The investigation helped students connect individual biographies with wider historical developments and reflect on the role of personal choices in the defence of freedom and human dignity.
Stage 4. Interviews with local residents: Personal memories of freedom
An important part of the city game involved communicating with local residents. Students prepared short, open-ended questions and conducted interviews to discover how people understood freedom and how they viewed the importance of remembering the past.
The interviews focused on questions such as:“ What does freedom mean to you?”,“ Why is it important to remember difficult periods in history?”,“ How can young people protect democratic values?” and“ What can we learn from the experiences of previous generations?”
Students listened to the responses, took notes and identified ideas that appeared repeatedly or differed significantly between interviewees. They discussed how age, personal experience and family history might influence the ways in which people remembered historical events. The interviews also helped students practise communication skills in authentic situations. They learned to formulate questions, listen attentively, ask follow-up questions and respond respectfully to different opinions.
Through this activity, students discovered that collective memory was shaped not only by textbooks and monuments but also by personal experiences, family stories and conversations within the community.
Stage 5. Creating a Video: What does freedom mean today?
After completing the research and interviews, each group prepared a short video entitled“ What does freedom mean today?” The video combined information collected during the city game with the students ' own reflections on freedom and democratic values. Students selected relevant photographs, recordings, interview excerpts and historical information. They worked together to organise their material into a clear narrative and decided which ideas best represented their findings.