vn6126644/