Leon
Krämer

Das Plätzchen

... for the self-empowerment of young culture in the countryside

The initial idea of the “Plätzchen” consisted of making the wishes and needs of young adults (between 18‒32) in rural areas visible in their hometowns under the title “Momo” as these realities of life often remain unseen. This resulted in the “Plätzchen,” ‒ a model project that doesn’t just talk to walls but enables young people to take action. With the simplest of means, the “Plätzchen” provides a cultural venue for young adults for the entire community, allowing them to show how beautiful it can be when they get involved. It offers a basic infrastructure that every person and every community can use as they wish. People should be able to celebrate their birthdays here, join in a karaoke night, or simply be there. The life that takes place is brought out of the closed clubhouses and living rooms into the center of the village, in order to make a constant place of life possible over a temporary period of time. The focus is always on the wishes, opinions, and potentials of the young people who live here. I got the idea for the project from living myself in the countryside and being familiar with the rural exodus that followed. The “Plätzchen” might not be able to bring anyone back, but it gives those who have stayed in the village a chance to be taken more seriously and to be more involved. And if not, they still have a place that is theirs.

• First Examiner: Prof. Dipl.-Des. Rüdiger Quass von Deyen
• Second Examiner: Dipl.-Des.in Elisabeth Schwarz