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Staff of the Vielfalt in Schulen (Diversity in Schools) program: Roman Labunski, Rosa Fava and Meral El, photo: Violetta Gershman-Labunski

Clearing up is no joke. We, the Vielfalt in Schulen or, in brief, ViS project team, are currently faced with photographs, magazines, books, and documents without end, as well as all the rest of the stuff that has piled up in our offices over the last three years. What shall we do with it all? Which things are of interest and viable in the museological sense?

Well, action alone gives rise to answers. So we dug in and made a start.
Our colleague Roman Labunski first devoted his energy to the fascinating issue of how images are archived at the Jewish Museum Berlin. Then he turned up again at our door and asked: “So, tell me again, who are the people in these photos?” or “Who took this photograph?” The images are now in the care of Stefanie Haupt, the person in charge of our documentary photo stocks, and will eventually end up in the Museum’s databank. All our team members live in hope that future inquiries will be few and far between.

How does the conclusion of a long process look? Answer: like the few forthcoming publications. Rosa Fava just completed the final proofread of our brochure Promoting Intercultural Openness in Schools. It will be published online, an entire batch will go to the education department, a single copy to each of the other departments. The report (in German) on our “Schools and Museums in the Migration Society” conference of 13/14 October 2014 is alreday online (only in German) for your perusal on our website.

Plan farewells. Yes, do not underestimate this point. It will be complicated because we didn’t leave at the end of January, as originally planned, but have instead extended the project for a period of one or two months. Rosa Fava will leave at the end of February, Meral El, yours truly, at the end of March while Roman Labunski will switch to the Museum’s administration department on 1 March.
Why was the project extended? To wrap things up! For instance, the project website must be integrated in the Museum’s web presence in a way such that it will continue to make sense even without further input from the team.

To clear up and conclude one’s business makes sense
…as the in-house info meeting on 8 January 2015 clearly showed. For the first time ever, a considerable number of colleagues turned up. It seems interest in our work has peaked just as we are about to end it. But we will coordinate two Diversity Trainings for colleagues still—and fifteen of them signalized interest in the workshop even before word went out officially . Three years of ViS are almost over. February 2015 marks the official end of the project. All that remains now is to bid our farewells!

Meral El, ViS project