THE
ÖFLINGER MODEL
Art is omnipresent in the Haus der Diakonie Wehr-Öflingen: in the common rooms, corridors and gardens of the residential buildings and day center.
The pictures and sculptures by well-known artists with and without disabilities embrace the people who live, work or visit us here. They open up diverse and ever-new perspectives, encourage artistic activities and enrich creative interaction. This makes the Haus der Diakonie Wehr-Öflingen an extraordinary place in the region and throughout Germany.
Art as the foundation
The artistic works are part of the collection that Hanna (1926-2022) and Paul Gräb (1921-2019) have been building since the 1960s. In order to finance the organ for the newly built church in Öflingen, Paul Gräb invited artists persecuted by the Nazis for the first time in 1961 - including Otto Dix, HAP Grieshaber, Erich Heckel and Gerhard Marcks - to exhibit in the church. The successful exhibition concept continued until the mid-1980s and was expanded from 1971 to include accompanying symposia on topics in the context of art, church and diaconate. The proceeds from the sale of the exhibited works - one third is for the diaconate association, two thirds for the artists - and the annual gifts donated by artists are used to realize Paul and Hanna Gräb's vision. In 1984 the time finally comes. The foundation stone for the Haus der Diakonie is laid. It opens in 1985.
The vision coming to
life
In the middle of Öflingen and closely integrated into the region, the Haus der Diakonie wants to be a home for people with so-called mental disabilities, many of whom are still housed in psychiatric hospitals at the time. And it wants to be a place where they have the opportunity to develop their strengths and perceive and realize their individual life opportunities. The concept is successful, the demand for the housing options is high. In order to meet this demand, especially from people with high assistance needs and their families, the offer will be expanded in the coming years. Additional residential buildings and the day care center will be built. These expansions will also be made possible largely through the sale of art from the wide circle of supporters, supplemented by the proceeds from benefit concerts that the world-famous violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, patron of the Hanna and Paul Gräb Foundation, regularly gives for the Haus der Diakonie and its residents.
Artistic (inclusive) activities in the Haus der Diakonie
At the inauguration of the Haus der Diakonie (1985), Paul Gräb had pictures hung in the hallways and common rooms as a sign of thanks to the many supporting artists. The works had an inspiring effect on the residents: some began to draw, paint and design themselves. The studio was set up to provide space for these activities. In addition, art action days have been organized several times a year since 1985: interested residents have the opportunity to be inspired in workshops designed by artists and to further develop their own formal language. Their works soon enriched the regularly re-hung exhibitions in the Haus der Diakonie and also found their way to a wider public: artists from the house regularly participated in exclusive and inclusive exhibitions in the surrounding municipal galleries and also nationwide, including at the Documenta in Kassel. Since 1988 they have presented their works in joint exhibition catalogs. In 2006, Lothar Späth, long-time Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg and closely associated with Hanna and Paul Gräb, Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Haus der Diakonie, founded the Lothar Späth Prize to particularly honor the art of artists with (so-called) intellectual disabilities. Since then, this prize has been awarded every two years and increases public awareness of this important contribution to the diversity of cultural life. The inclusive street choir, theater projects, (inclusive) dance workshops and performances offer residents the opportunity to try out other art forms and expand their forms of expression. They also open up opportunities for encounters in inclusive workshops and at events.
Art and the person-centered subject concept
Only those whose autonomy is respected can enter into a dialogue - this was important to Paul Gräb for the dialogue between art and church. Respect and appreciation also characterize the person-centered attitude in the Haus der Diakonie: We respect our counterparts, take them seriously as they are and what they say, approach understanding through dialogue, trust in individual development opportunities and help them to develop them. This requires a high level of professionalism and often also pronounced creativity from employees, particularly when assisting people who communicate in alternative ways.
More information on the history of the house and an insight into the variety of positions and approaches of artists with and without disabilities who see themselves as connected to the Öflinger model can be found in Networks. Hanna and Paul Gräb. A Life's Work (2012) and on the websites of the Art and Diakonie Association and the Hanna and Paul Gräb Foundation .
