The State Centre for Civic Education has existed in Hamburg since 1974. It emerged from the Board of Trustees for Civic Education, founded in 1956, which primarily provided financial support to Hamburg educational organisations, it aims to communicate politics in a practical and realistic way and to promote and deepen civic education on a non-partisan basis. A diverse composed advisory board ensures the non-partisan nature of its work. Members of the Advisory Board of the State Centre for Civic Education in the 22nd WP The State Centre for Civic Education offers information and orientation, advice and support in all matters of civic education.
It addresses all Hamburg citizens with its own publications, events, seminars and projects. It also supports civic education programmes in Hamburg through financial contributions.
In terms of content, the State Centre in Hamburg, like the Federal Centre for Civic Education and the state centres of the other federal states, is committed to the Beutelsbach Consensus- a set of guidelines developed in Germany in 1976 to promote the teaching of civic education.
The state centres of the federal states and the Federal Centre are independent of each other, and each have their own profile. They work closely together and cooperate through joint conferences, meetings, the joint internet portal of the state centres www.politische-bildung.de and the portal of the federal centre www.bpb.de are as well as through joint publications and events. Within this network, each centre can benefit from the expertise and focus of the others.
The tasks of the Hamburg State Centre for Civic Education in detail:
- Conceptualizing, planning, and executing events.
- Publishing original materials.
- Selecting, purchasing, and distributing publications focused on civic education at the information centre.
- Organizing institutional seminars on Hamburg’s political system, catering to groups such as school students, military personnel, senior citizens, individuals from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, and new citizens with a migration background.
- Coordinating and supporting civic education initiatives, including the promotion of programs by both recognized and non-recognized educational institutions in Hamburg.
- Providing current information and updates on projects, for example around election periods.
Participation in events and offers hosted by the Hamburg State Centre for Civic Education is generally free of charge, though some events may require prior registration. Hamburg residents can pick up information and publications either for free or for a flat fee of 15 euros at the Centre's Information Shop, located at Dammtorwall 1, during its opening hours. Please note that the materials are not available for mailing, but class sets can be arranged in advance. The Centre typically stocks the latest parliamentary supplements, the Federal Centre’s list of publications, the Basic Law, the Hamburg Constitution, and a range of materials covering topics such as democracy, politics, Hamburg's history, and the history of the Federal Republic of Germany and Europe. Class sets of the Information on Civic Education published by the Federal Centre can be requested directly from Franzis-Verlag, at Franzis' Print & Media, Postfach 15 07 40, 80045 Munich. A complete list of available editions is provided on the Federal Centre's website.Groups wishing to visit the regional centre as part of their educational programme can make an appointment by calling (040) 428 23-48 02.
