A district administrator behind bars - it's not something you see every day. District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier voluntarily went to prison on Tuesday, January 16 - not for a prison sentence, however, but to find out more about the Prison Museum in Ludwigsburg together with Police Commissioner Thomas Wild. The museum welcomes its visitors in a former fortress building of the former baroque penitentiary and workhouse for Württemberg, which was used as a prison until 1990. Since its foundation in 1986, the museum has been dedicated to aspects of the penal system from the 18th century to the present day. "The exhibition in the Prison Museum is extremely interesting - and a good reminder to everyone to stay on the right path," says Allgaier during his visit.
Prison museum as a place of learning
In addition to history and knowledge about the prison system, the museum also offers an extracurricular learning space for schoolchildren from the district. In the future, preventative youth work activities are also to be added. "The Prison Museum sees itself as a place for dialog and active democracy education," explains museum director Susanne Opfermann.
Since the summer of 2023, a multifunctional media and presentation room has been under construction on a voluntary basis, in which future educational programs for schools, youth work, but also specialist audiences and laypersons can be carried out on specific topics, e.g. on the RAF, the death penalty during the Nazi era or public punishment. School classes are already using the space to complete entire learning units in the subjects of German, history, social studies and ethics/religion in the museum. "The offer has already been very well received. Some school classes from the district use the Prison Museum's premises to carry out their project days on law and justice there," Opfermann continues.
Visiting the museum in the digital age: museum guide for smartphones in the pipeline
In order to attract many visitors in the future, the exhibition is to become more digital and modern. For example, an audio-visual museum guide, web-based via smartphone, is planned. By integrating digital communication formats, complicated topics such as the enforcement plan or crime statistics can be made accessible to visitors in a fun and up-to-date way, as Opfermann explains to the District Administrator and the Chief Constable during the tour.
The Prison Museum is funded by donations and is run by the Förderverein Strafvollzugsmuseum Ludwigsburg e.V. District Administrator Allgaier praised the commitment of the approximately 85 volunteer members. "They have succeeded in skillfully combining history and modernity. The museum offers an important service in the field of democracy education and the rule of law for schools, young people and citizens in the Ludwigsburg district."
