Making the New by Rebuilding the Old

Werben is a small town in eastern Germany, situated at the periphery both geographically and in terms of current economic and social dynamics. Since 2004, the inhabitants of Werben restore their cultural heritage in order to re-enact a new Biedermeier Werben so as to create new jobs in the tourist industry. Twice a year, re-enactors invite tourists and locals to engage in time travel to the period at the beginning of the nineteenth century. This article discusses the ways in which the people of Werben use history to revitalise their town. History becomes a space which allows individual and collaborative experiences; it is used as cultural resource. Meanwhile, history is interpreted in a peculiar manner, holding different functions and values for different people. In its staging of Biedermeier, Werben develops into a laboratory in which various elementary needs and problems of postmodern society are discussed.