Kölns jüdische Geschichte — ein immersiver Audio-Walk (Teil 1: Römerzeit bis Mittelalter)

Jewish Life in Cologne from Antiquity to the Present: “Cologne’s Jewish History” is a performative walking tour through downtown Cologne. It provides a stage for Jewish life in Cologne across the centuries—as an experience that combines theater, video, music, and augmented reality.

For over a year, the artistic team at Junges Theater Köln, led by director Svetlana Fourer, reviewed historical sources and conducted interviews with historians and eyewitnesses. The audio walk is based, among other things, on Jewish sources such as the writings of the chronicler Salomo bar Simeon, which provide valuable insights into the lives of Cologne’s Jewish community. Junges Theater Köln weaves the collected memories and eyewitness accounts into a two-part performance set against the original locations in today’s Cologne cityscape.

Part 1: Roman Times to the Middle Ages

In the first part, the audience moves through Cologne’s Old Town together with the performers—the “citizens of the city”—and musician Matthias Bernhold. In the process, the Old Town itself becomes a stage. In the former Jewish quarter, the present and the past overlap. In this way, past realities—from the founding of the first Jewish community north of the Alps in antiquity to the expulsion of the Jewish community from Cologne in 1424—come to life in contemporary settings. 
 

“Cologne’s Jewish History” is neither a traditional city tour nor a linear narrative—it is an invitation to see the city in a new light. The audience experiences Cologne as a living space where Jewish history is by no means over, but rather overlaps, continues to unfold, and can be experienced anew through shared encounters.

More info here
 

Special Notes:
Meeting point at the steps of the Wallraf-Richartz Museum, 50667 Cologne. The audio walk then proceeds through Cologne’s Old Town. Unfortunately, the route is not wheelchair-accessible, but please feel free to contact us in advance if you need a place to sit at any point along the way. You will wear headphones provided by us during the walk; no personal devices are required. The walk lasts about 90 minutes; afterward, there will be a discussion with the audience, to which we cordially invite you. 

If you have any further questions, please contact:
info@junges-theater-koeln.de
 

In cooperation with MiQua, the LVR Jewish Museum in Cologne’s Archaeological Quarter, and NS-DOK, the Nazi Documentation Center of the City of Cologne

Contributors:

Artistic Director, Director: Svetlana Fourer
Dramaturgy: Svetlana Fourer, Henning Bochert, Joalia Nebifeh
Performers: Yaroslava Gorobey, Raffael Guerreiro, Carsten Kugele, Nina Rinke, Oleksandra Sahach, Hannah Scholz, Elias Semenov
Voices: Matthias Bernhold, Yaroslava Gorobey, Raffael Guerreiro, Imi Paulus, Hannah Scholz, Carsten Kugele, Nina Rinke
Composition, Audio: Matthias Bernhold
Choreography: Ilona Pászthy
Augmented Reality and Animation: Saeyun Jung, VAMOS Animation
Video: Lisa Domin-Alouane
Costumes: Hannah Beeck
Sound, Technical Support: Daniel Swoboda
Theater Education: Nina Rinke
Production Manager, Assistant Director: Regina Bensch
Financial Management, Youth Group Leadership: Olga Moldaver

Supported by: Aktion Mensch, RheinEnergieStiftung Kultur, City of Cologne Department of Culture, Downtown District Council


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COMING SOON (not part of this event):

Part 2: From the Gründerzeit to the Nazi Era and the Present

The second part of the performative audio walk shifts the focus to the 20th century. In the Belgian Quarter, the stories of the Cologne families Löwenstein, Rosenwald, and Schönenberg are told. Svetlana Fourer and her team conducted interviews with Mary Beer, the daughter of Shoah survivor Trude Löwenstein, and reviewed archival materials from the NS-Dokumentation Zentrum. In addition, youth groups have set archival material—such as letters from family members—to music to create an audio collage. This fosters a fragmentary yet immediate connection to these families. The audio walk ultimately leads the audience into the present and offers a glimpse into contemporary perspectives on Jewish life in Cologne. In short film segments, young people share their thoughts on issues of belonging, everyday life, and their sense of the city.