An educational toolbox in conjunction with the ‚Steirische Literaturpfade des Mittelalters´

At present there is insufficient high quality teaching material that meets the requirements of our educational system. The project “Arbeitskoffer zu den Steirischen Literaturpfaden” aimed at developing an innovative and didactic service program for education with a main focus on medieval Styrian literature. Young teachers often lack the courage and the time to prepare and arrange medieval texts for their students. Additionally older German literature is marginalized by the current curricula.

The title of the project implies that it is closely connected to the project “Steirische Literaturpfade des Mittelalters”, which was initiated by Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wernfried Hofmeister (http://literaturpfade.uni-graz.at). This project concentrates on works of medieval Styrian literature which are of supraregional importance. There is a unique regional network consisting of eight central “theme trails” which present all these texts of “Steirische Literaturpfade” and subsequently formed the basis for this project (“Arbeitskoffer”).

Partners in the project were the KinderUni Graz with which several successful projects on the art and the culture of the Middle Ages have already been conducted, the BG Rein, and the Center for Didactics of the Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz.

The aim of the project “Arbeitskoffer zu den Steirischen Literaturpfaden” was to provide a broad range of didactic materials which on the one hand is based on the latest research in didactics and on the other hand on practical experiences made by the project staff. It is also meant to determine the conditions for pupils and teachers in respect to medieval literature and its effective transfer in class.

One of the results of the project was a publication. At the end of the project a symposium discussed the challenge of connecting older German literature with our modern educational system. The results of the project will help teachers to cope with this challenge and allow them to easily incorporate this topic into their classes.