There is currently much discussion about the future of the bar. Nevertheless – or perhaps precisely because of this – it is worth looking to the past. Our new network is conducting research into bar culture in Germany in a way that has never been done before.
The Network: “Bar.Culture.History.”
Dr Michael C. Bienert (Stiftung Ernst-Reuter-Archiv, Berlin), Andreas and Jenny Berg (MIRABEAU bar, Freiburg) and I have jointly founded the “Bar.Culture.History.” network (“Bar.Kultur.Geschichte.”). We are committed to viewing the bar as a complex total work of art, researching its historical and cultural backgrounds, and applying the insights gained to promote quality-conscious bar practice. The network is free, independent and pursues no commercial interests. We welcome anyone who sees the bar as a cultural space and wishes to engage in cross-disciplinary exchange and further their knowledge on this topic.
The Bar as a Field of Research
The bar as a cultural venue is a field of research that has so far gone largely unnoticed in Germany. We support research that is interdisciplinary, source-based and open-ended. The following disciplines, for example, can contribute to this: history, art history, literary history, sociology, musicology, architectural studies and gender studies.
The findings gathered are to be presented and discussed once a year at a forum. An important task of the forum will be to work together to find ways in which the results can be implemented in bar practice. Research is not merely an end in itself, but is intended to be shared within the bar world and with the public. To this end, we consider it essential to make our findings freely accessible (e.g. on a digital platform). In this way, we aim to create and raise awareness of the bar as a cultural venue.
The 1st Forum on Bar Culture
In March, as part of this initiative, we launched a dialogue with bartenders, academics, cultural figures and journalists at the 1st Forum on Bar Culture, organised in collaboration with the Ernst Reuter Archive Foundation and the Berlin State Archive.
This inaugural event focused on the theme “Roots – Trends – Horizons”. How can bar culture be researched historically, which influences and individuals have shaped Berlin’s bar culture, and what quality standards are necessary to ensure that bars remain successful in the future? Our forum, which took place at the Berlin State Archives, addressed these topics. The event combined specialist talks, discussions, a guided tour of the archives and a practical workshop – and concluded with a group visit to a bar in the evening.
Here on bar-vademecum.eu, you will soon be able to read a summary of the presentations as well as our position paper. You can contact us at bar-vademecum.eu/contact or, better still, at https://barkulturgeschichte.de/ (kontakt[at]barkulturgeschichte.de).
explicit capitulum
*
The Network: “Bar.Culture.History.”
Dr Michael C. Bienert (Stiftung Ernst-Reuter-Archiv, Berlin), Andreas and Jenny Berg (MIRABEAU bar, Freiburg) and I have jointly founded the “Bar.Culture.History.” network (“Bar.Kultur.Geschichte.”). We are committed to viewing the bar as a complex total work of art, researching its historical and cultural backgrounds, and applying the insights gained to promote quality-conscious bar practice. The network is free, independent and pursues no commercial interests. We welcome anyone who sees the bar as a cultural space and wishes to engage in cross-disciplinary exchange and further their knowledge on this topic.
The Bar as a Field of Research
The bar as a cultural venue is a field of research that has so far gone largely unnoticed in Germany. We support research that is interdisciplinary, source-based and open-ended. The following disciplines, for example, can contribute to this: history, art history, literary history, sociology, musicology, architectural studies and gender studies.
The findings gathered are to be presented and discussed once a year at a forum. An important task of the forum will be to work together to find ways in which the results can be implemented in bar practice. Research is not merely an end in itself, but is intended to be shared within the bar world and with the public. To this end, we consider it essential to make our findings freely accessible (e.g. on a digital platform). In this way, we aim to create and raise awareness of the bar as a cultural venue.
The 1st Forum on Bar Culture
In March, as part of this initiative, we launched a dialogue with bartenders, academics, cultural figures and journalists at the 1st Forum on Bar Culture, organised in collaboration with the Ernst Reuter Archive Foundation and the Berlin State Archive.
This inaugural event focused on the theme “Roots – Trends – Horizons”. How can bar culture be researched historically, which influences and individuals have shaped Berlin’s bar culture, and what quality standards are necessary to ensure that bars remain successful in the future? Our forum, which took place at the Berlin State Archives, addressed these topics. The event combined specialist talks, discussions, a guided tour of the archives and a practical workshop – and concluded with a group visit to a bar in the evening.
Here on bar-vademecum.eu, you will soon be able to read a summary of the presentations as well as our position paper. You can contact us at bar-vademecum.eu/contact or, better still, at https://barkulturgeschichte.de/ (kontakt[at]barkulturgeschichte.de).
explicit capitulum
*