How did children move in the past – and what does that mean for mobility today?

This research project explores the historical development of children’s mobility in the 20th century from several perspectives:

• Mobility of play: For children, movement is more than getting ahead. It means experiencing speed, practicing skills, imitating adults, expressing themselves, and having fun.
• Transport by and of children: Whether carried, driven, or moving independently, these forms of mobility shape socialization and influence mobility biographies well into adulthood.
• School routes and traffic education: The way to school is a formative experience for all children. This is why traffic education has always placed special emphasis on it.
• Politics and local conditions: These decisively shape mobility opportunities for children and adults. A key factor often overlooked is (often unconscious) adultism—the dominance of adult perspectives that restricts children’s autonomy.

The project aims to bring these dimensions together and show how historical structures continue to have an impact today.

Publications:

Zimmer-Merkle, Silke: Auf dem Gehweg, auf der Strasse, im Hof. Neue Forschungsperspektiven auf kindliche Mobilität im 20. Jahrhundert, traverse, 2025 (1), p. 99-112: https://revue-traverse.ch/ausgabe/2025-1/ (soon open access)