
More than 60 pupils from Vienna’s schools are participating in an educational game within Austria’s parliament building on Thursday to learn about the significance of democracy, in the first event of this kind.
“With ‘On the Trail of Democracy’, we as parliament are making a creative and innovative attempt to inspire young people about democracy and Parliament through entirely new approaches,” said Doris Bures, Second President of the National Council, the lower house of parliament.
Bures also serves as the ‘game master’ for the pupils, providing instructions on the various puzzles via video link.
The pupils are divided into small groups to investigate questions such as what defines a liberal democracy and what role parliament plays in the democratic process.
Over the course of the day, they will navigate seven ‘puzzle stations’ inside the building, armed with a pocket map, ruler and notepad.
In one puzzle, the 24 pillars in the parliament’s portico display the names of various fundamental rights and freedoms that characterise a liberal democracy. The floor is transformed into an oversized board game, where, using a designated coordinate system and the help of ‘foundation stones’, the pupils must interactively identify one of the core principles of the separation of powers. Once this is correctly recognised, the corresponding pillar lights up, allowing them to move on to the next station.
In another challenge, the provision of the Federal Constitution that underpins Austria’s democratic order must be located in a completely darkened library.