Write yourself back to the 90s: Reading at the Zwickau Puppet Theater!

Write yourself back to the 90s: Reading at the Zwickau Puppet Theater!

A very special event will take place at the Zwickau Puppet Theater on October 18th. Under the title “Write your way through the nineties!” The participants in the writing and memory workshops of the same name present their results and bring to life the moving stories of this time. The event takes place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and entry is free. The whole thing was organized by Constanze John, who lived in Zwickau from 1988 to 2001 and not only wrote the book “Sagen aus Zwickau” there, but also founded the Zwickau Authors’ Circle. C. John led the workshops in the Old Gasometer in March 2023, which were initiated as part of this year's November Days.

The diversity of the course participants is particularly remarkable: the age group ranges from over 80 to the youngest participants born in 1989. In total there were more than 20 people who developed a wide range of stories and poems. At the reading on October 18th, Dr. Sabine Stach will talk about the project and Heinrich Schulze, the former director of the puppet theater, is expected to speak. Due to limited space, registration is recommended; If you are interested, please contact [email protected].

Writing workshops under the sign of contemporary witness

The project “Write your way through the nineties!” is not only a creative initiative, but also part of a larger context that deals with contemporary witnessing. The focus is on the participants' personal memories, which are often deeply linked to historical events. The Leibniz Institute launched these initiatives to capture individual perspectives and preserve the personal stories of contemporary witnesses for posterity. There are also other ongoing projects related to contemporary witnessing, such as the exhibition “End of contemporary witnessing?” in the Regensburg University Library, which is curated by the Flossenbürg Concentration Camp Memorial and the Hohenems Jewish Museum.

This exhibition lasts from October 25, 2023 to August 24, 2024 and addresses the role of contemporary witnesses since 1945. An accompanying supporting program that includes lectures, discussions and workshops will illuminate the topic of remembering the Holocaust and the challenges associated with it. Future generations in particular are being asked how these memories should be dealt with in the future, as Center for Remembrance Culture reports.

The role of the culture of remembrance

Another thematic area of ​​tension that emerges in this context is the German culture of remembrance as a whole. On the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Holocaust on January 27, 2025 in Berlin, there will once again be intensive discussions about how commemoration of the past can be organized in the future. Experiences from memorial sites, such as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, show how important it is to see historical places not just as museums, but as living learning spaces in which enlightenment and empathy are promoted. Various monuments that have existed for decades face challenges, highlighting the need to engage with history to preserve its lessons.

At a time when the distance to historical events is growing and group-based misanthropy is increasing again, dealing with burdened history remains an important task for future generations. Wolfgang Benz will publish new food for thought on the future of memory as early as spring 2025, as [bpb.de](https://www.bpb.de/themen/deutschlandarchiv/555824/deutsche-erinnerungskultur-rituale-tendenzen- deficiencies/) reports. The reading in the Zwickau Puppet Theater is therefore not only a creative performance, but also an important contribution to the cultural examination of one's own history.