The exhibition

Ever and always, we all find ourselves moving through spaces. At home, in our cities and in our communities, for example, as a matter of course – but also on the Internet, in social media or, figuratively, in our sports clubs, our jobs or at school. Wouldn’t it be great if tolerance and respect prevailed in all these spaces? This idea is symbolised by the project name ToleranzRäume (ToleranceSpaces), because that’s what we aim to achieve. The project ToleranzRäume is modelled after a forerunner in Mexico: the Tunel de Memorial et Tolerancia from the Museo Memorial y Tolerancia (https://www.myt.org.mx/tunel). Inspired by this trailblazer, the initiators of the project founded their association and gave it the name Toleranz-Tunnel e.V.

Tolerance cannot be taken for granted. People need to take action to make it a reality, even in everyday situations. ToleranzRäume shows how this can work – we make it interactive and easy to understand.

The exhibition is divided into two sections: the interior deals with the concept of tolerance and special examples from history. On the exterior, everyday examples are used to show where tolerance is important and how every individual can work towards more respect in mutual interaction. The path visitors take is not mapped out in advance – whether from the inside to the outside or vice versa, the ToleranzRäume are accessible from all directions.

ToleranzRäume are colourful containers in the heart of town that are accessible to all people. They change with every visit: if you like, you can write out tips for others, leave your opinions, or take inspiring graphics home with you. In addition, a colourful programme with cultural events, workshops and much more will accompany the exhibition at each venue. Of course, you can still learn a lot in ToleranzRäume. But it’s not really a museum.

Display material in the exhibition is in German. On our website, we also make the material available in other languages.

Yes. While developing the exhibition, we have oriented ourselves towards the Beutelsbach Consensus. Online, we provide the content with a corresponding warning.

The association Toleranz-Tunnel e.V. implements the project ToleranzRäume together with the Kreuzberger Initiative gegen Antisemitismus e.V. (Eng: Kreuzberg Initiative against Anti-Semitism, abbr: KIgA e.V.). Bielefeld University (Faculty of Education; AG10) provides scientific support for the project. You can find out more about the project partners under “Project team”.

The exhibition ToleranzRäume is funded by the German Bundestag – a decision backed by a majority spanning almost all parliamentary parties. The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community provides support for the project.

Institutions (cities, municipalities, museums, educational institutions, religious communities, companies) can contact us and express interest. Just send an e-mail to ausstellungen@toleranzraeume.org and we will send concrete information about on-site procedures and planning for ToleranzRäume. For more information, see “Bring the exhibition to your locality”.

There are several ways to support the ToleranzRäume project. On the one hand, you can support our association Toleranz-Tunnel e.V. with a donation so that we can bring about further projects for respect and tolerance in society. On the other hand, you can be trained as a tolerance ambassador to guide people through the exhibition and to conduct workshops on the various topics therein in educational institutions. When the exhibition comes to your town, you can get involved in it on the spot, or you can discuss the contents of the exhibition with friends, family and colleagues. Further, you can sign up to our supporter list. In this way, you can help promote respectful coexistence in our society.