«Contract Children, Portraits by Peter Klaunzer», Photo Exhibition at the Käfigturm | Polit-Forum, Berne

01.11.2016

Charles Probst, 86. - Photo by KEYSTONE | Peter Klaunzer

«Contract children, Portraits by Peter Klaunzer»
A photo exhibition by Keystone and the Political Forum of the Confederation
November 9, 2016 – March 17, 2017

Käfigturm, Marktgasse 67, 3003 Berne
Opening hours:  Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. / Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Admission free.


From November 9, 2016, to March 17, 2017, Keystone and the Political Forum of the Confederation Käfigturm prsent a photo exhibition on former contract and foser children.

Through his work at Keystone the photographer Peter Klaunzer came into contact with former institutionalised and contract children. Moved by their stories he has since portrayed 25 victims over the past year and a half, which enabled him to give the former contract and institutionalised children a face and save a chapter of Swiss history from being forgotten.

The photo exhibition provides a platform for discussions and meetings and builds a bridge between the past, present and future of extra familial care. An accompanying programme consisting of various events such as panel discussions, talks, film screenings, opportunities to meet former contract children and guided tours is offered, as well as a special educational programme for school classes to complete the exhibition. Additionally, an exhibition reader with pictures and texts will provide an insight into today’s living conditions of the people portrayed.

Peter Klaunzer’s project and the photo exhibition by Keystone and the Political Forum of the Confederation was organized in close collaboration with the association  netzwerk-verdingt which was founded by former contract and institutionalised children. It enables the exchange of victims’ experiences and promotes the research and assessment of the often troubled histories of many contract and institutionalised children. The photo exhibition is also supported by the Ernst Göhner Foundation, the Guido Fluri Foundation, the Civic Community of Berne and the Canton Berne Cultural Promotion Department.   

The exhibition has consciously taken up a rather controversial topic within the “Wiedergutmachungsinitiative” (literal: reparation initiative). This initiative was submitted in December of 2014, and subsequently led to an indirect counterproposal by the Federal Council, which has been approved by the National Council in April and the Council of States in September of 2016. 

 
Further informationen about the exhibition on Facebook.