HOME FEELING IN ZUFFENHAUSEN. DIFFERENCES CREATE UNITY.
Communication Design I / Projekte I und II
3rd semester / Wintersemester 2018/19
Student: Alina Dräger
Supervisor: Prof. Michaela Köhler and Prof. Christiane Nowottny
Kooperation: Bezirksrathaus Zuffenhausen,aktive Stuttgarter e.V., BDS Bund der Selbständigen Zuffenhausen, Gewerbe- und Handelsverein Zuffenhausen e.V.
published on: heimatgefuehle-zuffenhausen.hfk-designlab.de
The artistically free photo book as well as the associated podcast series under “www.heimatgefuehle-zuffenhausen.hfk-designlab.de” on the subject of home in Zuffenhausen was created as a seminar work by Alina Draeger in the 3rd semester of Communication Design, in the module KD Projects I and II at the Hochschule für Kommunikation und Gestaltung Stuttgart (HfK+G) in the winter semester 2018/2019. The task for the seminar work was for all students to develop Zuffenhausen’s urban identity and to transform the “negative” into the “positive”.
During my research in Zuffenhausen, it quickly became clear that many people seem to have lost their esteem for their district. Changes in society and infrastructure seem difficult for many to accept. But as critical as the view of the district is by many
Zuffenhausen in some way became their home. And in order to make Zuffenhausen aware of this feeling of home again and to emphasize the advantages and beautiful sides of the district, I came to the conclusion after some considerations that this is best achieved through emotions. Real emotions from people who have found a home in Zuffenhausen and want to share these experiences with others. After all, it is the Zuffenhausen houses that for the most part form and shape the identity of the district itself.
In order to capture this authenticity of emotions and the personal and individual experiences and views of the Zuffenhäuser on the subject of “home” and “Zuffenhausen as home”, it was obvious to enter into personal conversations. Thus a connection to the people was established, a small familiarity that can be seen in the analogue photographs and the handwritten quotations. This small intimacy led to the respondents opening up and letting their “feelings run wild”. The result is a collection of personal views on the subject of home in Zuffenhausen that offers readers the opportunity to identify with the book. Through the quotations of the inhabitants, the Zuffenhausen houses should recognize themselves and the value of their city and get a feeling of nostalgia, beautiful memories, places and stories conveyed. But also outsiders should be emotionally touched by this personal work and be introduced to the topic of home. The concept is to create a project for which you take your time. It should not be leafed through like a magazine in a hurry or on the way. You should take your time to get involved.
In addition to this collection, some interviewees were interviewed for longer periods on the subject of home in Zuffenhausen, from which excerpts were compiled into a podcast series. The website can be reached under the link “www.heimatgefuehle-zuffenhausen.hfk-designlab.de”. This podcast offers the possibility to listen to whole interview episodes and to learn more about the people behind the handwritten quotations and their views.