The theatrical reading production “Vom Eis gebissen – Im Eis vergraben. Geschichten aus der deutschen Polarforschung” (Bitten by ice – buried in ice. Tales of German polar research) brings the first German expeditions into the so-called eternal ice onto the stage. It is realized in cooperation with the archive for German polar research at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) and its leader Dr. Christian Salewski. The project itself is led by Dr. Eva Schöck-Quinteros from the History Department at the University of Bremen and Peter Lüchinger from the bremer shakespeare company.
A tale of joy and hardship
What’s it all about? A hundred and fifty years ago, on May 24, 1868, Captain Koldewey and his eleven-man crew embarked for the Arctic on the sailing vessel “Grönland”. The voyage is the very first German polar expedition recorded in the history books. Just one year later, in June 1869, Koldewey started the second German North Polar Expedition. What drove the polar researchers to undertake such dangerous missions into the icy wilderness? With what experiences and insights did they return, if at all? How did the results of their expeditions change our ideas of the world? What political and economic interests were in play? Researchers such as Alfred Wegener, Johannes Georgi, Fritz Löwe and Ernst Sorge come to life in the reading. They relate their experiences of loneliness and cold, conflicts and friendship, of the long separation from their wives and also the importance of their four-legged companions.
The premiere will take place on May 23 at 7 p.m. at the German Maritime Museum and on May 28 at 7.30 p.m. in the Theater am Leibnizplatz. Further performances are on June 12, and June 20, at 7.30 p.m., in the Theater am Leibnizplatz. The tickets cost 13 euro each (reduced rate 6 euro).
“Out of the files, onto the stage” wins theater competition
Students of history and actors and actresses of the bremer shakespeare company under the direction of Dr. Eva Schöck-Quinteros and Peter Lüchinger have been creating theatrical reading performances based on original documents since 2007. The aim is to bring files to life on the stage and in this way to make historical research accessible to a wide audience. The project “Out of the files, onto the stage” has already received several awards.
Recently, there was another reason to celebrate: The project won the ideas competition “Theater Makes History. Artistic Interventions for the Future” supported by the foundation Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft. It was awarded 37,000 euro for the realization of the theatrical production "No refuge. Nowhere: Neither on land nor at sea". The production deals with the failure of the international community at the Evian Conference in July 1938, which was unable to agree on granting asylum to 500,000 German and Austrian Jewish citizens. Associated with the award is a lecture performance to be held in June 2018 at the Sommertheater in Leipzig.
More information under:
www.sprechende-akten.de
www.shakespeare-company.com/repertoire/vom-eis-gebissen-im-eis-vergraben
www.dsm.museum/info/veranstaltungen/vom-eis-gebissen-im-eis-vergraben.6672.de.html
https://www.awi.de/ueber-uns/service/archiv-fuer-deutsche-polarforschung.html
If you would like to know more, feel free to contact:
Dr. Eva Schöck-Quinteros
Institut für Geschichtswissenschaft
University of Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-67251
Email: esqprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
