"Never again is now!" echoes through German streets these days. Right-wing extremist terror and hate crime have been on the rise in this country for years - including against queer people. It is therefore not without reason that many civil society groups are calling for the rights of LGBTIQ* people to finally be enshrined in Article 3, Paragraph 3 of the German Basic Law. So far, they are the only group of victims of National Socialism not included.
Too little is still known about the lives, loves and suffering of queer people during the Nazi dictatorship - there is a lack of fundamental research. As the persecution and oppression continued after the end of the war and queer victims remained excluded from the culture of remembrance, the existing knowledge is not widespread.
Probably only a few people know that Düsseldorf was a center of persecution of homosexuals in the Third Reich. By August 1938, the Gestapo had arrested around 400 men here alone - more than in any other West German city. Surveillance, raids and arrests were intended to destroy the queer subculture and isolate those affected. But how much of this can still be felt today? Who were these people? How can they be made heard and given the visibility they deserve?
Together with director Marvin Wittiber and his team, the participants embark on a theatrical search for traces of National Socialist Düsseldorf and dedicate a workshop to the stories and realities of life of those persecuted because of their alleged homosexuality. How can you use your own voice and body to tell their stories?
An intensive theater workshop about the persecution of homosexuals in Düsseldorf under National Socialism
Public final presentation: 03.11. at 6 pm at the Theatermuseum Düsseldorf
With teenagers and young adults aged 16-24
Artistic direction: Marvin Wittiber
Text: Simone Saftig
Set design: Saskia Holte
Music: Andrei Vinnik
Tickets at the Box Office 10€ / 5€ (reduced)
Reservations: kasse_theatermuseum@duesseldorf.de or 0211 89-96130
In cooperation with Mahn- und Gedenkstätte Düsseldorf, Queere Geschichte(n) Düsseldorf e.V., Theatermuseum Düsseldorf, Amt für Gleichstellung und Antidiskriminierung Düsseldorf
In cooperation with Stadtarchiv Düsseldorf, Lesbian and Gay Library Düsseldorf (LuSBD)
Supported by the Fonds Soziokultur with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Jugendfonds Demokratie leben!
Price information:
Tickets at the Box Office 10€ / 5€ (reduced) Reservations: kasse_theatermuseum@duesseldorf.de or 0211 89-96130