BCOR 2026: Kickoff of the United States-Germany Exchange in Berlin and Frankfurt
In mid-September, the new cohort of Building Cultures of Remembrance (BCOR) began the transatlantic exchange program on the topics of remembrance culture and corporate social responsibility. The BCOR program, organized by the international organization Cultural Vistas, is aimed at professionals and executives from Germany and the United States.
BCOR Group at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin
BCOR Group at the Sachsenhausen Memorial
Commemorative monument for the Rosenstraße protest
Entrance gate to the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp
At the memorial stone for the victims of the T4 killings
At the Sachsenhausen Memorial
The program kicked off in Berlin, where participants spent three learning about the Nazi era and colonialism. Historian Dr. Christoph Kreutzmüller, chairman of the Active Museum in Berlin (Aktives Museum Faschismus und Widerstand), provided insight into the history of remembrance culture in Germany with a focus on the Nazi regime and its victims. He traced the long evolution of today’s German remembrance culture and the ongoing, lively debates about appropriate forms of remembrance and commemoration. Afterward, Christoph Kreutzmüller took the participants on a city tour to see various Berlin monuments and memorials, including the memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism, the memorial site for the victims of “Euthanasia” killings, the book burning Memorial, and the monument commemorating the Rosenstrasse protest.
The following day, a decolonial walking tour took place through the so-called “African Quarter” in Berlin-Wedding. Following the traces of German colonialism, the group learned about the neighborhood’s origins, stories behind street names, and diverse examples of resistance. In addition to historical facts about colonial history, the guided tour also explored implications for our society today and the ongoing need for a vibrant culture of remembrance.
Afterward, the participants visited the Foundation for Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ), where they learned more about the process of dealing with Nazi crimes and about the foundation’s current projects. Then Annemarie Hühne-Ramm, executive director of the Hans and Berthold Finkelstein Foundation, gave a presentation on the origins of the Finkelstein Foundation and outlined various projects. Katharina Schwarz, a participant in the BCOR program and employee of the EVZ Foundation, presented the project “Informed, Courageous, Committed!,” which includes various educational offerings on the topics of antisemitism, historical revisionism, and conspiracy theories.
To gain a deeper understanding of Nazi history at a historic site, the group visited the memorial site commemorating the victims of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in Brandenburg and took a guided tour through the former camp grounds.
Afterward, the BCOR group traveled on to Frankfurt, where the focus was on corporate responsibility in the past and present. They visited the former I.G. Farben building on the Goethe University campus, which originally housed the headquarters of the chemical company I.G. Farbenindustrie AG.
At the Society for Business History (GUG), the speakers discussed the role that historical reappraisal plays in companies today. Andrea Schneider-Bromberger (GUG) and Tobias Freimüller (Fritz Bauer Institute) offered insights and ideas on the intersections between the culture of remembrance and corporate social responsibility. To deepen their understanding of the new material, the group participated in a workshop at the Anne Frank Educational Center to learn how historical responsibility can be translated into educational and democratic initiatives. To shift the focus to businesses, the group examined the former vehicle and machinery manufacturer Adlerwerke - now a historical site - and Allianz SE.
This first part of the transatlantic exchange program has provided participants with a broad understanding of the role of businesses during the Nazi era and various approaches to addressing historical responsibility. They are taking home a variety of insights into the ways in which corporate responsibility can contribute to strengthening social cohesion. In November, the BCOR group will continue its program in the United States.
