The two speakers from the Literaturhaus, Stefanie Segatz and Anne Jaspersen, gave the children a playful introduction to what philosophy has to do with their own lives. Together they discussed the concept of "time", thought about it, questioned it - they exchanged arguments and created their own ideas. The children were encouraged to record their thoughts and to continue thinking about the ideas they had set. This was done creatively, playfully, in an age-appropriate way and always using books and the "Gedankenflieger" magazine. It is developed specifically for each Gedankenflieger theme and accompanies the events.
Every child knows it: The "time". No matter whether you are dawdling or dashing, hurrying or strolling: Time is steadily and unwaveringly at everyone's side. But what exactly is it that accompanies each and every one of us, from the hour of birth to our last breath? Even primary school children experience an often well-paced world in their everyday lives: after school, there is after-school care, homework time is followed by sports and music lessons. The philosophy project dealt with the questions: "Where does time come from and where does it go?
This year, the Dürerring elementary school in Lebenstedt (Fredenberg), the Steterburg elementary school in Thiede, the Am Ostertal elementary school in Lebenstedt and its Salder branch (Salder elementary school) were visited.
What do and who are the Gedankenflieger?
"Gedankenflieger" encourages children to ask what kind of world they want to live in. What are the values that hold our society together?
Here, children encounter the big questions of life in the protected world of picture books. They train social skills and learn to face the challenges of the times with creativity and self-confidence. In this way, free thinking provides orientation in an ever faster changing world and possibly opens up visions of a successful future that is worth working for.
"Gedankenflieger" is an initiative of the Junges Literaturhaus Hamburg and is carried out in cooperation with the Federal Agency for Civic Education/bpb and the network of literature houses.
Organizers and the sponsors on site
For four years in a row (2020 to 2023), the Gedankenflieger speakers from the Hamburg Literaturhaus - arranged by the Literaturbüro in the City of Salzgitter's Department of Culture - have packed their suitcases and made their way to Salzgitter as part of a series of events lasting several days under the motto "Gedankenflieger on tour".
Equipped with carefully selected books and now also their own "Gedankenflieger" song, they spent four mornings at the various Salzgitter elementary school mentioned above, philosophizing with primary school pupils of different grades and being surprised and inspired by the ingenuity and imagination of the participating children.
In addition to the carefully thought-out concept and the great commitment of the speakers, it is also thanks to the financial support of various sponsors in Salzgitter and the region that this was so wonderfully successful. It was not least their generous contribution that made it possible for the "Gedankenflieger" project to be offered free of charge by the participating schools and to develop a certain continuity in Salzgitter.
This year, Hartmut Schölch, Head of Cultural Services for the City of Salzgitter, accepted the two funding cheques from the Braunschweigische Sparkassenstiftung (in the amount of 2,000 euros) from Franco Canosa (Regional Advisory Board of the Braunschweigische Landessparkassenstiftung and Head of Corporate Customers) and Thomas Wolff (Head of the Landessparkassen branches in Salzgitter) as well as from the Verein zur Förderung der Ziele des Lions-Club Salzgitter Schloss Salder e. V. (in the amount of 3,000 euros). V. (in the amount of 3,600 euros) represented by the President of the Salzgitter Schloss Salder Lions Club, Wilfried Berg, and the Chairman of the Salzgitter Schloss Salder Lions Club Jens Bogdan. The symbolic handover of the cheque at Dürerring Primary School on Fredenberg was attended by: Dr. Aneka Viering from the city's Literaturbüro, the two "Gedankenflieger" speakers Stefanie Segatz and Anne Jaspersen, principal Christel Jamaszyk and the children from elementary school Dürerring 4b with their class teacher Lisa Strothmann.
