Biographical Work
French and German school classes were invited to compile biographies of people who suffered under Nazi injustice: known and previously unknown life stories from nearby and distance surroundings.
These include resistance fighters, Sinti and Roma, Jews, forced laborers, war prisoners, people in psychiatric clinics, and Alsatians that were involuntarily recruited into the Wehrmacht.
Two different biographical projects introduced young, creative approaches to the Franco-German history on both sides of the Rhine. Workshops were led by the teacher and comic book author Sandra Butsch with her “Storyboard-Telling” method, as well as by the artist Francine Mayran with her “Memory Suitcase” approach.
After a first phase of self-directed work on selected biographies, four-hour workshops were led on “Storyboard-Telling” and “Memory Suitcase”. The results were exhibited by Art’Rhena, where the classes took part and presented their projects side-by-side.
Development of the biographies and workshops in schools: October 2024 – February 2025
Presentation of results and action day: 2 April 2025 at Art’Rhena
Continuing education for teaching staff on the topic of biographical work in general and graphic novels in relation to the Shoah took place. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Sandra Butsch : butsch@blaueshausbreisach.de.
Sandra Butsch, teacher and comic book author, has developed a concept that intertwines the past and present to help shape a better future.
Biographical work that is engaging, enjoyable, and forward-looking—this approach makes it possible.
With biography work, people dive into their memories and tell their lived experiences through dialogue, exercises, and personal materials such as photos, autograph books, and other sources. Yet, what happens when personal encounters are omitted? How can history be kept alive? Where do young people find themselves in these stories and what can they do with them to take them into the future?
The “Storyboard-Telling” method provides a tailored and creative way to address these questions. By integrating contemporary objects, contexts, and questions into the stories, young people can forge connections between the past and the present. This approach ensures both emotional and intellectual engagement, empowering students to actively process history and extend their exploration of individual narratives through their own creative expression.
The research and storyboards created in classrooms on both sides of the Rhine will culminate in a German-French exhibition designed to cross national borders. A central focus of the exhibition will be the differing narratives from the German and French perspectives during the period from 1870/71 to 1945.
This project combines art, history, literature, and culture, opening up innovative ways of exploring personal biographies as well as historical narratives. It is a project that actively stands against racism, antisemitism, and all forms of discrimination. Symbolising flight, displacement, or migration, the suitcase serves as a medium for reflecting on the tragedies of National Socialism and the biographies shaped by it on both sides of the Rhine.
By connecting with their own family histories—regardless of location or context—students from diverse backgrounds and school types can participate.
The project integrates reflection and education, combining historical memory, testimonies, archival sources, and research with artistic expression inspired by Francine Mayran’s work. Through this creative process, students craft “Memory Suitcases” that serve as a fusion of research, artistic representation, and reflection.
Critically engaging with the past and their own family histories helps students develop a deeper awareness of respect, tolerance, and the intrinsic value of every human life.
The German-French exhibition BIOGRAFIEN – BIOGRAPHIES emerged as a shared experience of project work and is available online. The exhibition can also be loaned in the form of two-sided, mobile screens.
German and French students researched the biographies of people affected by Nazi injustice. From this research came graphic novels that provided a means for personal and emotional connections to individual stories to emerge. The exhibition presented the students’ intensive research and allowed the fates of the affected people to become visible. In total, more than 300 students worked on this project.
On April 2nd, 2025, The German-French Exhibition BIOGRAPHIES opened in the cultural center Art’Rhena. The opening was part of Biography Day, a multifaceted event with students from Baden and Alsace. The program comprised of city tours, educational theater events including a workshop, and a hip hop concert from the Band Zweierpasch, among other events.
The exhibition opening on April 2nd, 2025 in the Art’Rhena cultural center, as well as the participation from classes featured in Biography Day, caused a huge media response in Germany and France.
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