Knabenheim "Auf der Grube"

In 2013, a book was published about the boys' home "Auf der Grube" in Niederwangen, in the canton of Bern. It was dedicated to those affected, the boys who had spent long and painful years in this institution since 1825. The first book had to be withdrawn from sale in 2017 following a lawsuit from a former director of the home and was ultimately pulped, which met with public incomprehension. This also sparked objections from those affected – and a desire to take action themselves. In a participatory process, a new "Gruebe" book was created, not as a copy of the first, but with a new concept. The focus is on the life stories of boys and young men who have been admitted to the boys' home "Auf der Grube" since the 1960s. The portraits are embedded in the history of Swiss homes, the evolution of social pedagogical approaches, and the context of research on coercive measures in Switzerland in the 20th century.