DEUTSCHLAND25

As a snapshot in time, this project celebrates 25 years of German reunification. It shows an unusual side of Germany as we know it today, by portraying the generation which was born after the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Discover 25 stories of this generation, illustrated by 25 German artists.

At home at heart by Friederike HantelUrban Art Now

At home at heart

When you hear the word “home”, you can’t help but immediately think of the phrase: “Home is where the heart is.” – no matter how cheesy it may seem. For most of us, home is where we were born. Home is language, culture, and everything that has shaped your identity, character, attitudes and worldviews.

Warum ist Heimat für dich wichtig?
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Simply proud of it by Julia PieperUrban Art Now

Simply proud of it

Germany's economy is booming, the unemployment rate is lower than ever before, and Germany's national soccer team won the World Cup in 2014 yet again. And yet, 25 years after the fall of the wall and German reunification, the subject of national pride remains a difficult one; or at least that is how it seems. Are you allowed to be proud about being German today in the year 2015? And if you are, what is it that makes you proud?

Was macht dich heute stolz, deutsch zu sein?
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It lies within you by Nadine KolodzieyUrban Art Now

It lies within you

What freedoms do I enjoy as a person? How do I recognize my potential? How can I develop fully? Can I even develop at all?Power, passion and talent are things that lie within each of us. It’s just that some people need a little longer to recognize their strengths. And they need support to do so.

Wie kann man jungen Menschen helfen, ihr Potential auszuschöpfen?
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Less is more by Mathias BarthUrban Art Now

Less is more

We don’t have new bodies in our closets. Nor do we have a new world. We have to be good to ourselves and to the world. We have to make the right decisions, say, “Yes,” to the things that are worthwhile, protect them, and live conscientiously. Living conscientiously also means shopping conscientiously.

Wie können wir bewusster einkaufen?
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Customs, remixed by Lara PaulussenUrban Art Now

Customs, remixed

If a language is not maintained, it quickly goes extinct. There is at least one dialect in every German state. In the north, it’s Plattdeutsch, “which is not only dusty and dead, but sexy, too.” At least that’s what Torben, 29, and Jakob, 29, from Bremen think.

Wie können wir Traditionen heute neu interpretieren?
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Ideas in motion by Benedikt LuftUrban Art Now

Ideas in motion

Nothing gets young people going like sport. Moving around frees the mind, brings fun to the community, encourages creativity and enthusiasm to run wild, and sets ideas in motion. That could be the motto for Generation25. But that's actually the motto for Philipp and his initiative 'Kinder. Skaten. Lassen.' (Let Kids Skateboard).

Wie können wir das Gemeinschaftsgefühl junger Menschen stärken?
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Practicing open-mindedness by Anna Katharina JansenUrban Art Now

Practicing open-mindedness

It’s hard to look at the bigger picture. Especially in everyday life, when the normal scheduled flow leaves little room for the unfamiliar wider world. Integration and how we interact with refugees and migrants are topics that are now more important in Germany and Europe than they ever have been before. We need to open ourselves up.

Wie können wir Menschen aus unterschiedlichen Kulturen zusammenbringen?
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The rainbow family by Melanie GandyraUrban Art Now

The rainbow family

There are children with two mothers or two fathers, parents who aren't married and even live-in grandmothers. Family doesn't just mean mom, dad and the kids anymore. Or he works, while she stays at home. Over the past few decades, the family structure has changed so much more than any other social institution.Since then, there are many gay and lesbian people with children, known as rainbow families, whether as a couple, a single parent or another combination.

Wie können wir neue Familienformen unterstützen?
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All green by Hannah DunkelbergUrban Art Now

All green

Sometimes life in the big city can be quite exhausting. Too many people in too small a space, fighting battles on the streets with their cars during rush hour. Not to mention the air pollution this generates. That’s what Elias and Pascal thought. While studying abroad in Asia, they realised that quick and user-friendly mobility has the potential to enormously improve quality of life. They were especially fascinated by the electric scooter in Beijing.

Wie können wir mehr Menschen für einen umweltfreundlicheren Lebensstil begeistern?
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#bewhoyouare by Marina FriedrichUrban Art Now

#bewhoyouare

Coming out – something that is still a big step, even in 2015. It’s become easier for young people to come out today than it was 25 years ago. And in terms of legal equality, those identifying as gay or transsexual have achieved significant gains. But even today, coming out can be challenging for young people, and often feels like a kind of stigma you’re forced to admit.

Wie können wir Menschen unterstützen, ihre Sexualität frei zu leben?
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Getting the most out of the shelf life by Anton HallmannUrban Art Now

Getting the most out of the shelf life

In this day and age of continuous technological advances that make our lives easier, more efficient and more environmentally friendly, squandering stuff away should be a distant memory. In the food chain, this doesn't quite seem to be the case. Practically a quarter of our food ends up as waste. And the same goes for resources that ultimately keep us and our planet alive.

Wie können wir noch achtsamer mit Ressourcen umgehen?
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Theory needs practice by Pia BubliesUrban Art Now

Theory needs practice

You've graduated high school, planned and been on a graduation trip – but then what? When you're finally allowed to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life after twelve years of school, many high school graduates draw a blank. There are so many careers that sound fascinating in theory, but only in practice can you find out what job is and isn't right for you. All school students had to complete a two-week internship, but most of them saw this as just an extension of their vacation instead of an opportunity to gain an insight into the working world. At 16 years old, you don't think about your future or realise just how quickly time flies.

Wie können wir jungen Menschen mehr Praxiserfahrung ermöglichen?
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Work that fits into life by Dick RolandUrban Art Now

Work that fits into life

In a time when everything is happening faster and faster and slowing down is becoming harder and harder, we don’t just need time outs, “digital detoxes”, or “recovery weekends”. Above all, what we need is alternative work arrangements to fit our lives.

Wie können wir eine bessere Balance zwischen Arbeit und Privatleben schaffen?
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Learn in no time by Frederick StrascheUrban Art Now

Learn in no time

Memorising historical facts, cramming vocabulary, practicing arithmetic: it’s inconvenient. We all know that. We put it off, forget about it, and suddenly find more important things to do. Like doing the laundry or the absolute desperate need to get a glass of milk right this second. But simple solutions can often be found.

Wie können wir Lernen einfacher machen?
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Our future means: sharing by Asuka GrünUrban Art Now

Our future means: sharing

Generation25 firmly believes that this culture of sharing will only gain importance in the future. Not just because it makes life easier, but because it’s about owning less and saving money, time and resources.

In welchen Bereichen kann Sharing unser Leben einfacher machen?
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Internet for everyone by Carolin EitelUrban Art Now

Internet for everyone

In an increasing number of areas, not having access to the Internet risks being left behind. Job advertisements, for example, are now often only posted online, and social media, information, online communication or organizational tools such as online banking are all continually on the increase. In today's world, people without Internet access are quickly marginalized and disadvantaged.

Wie können wir mehr Menschen digitalen Zugang ermöglichen?
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Putting dreams into action by Andi MeierUrban Art Now

Putting dreams into action

Putting things into practice rather than keeping them just as ideas. This is a principle that we learnt from Generation25: Skilled manual jobs and the issue of "DIY" are currently experiencing a revival amongst young people, and making things yourself is even nicer, more creative and more productive when you do it with other people.

Wie können wir zusammenarbeiten, um Ideen zu verwirklichen?
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A perfect fit for everyone by Barbara OttUrban Art Now

A perfect fit for everyone

The world of fashion is all about perfection, beauty and flawlessness. People with disabilities are often not catered for in this exclusive world, despite there being a great demand for beautiful, well-made and perfectly fitting clothes. After all, being stylish and fashion-forward have nothing to do with an individual's body shape.

Wie können wir gleiche Auswahlmöglichkeiten für alle sichern?
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Your neighbourhood is my neighbourhood by Tanja EschUrban Art Now

Your neighbourhood is my neighbourhood

People power has long been under-estimated. That is, until a referendum was held and the population of Berlin showed themselves to be very interested in urban spaces such as the Tempelhofer Feld and communal areas of land. The German capital city contains a larger number of unused corners just waiting to be used by people with ideas. A few years ago, there was a boom in community houses, urban gardening projects started to spring up from the soil – or from roofs – and people started to want to get to know their neighbours once more.

Wie können sich Nachbarn wieder näherkommen?
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Hand-picked dinners by Elsa KleverUrban Art Now

Hand-picked dinners

Spinach makes you strong. Too much bread makes you bloated. Carrots are good for your eyes, and blueberries help with hangovers. A grapefruit contains a huge amount of vitamin C, and vegetables are great for the figure. Burgers make you fat, as does pizza and any other fast-food. We've all heard these clichés, yet continue to eat whatever we fancy. Because we can, and because there's so much choice.

Wie können wir Menschen helfen, Ernährung mehr wertzuschätzen?
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Just do it yourself by Sebastian SchwammUrban Art Now

Just do it yourself

Nowadays, having something that looks nice is no longer important. Instead, it is about being part of a process and making things yourself. It does not matter whether it is sewing, knitting or crocheting: handiwork is experiencing a revival and a reinterpretation, driven by Generation25. Why? Because Generation25 is looking for a remedy to the quick and restless world of work. Working with your hands brings about calm and deceleration, and handiwork is good for mind and soul.

Wie können wir traditionelles Handwerk am Leben erhalten?
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What about girls? by Viktoria CichonUrban Art Now

What about girls?

Programming language, websites, and HTML – terms that men tend to deal with rather than women. That's the assumption, at least. That's why Julia, 26, and Natalie, 29, think it's crucial for women especially to have a basic grasp of how the digital world that we encounter every day actually works. That's why the two young ladies from Leipzig started 'Code Girls', a course for girls and women to learn programming easily and a safe place to ask silly questions. Julia says, "It would be great if women were and could be more involved in the digital world." And she's right.

Was können wir noch tun, um mehr Frauen für Technik zu begeistern?
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Getting the environment involved by Katharina PotratzUrban Art Now

Getting the environment involved

We all know what is good and bad for our environment. Sometimes all that is needed is a stimulus to behave appropriately. Unfortunately, in the stress of daily life, the environment is not always the top of our priorities. This is precisely where the project "Ecotastic" from Fabian, Anna, and Ralf comes in. This is because these three and their generation firmly believe in a green future and want to ensure that our planet is and stays healthy.

Wie bringen wir mehr Menschen dazu, die Umwelt zu schützen?
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Show it the red card by Jan BuchczikUrban Art Now

Show it the red card

Germany in the summer of 2015. Pegida demonstrations, xenophobic slogans, attacks on refugee shelters. Racism in Germany is back with us again and, unfortunately, has meant more than just combat boots, skinheads, and cries of "foreigners out!" for some time. Today racism means: We are normal, all others are alien. Luckily by no means all people think this way; especially not Generation25, such as Andreas, for example.

Wie können wir lernen, uns gegenseitig mehr zu respektieren?
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We are colourful by Enrico NagelUrban Art Now

We are colourful

"Are you really Turkish? You don't look Turkish at all!" Melisa has heard this line a fair few times. This is because her name is not Ayse, and she does not fit the stereotype of a Turkish girl. Melisa, 25, is the editor of "renk.", a German-Turkish online magazine reporting on art, culture and creative minds. Generation25 only knows of a unified Germany. In their thinking there is no "east" or "west", and especially no "us" and "you".

Wie schaffen wir es, den Menschen Kultur und Identität näherzubringen?
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Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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