40 Jahre Tschernobyl – Erinnerungen, Folgen, Lebenswege nach der Katastrophe

In the organizer's words:

Talks with contemporary witnesses and those affected

The explosion of reactor 4 in Chernobyl on April 26, 1986 is still considered the most serious nuclear accident in history. The radionuclides released did not stop at national borders - they also reached Germany - and they continue to affect regions in Belarus and Ukraine to this day. Entire villages were evacuated, people were permanently relocated and children were separated from their families for months. Many of those affected suffer health consequences that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

To mark the 40th anniversary, the association Hilfe für Tschernobyl-geschädigte Kinder e.V., which has been committed to helping children and families in the affected regions since 1993, and the Cologne VHS are inviting people to special talks. Contemporary witnesses from Eastern Europe will talk about the dramatic days following the explosion, the loss of their homes, the invisibility of the threat - and the extent to which Chernobyl still shapes their biographies today.

The event sheds light on both the "then" - chaos, evacuations, life in the shadow of an almost incomprehensible event - and the "now". Because Chernobyl is not over: Many of the radionuclides released remain active for centuries and in some cases millennia. For the local people, the disaster is therefore still part of their everyday lives today.

These stories are given space in a moderated panel discussion. The guests share their memories, their feelings and their view of a life between danger and coping. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to ask questions and talk to the eyewitnesses.

An impressive encounter with people whose fates still show today how deeply the disaster affected the lives of many - and why Chernobyl remains an issue that affects us all.

The event will be moderated by Cologne journalist Alexandra Eul.

Link to the event and registration: 40 years of Chernobyl