Turning the project of dictatorship into an example of democracy? Chances and risks of participation at the Nazi relic Prora

Abstract

This article explores a participatory process organised to deal with the highly contested former Nazi project Prora on the Baltic island of Rügen. It was carried out on behalf of the German government in 1996. The participatory process was an exceptional way of dealing with a heritage that remains difficult for Germany to this day. Key aspects shifted in Prora as a result of the procedure: away from the ideal of conscientious and careful conservation of the building as a memorial to past dictatorships and towards an active process of highlighting, rejecting and changing qualities of Prora for the construction of a new and alternative future. The main focus shifted from memory work to different present-day demands of the local population and the associated future scenarios for their island. The article argues that during the participatory process Prora was a real-life laboratory in which many things were tried out that were to become important pioneering approaches in heritage management over the next two decades. However, the participatory process in Prora is not only an impressive example of the potential that lies in such approaches; as an experiment it also points to new problems that are associated with them.