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Collage of various people and landmarks of Europe© Groupe Dejour

Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2020
Tell Me About Europe

Europe is more than a continent or an idea. Europe consists of many different stories – personal stories of people from different generations. The project “Tell me about Europe” brings the memories of well-known Europeans alive and invites you to listen and join in the discussion. This, alongside a number of other projects, is presented by the Goethe-Institut and the German Federal Foreign Office during the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July until December 2020.

#TellMeAboutEurope #GoetheForEurope #EU2020DE

With "Tell me about Europe", we invited the public in London and twelve other European cities to discuss together Europe's past, present and future. The discussion was based on interviews with well-known Europeans, which have been collected in the European Archive of Voices. In it, contemporary witnesses, born before 1945, told young people about their life paths. They touched on topics such as war and conflict, the disparities between town and country, gender (in)justice, religious freedom or the recent return of nationalism. The different perspectives on Europe from East and West were also tangible. A sound collage by the sound artist Marc Matter took up passages from the conversations and made them apparent for the guests at each event.

The stories encourage reflection on the current state of Europe. Europe has been in a serious crisis for some years now. The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic have exacerbated this crisis in recent months. What do young people want to give to continue this intergenerational project and to continue writing history? What values have we built Europe on? What can and should a political, social and cultural project look like in the future?

The European Archive of Voices 2021


Survey: Your Europe

At the end of the Europe-wide event series "Tell Me About Europe", the Goethe-Institut called on people to share their personal thoughts on and wishes for Europe. More than 300 participants from 26 countries responded to our call in December 2020 and told us about their Europe.

  • People feel as citizens of... © Goethe-Institut | Design: Groupe-Dejour.de
    People feel as citizens of...
  • Borders people still see in Europe today © Goethe-Institut | Design: Groupe-Dejour.de
    Borders people still see in Europe today
  • People would commit to Europe by... © Goethe-Institut | Design: Groupe-Dejour.de
    People would commit to Europe by...
  • Hopes for the future of Europe © Goethe-Institut | Design: Groupe-Dejour.de
    Hopes for the future of Europe
  • Who participated in this survey? © Goethe-Institut | Design: Groupe-Dejour.de
    Who participated in this survey?
  • Development of solidarity people predict for Europe in 30 years © Goethe-Institut | Design: Groupe-Dejour.de
    Development of solidarity people predict for Europe in 30 years
  • Three keywords people associate with Europe © Goethe-Institut | Design: Groupe-Dejour.de
    Three keywords people associate with Europe


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Erzähle mit von Europa - Albanien © Goethe-Institut | Design: Groupe Dejour

Tell Me About Europe - Më Fol Për Europën
Discussion Event in Tirana, Albania

Erzähle mir von Europa - Georgien © Goethe-Institut | Design: Groupe Dejour

Tell Me About Europe - მომიყევიევროპისშესახებ
Literature Discussion in Tbilisi, Georgia

  • Tell me about Europe, 9 September 2020, Goethe-Institut Prag © Pavlina Jachimova
    Tell me about Europe, 9 September 2020, Goethe-Institut Prag
  • Tell me about Europe, 9 September 2020, Goethe-Institut © Pavlina Jachimova
    Tell me about Europe, 9 September 2020, Goethe-Institut
  • Tell me about Europe, 9 September 2020, Goethe-Institut Prague © Pavlina Jachimova
    Tell me about Europe, 9 September 2020, Goethe-Institut Prague
  • Tell me about Europe, 10 October 2020, Goethe-Institut Sarajevo © Goethe-Institut Sarajevo
    Tell me about Europe, 10 October 2020, Goethe-Institut Sarajevo
  • Tell me about Europe,10 October 2020, Goethe-Institut Sarajevo © Goethe-Institut Sarajevo
    Tell me about Europe,10 October 2020, Goethe-Institut Sarajevo
  • Aida Alagić, Nora Sefa, Tell me about Europe,1 October 2020, Goethe-Institut Kroatien © Josip Ninković
    Aida Alagić, Nora Sefa, Tell me about Europe,1 October 2020, Goethe-Institut Kroatien
  • Tell me about Europe, 1 October 2020, Goethe-Institut Kroatien © Josip Ninković
    Tell me about Europe, 1 October 2020, Goethe-Institut Kroatien
  • Tvrtko Jakovina, Aida Alagić, Nora Sefa, Marinella Matejčić, Dragan Nikolić, Tell meabout Europe,1 October 2020, Goethe-Institut Croatia © Josip Ninković
    Tvrtko Jakovina, Aida Alagić, Nora Sefa, Marinella Matejčić, Dragan Nikolić, Tell meabout Europe,1 October 2020, Goethe-Institut Croatia
  • Tell me about Europe, 22 October 2020, Goethe-Zentrum Tirana © Goethe-Zentrum Tirana
    Tell me about Europe, 22 October 2020, Goethe-Zentrum Tirana
  • Tell me about Europe, 22 October 2020, Goethe-Zentrum Tirana © Goethe-Zentrum Tirana
    Tell me about Europe, 22 October 2020, Goethe-Zentrum Tirana
  • Samuel Hamen, Sandra Gugić, Meris Sehovic, Tell me about Europe,19 October 2020, Institut Pierre Werner © Institut Pierre Werner/Sven Becker
    Samuel Hamen, Sandra Gugić, Meris Sehovic, Tell me about Europe,19 October 2020, Institut Pierre Werner
  • Sandra Gugić, Tell me about Europe,19 October 2020, Institut Pierre Werner © Institut Pierre Werner/Sven Becker
    Sandra Gugić, Tell me about Europe,19 October 2020, Institut Pierre Werner
  • Samuel Hamen, Erna Hennicot-Shoepges, Sandra Gugić, MerisSehovic, Tell me about Europe,19 October 2020, Institut Pierre Werner © Institut Pierre Werner/Sven Becker
    Samuel Hamen, Erna Hennicot-Shoepges, Sandra Gugić, MerisSehovic, Tell me about Europe,19 October 2020, Institut Pierre Werner
I Don't Want to be an Island (Marc Matter, 2020) © Goethe-Institut | Design: Groupe Dejour

Sound Art: "I Don’t Want To Be An Island"
How Does Europe Sound?

Sound artist Marc Matter explored the diversity of languages and opinions in Europe as part of the project "Tell me about Europe". From a selection of interviews in the European Archive of Voices, he created a sound collage celebrating the diversity and variety of voices and languages.
Listen carefully and immerse yourself in the sound of the voices of Europe!

 

Interviews from the "European Archive of Voices"

In conversation with young people, people born before 1945 like former President of Iceland Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, French screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière and Slovakian philosopher Egon Gál, talk about their lives and experiences of war, oppression and flight in Europe.

Tell me about Europe Collage (Detail): © privat/TEMPUS CORPORATE

das goethe

“das goethe“ is the Goethe-Institut’s cultural magazine. It appears twice a year as an insert in the weekly German newspaper “Die Zeit“.

Cooperation partner:
Arbeit an Europa is a group of young Europeans who have come together to help shape the future of Europe through dialogue and exchange. The European Archive of Voices is one of a range of projects being developed in cooperation with a network of supporters across Europe. Arbeit an Europa organises regular discussion workshops in different European regions, which aim to explore ideas of European identity, and facilitate discussion with people across Europe.

Curatorial team: Edouard Barthen and Leona Lynen

“Tell me about Europe” is a project by the Goethe-Institut, supported with special funds from the Federal Foreign Office for the the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2020.

Hellgrünes Logo des Goethe-Instituts auf weißem Grund Logo EU 2020

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