"Ich bin mir selber fremd geworden" / Stimmen aus dem Frauenzuchthaus Hoheneck

Treasure & Shame

and

Neue Kammer

present:

I Have Become a Stranger to Myself—Voices from the Hoheneck Women’s Prison

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The Hoheneck Women’s Prison is a symbol of political persecution in the GDR: through draconian, human rights-violating punitive measures, degrading conditions of detention, and forced labor, the GDR’s repressive apparatus sought to break political opponents in many thousands of cases. An extraordinary performance combining contemporary music, choreography, and lighting—conceived by the music theater collective Schatz & Schande and the Ensemble Neue Kammer—seeks to engage artistically with these crimes.
Under the title “I Have Become a Stranger to Myself,” the focus is on poems written by imprisoned women during their time in Hoheneck and set to music in 2024 by composer Philipp Rücker. In a variety of forms—voices and string instruments—the poems enter into dialogue with a light installation that
colorlessness, confinement, and monotony of daily life behind bars come vividly to life.
Following each performance, there is a moderated discussion with former Hoheneck inmates, which provides a meaningful, personal perspective and also gives the audience space to ask questions and engage in conversation. The result is a bold, innovative form within the culture of remembrance: The artists make the oppressive conditions of imprisonment in Hoheneck tangible to the eyes and ears, powerfully conveying a sense of powerlessness and violence—and erecting a powerful monument to the incarcerated women using their own words.
This production is specifically designed to serve as an educational tool, with the aim of raising awareness—particularly among young people—of the injustices of the GDR regime and the value of democracy. For this reason, all venues will host both public evening performances and performances for school groups.

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“This brief hour is moving because it directs the mind to the essential through the pointed use of music and respectful restraint. While such restraint might lead to a loss of tension in other projects, here it contributes intensely to the work’s energetic density.” —Roland H. Dippel, Neue Musikzeitung

“Through its sensitive and expansive approach, the ensemble manages to break free from the silence of the past. Their voices echo loudly and intensely through the minds of the audience, simultaneously liberating the unheard women’s voices from Hoheneck.” — Doreen Sölter, teacher

“The text stands uncompromisingly at the center of the production: the moving poems of the imprisoned women. All compositions and the use of scenic elements take this into account. In this way, [...] the production succeeds in giving space to the previously unheard voices and fates of the women of Hoheneck with extraordinary authenticity and intensity.” — Lisa Dressler, freelance dramaturg and project manager

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Supported by:

Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship
Foundation for Sites of German Democratic History
Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony
Leipzig Cultural Office
Leipzig Foundation
GLS Trust Foundation