Good morning freedom: Village theater sheds light on the traumatic GDR past!

Good morning freedom: Village theater sheds light on the traumatic GDR past!

In a colorful spectacle, more than 120 guests celebrated the premiere of the play “Moin Freiheit” on November 9, 2025 in the Dechow village community center. The first joint performance by 20 actors was the result of intensive rehearsals that took place over nine months under the direction of committed theater makers. In his speech, Mayor Reinhard Wienecke emphasized the importance of processing the painful memories and traumas from the period after 1945 in the border area of ​​northwest Mecklenburg.

The piece addresses the challenges of childhood in the border area, where children from the GDR were not allowed to play with friends from the West. This dramatic perspective comes to life through the actors' narration, inviting the audience to understand the emotional conflicts and pressures that came with life on the Wall. Petra Haase, a member of the cultural group, sees the production as a valuable contribution to the examination of border history and the ongoing gap between East and West.

An impressive experience

The audience was fascinated by the gripping depiction of the 1960s. Musical performances by Ulrike and Björn Birke as well as Willi Winter transformed the evening into a nostalgic experience, with songs from the GDR era providing the framework. Willi Winter clearly explained to the guests that it was not possible to leave the border area without a permit, which was a bitter reality for many. The various scenarios covering the period from 1945 to 1994 also created an intense atmosphere that made you think.

The two performances were not only well attended, but also completely sold out. Over 120 guests experienced the coming to terms with a shared history that still offers plenty of space for communication and understanding between people. Petra Haase wishes with all her heart that such topics will continue to be the focus and that conversations between generations will be promoted.

Current theater projects

This form of coming to terms with history is not isolated. Another important play is being staged in the former US camp at the Point Alpha memorial in Rasdorf: “The razed houses in the border area tell a story”. It will premiere on June 26, 2026. This piece, staged by students from Hünfeld and the Landestheater Eisenach, deals with the violent evacuation of villages in the former GDR restricted area. Everything is often told from the first-person perspective of former buildings, which reflect individual fates and show the forced relocations of the residents.

Young actors, trained by experienced directors, bring the tragedy and challenges of the time to life. This is about much more than just the destruction of property; it's about the human fates that are linked to these events. Attractive projects like these show how important it is to understand and appreciate the legacy of the past.

Overall, it becomes clear that theater plays an important role in coming to terms with history. Both the performances in northwest Mecklenburg and the events in Hesse and Thuringia are part of a larger network of remembrance and cultural projects that aim to keep the memory of past times alive and to build a bridge to the future through dialogue.

For further information about the theater projects, you can contact the reports from Northern Courier and World turn around.