Endstation fern von hier

In the organizer's words:

An immersive urban movement - text by Juliane Hendes based on true events in Düsseldorf

1942, war is raging in the Ukraine. Young Valentina is forced to watch helplessly as German troops invade her homeland in the most brutal manner. Ukraine - like Poland before it - is occupied by German troops and the population is forced to work. At the age of just 17, Valentina is deported to Düsseldorf, a completely foreign city to her, to work for the Duewag company, which builds streetcars in Lierenfeld. Valentina's story is one of many. Over 20 million people were deported to German Reich territory between 1942 and 1945 to make up for the labor shortage caused by death and the war effort. They came from Holland, Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Italy, France and the Ukraine, among other places, and kept a country running that brought misery and suffering to their home countries. In the midst of German society, right in front of the eyes of the German population, they had to perform forced labor.

In a fictional autobiographical journey, the theater collective Pièrre.Vers captures the voice of Valentina, representing the millions of people affected. 'Endstation fern von hier' is an immersive theater production that questions German memory politics: How can it be that there are 20 million people affected, but basically no memory? Who is being remembered and why? For which crimes is responsibility taken? And which fates remain forever unheard in the shadow of the greatest crime of humanity?

Following 'Schwarz-helle Nacht', 'Aktion: Aktion!' and 'IM PROCESS' (selected for the nachtkritik Theatertreffen 2022), 'Endstation fern von hier' is the fourth and final part of the theater collective's performative examination of historical events from the Nazi era that still shape the city of Düsseldorf and its inhabitants today. The team led by director Christof Seeger-Zurmühlen and author Juliane Hendes embarks on a journey into the past that raises more pressing questions for the present.

What the press say:

"An exceptionally sensitive mixture of cool facts, the documentation of inhuman Nazi terror and a poignant individual fate - in this case of the Ukrainian girl Valentina." (Westdeutsche Zeitung)

"The narrative of the theater collective is haunting and terrifying, which also weaves historical data and the experiences of other forced laborers into the story and is supported by a magnificently respected cast of extras and the sparingly but effectively used sound by Bojan Vuletic." (theatermail nrw)

Info

The performance starts on the forecourt of the city archive not far from Düsseldorf main station, Worringer Str. 140. From there, a special Rheinbahn train will take you to the historic depot, Am Steinberg 35, where the main part of the performance will take place and the event will also end. Please dress appropriately for the weather, as the performance takes place partly outdoors and in draughty rooms.
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There is a stop for streetcars 701 and 706 directly in front of the depot, and the U71, U73 and U83 stops are also within walking distance. From there, you can get back to the main station - or to another destination of your choice - in around 15 minutes by public transport.
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Ticket prices:
28,- normal
14,- reduced
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Please note that tickets for the performance are not public transport tickets. The event is not barrier-free.

Price information:

28,- normal 14,- reduced - - - Please note that tickets for the performance are not public transport tickets.