Educational Programs
We offer workshops on various topics for school classes. For university seminars, we endeavor to provide guided tours that are adapted to the topic of the seminar. These offers take place within the scope of our personnel possibilities and are free of charge. Please contact us.
Image: TFASchoolboy in Neuruppin and Świnoujście
This workshop is all about Fontane’s childhood and his later stories about his adventures. The workshop is structured like a lecture and combines this with interactive and audiovisual elements. At the same time, the pupils have the opportunity to help shape the workshop in certain interactive phases. In addition to anecdotes and funny stories from Fontane’s time in Świnoujście, the workshop closes the often prevalent biographical gap in an author’s childhood and thus also offers a new didactic perspective for teaching literary texts.
The workshop lasts approx. 45-60 minutes and is aimed at pupils in 4th grade and above.
Image: Evangelische Grundschule PotsdamFontane as child’s play - illustrating Fontane’s ballads
The workshop is designed to be particularly interactive and intermedial. Plenary discussions and various illustration examples are used to familiarize students with the concept of ›interpretation through illustration‹. Participants then have the opportunity to explore how a text can be turned into an illustration with the help of a narrated video exclusively created for the TFA by a trained illustrator. Finally, the students will be given materials to illustrate two well-known ballads by Theodor Fontane together and do some interpretation work.
The workshop lasts approx. 60 minutes and is aimed at pupils in the 7th grade and above.
Image: Karla FritzeAn archive - what does it actually do?
The aim of the workshop is to familiarize students with the ›literary archive‹ as a workplace. Basic tasks and functions of an archive are taught and explored. In addition, the students have the opportunity to experience the work processes in the Theodor Fontane Archive first hand using videos and interview material. In addition to this information transfer, writing an application and job advertisement will be practiced and applied.
The workshop lasts approx. 50-60 minutes and is aimed at pupils in Year 7 and above.
Image: TFAFontane biography
This workshop focuses on Fontane’s life and work. It is ideal for the targeted and concentrated teaching of biographical knowledge and comprehensive knowledge of his works. In guided group work based on division of labor, the students create a gallery of Fontane’s life and learn about his most important works, life steps and statements using a wide variety of materials, images and other media.
The workshop lasts approx. 60-80 minutes and is aimed at pupils in the 8th grade and above.
Image: TFARambling with Fontane
The workshop deals with Fontane’s Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg (Rambles through the Mark Brandenburg) and draws connections to today’s travel guides and the importance of travel literature. The students can approach the text in several steps that promote text comprehension, critical text reflection and the writing of their own creative texts. The excerpt selected for the workshop will be adapted to the location of the school in order to create a stronger connection to the real world.
The workshop lasts approx. 60-70 minutes and is aimed at pupils in the 9th grade and above.
Image: TFAYour obedient servant - 19th century letter culture
The workshop enables students to take a concentrated and intensive look at the medium of the ›letter‹. The focus is on a text-based and formal analysis of selected letters by Theodor Fontane and his wife Emilie as well as a critical examination of the current loss of significance of the medium. The workshop is also suitable for a first approach to the medium relevant to the Abitur.
The workshop lasts approx. 70 minutes and is aimed at students from the 11th grade onwards.
