“With ‘On the Trail of Democracy’, we as a parliament are undertaking a creative and innovative attempt to find out how we can inspire young people about democracy and parliament with completely new approaches,” said Second President of the National Council Doris Bures, who was taking part in an escape game today Parliament had invited. More than 60 first-time voters in the House of Representatives playfully search for the meaning of democracy and the basic democratic values for society. The Second President of the National Council also acts as a “game leader” for the students and provides relevant information on the individual puzzle tasks via video links. “The interest in the escape game is huge and I’m extremely pleased,” says Bures.
The students from various Viennese secondary schools and vocational schools take on the role of democracy researchers in small groups. What actually characterizes a liberal democracy? What role does Parliament play in this and what are the foundations on which democratic coexistence is based? These questions and more will be worked out in a playful way by the first-time voters.
The rooms for the seven puzzle stations are the plenary, the pillared hall, the National Council Hall, the Federal Council Hall, the Federal Assembly Hall and the library. Equipped with a pocket plan, a colorful sticker on the chest as well as a pen, ruler and pad, the game started with the first group in the attic of Parliament, in the plenary.
Hypostyle Hall as an oversized board game with basic rights and civil liberties
In one of the puzzles in the hypostyle hall of Parliament, the 24 columns bear the names of various fundamental rights and freedoms that make up a liberal democracy. The floor is transformed into an oversized board game and along the specified coordinate system and with the help of the “foundation stones” provided, the students have to interactively determine one of the central pillars within the framework of the separation of powers. If this is recognized, the corresponding column lights up and you move on to the next station.
Another puzzle involves finding the central provision of the Federal Constitution, which forms the basis for our basic democratic order. In the completely darkened library in the parliament, the students first have to grope in the dark in order to use various clues to finally get to the reading room, where the final puzzle task is revealed in the light of a floor lamp.
One of the participating students described the escape game in Parliament as “very exciting, very informative and very educational” in a “very nice atmosphere” in the House. You also have to “exercise your brain” a bit. In any case, it is helpful to be able to solve the tasks “with several minds” in a group. Teamwork is very important in this game.
The escape format in Parliament was created as a result of a private visit to the House by enthusiastic escape room player Mario Ladinig last year, which inspired him to develop his own format for Parliament. (End) mbu
A NOTICE: Photos from this event as well as one Review of past events can be found in Parliament web portal.
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