40 years of the Blue Caravan: Bremen's fight for mental health!

40 years of the Blue Caravan: Bremen's fight for mental health!

On July 31, 1985, the townspeople of Bremen watched with great interest the preparations for the first “Blue Caravan,” which would soon become a symbol of change in psychiatry. The psychiatrist Klaus Pramann, one of the driving forces behind the protest march, and other pioneers launched a movement that used unusual methods to draw attention to the abuses in psychiatry. This initiative led to the founding of the Blaumeier studio in Walle and the inclusive Blauhaus residential project in Überseestadt. The WESER-KURIER reports that the first caravan featured an impressive town musician sculpture made of papier-mâché, which proudly led the participants through Germany.

In August 1985, around 60 people from Bremen met with an Italian group in Trieste. The aim of the trip was to promote exchanges about psychiatric reforms and to collect experiences. The background to this mobilization was the dissolution of the Bremen long-term psychiatric hospital Kloster Blankenburg, which had been in full swing since 1981 and aimed at profound changes in the care of the mentally ill there. Health Senator Herbert Brückner was significantly involved in these reforms, which aimed to ensure an independent and connected lifestyle for the mentally ill.

Protest and change

The “Blue Caravan” was not only a caravan of people, but also a powerful protest against the existing conditions in psychiatric hospitals. The idea came about during a trip back from Trieste when it was realized that liberation from classic clinical psychiatry was necessary. The participants set off together on August 1, 1985 in a 40-ton truck. This trip lasted four weeks and included visits to various psychiatric facilities.

The actions of the Blue Caravan vividly addressed the outdated and often undignified conditions in the institutions. In addition to the support from citizens, an international congress under the motto “Society without a madhouse” was also organized after the return. These events created a space for dialogue and promoted awareness of the urgent need for reform.

A significant anniversary

This year the Blue Caravan is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The celebrations will take place on August 17, 2023 on the Bremen market square. Particular highlights include a live film shoot in which former psychiatric patients and those involved are interviewed, including those who were actively involved in the development of the caravan. According to the motto “it’s the mix that counts”, the successful integration of the “Blue Camel Wüna” into the symbol of the movement, which has been in this context since 1994, is also honored.

The developments of the Blue Caravan are closely linked to the larger background of psychiatry reform, which is an ongoing process in Germany and encompasses many facets. As early as the 1970s, European and North American reform movements began to question the traditional approach to mental illness. In Italy, Law 180 led to the dissolution of the institutions, a model that also inspired the Bremen reform. The Bremen Psychiatry Enquête of 1975 highlighted serious deficiencies in psychiatric care and called for a change in the perception and treatment of the mentally ill.

The Blue Caravan does not stand alone, but is part of a broader change that is taking place in society and continues to fight for the rights of the mentally ill. As history shows, the path has been anything but straight, but the community of patients, clinical staff, artists and committed citizens has firmly established itself in the political landscape. On the occasion of the upcoming anniversary, the impressive record of a movement that has a good hand for the rights of mentally ill people will become visible.