(Kopie 1)
Historical images from the autumn of ’89 opened the evening, giving the audience an initial impression of what had happened in Leipzig during the Peaceful Revolution. What it was like back then – civil rights activist Gisela Kallenbach was, of course, particularly well placed to describe this in conversation with presenter Claudius Nießen. “What kind of day was the 9ᵗʰ of October 1989 for you?”, Nießen asked at the beginning.
"The 9ᵗʰ of October 1989 did not just change Leipzig. It was, in fact, the beginning of the Peaceful Revolution across the whole country. Four prayers for peace took place at the same time, and people no longer allowed themselves to be intimidated. They took to the streets with great courage. Not a single shot was fired that day; it was an evening of relief, but I also asked myself: What happens next?”, said Kallenbach.
Nießen then turned the focus to the present: “When you look at the here and now, where can people get involved, where should they get involved today?” Gisela Kallenbach’s answer is a clear appeal: “Fundamentally, I am glad that for 30 years I have been able to live in a free, democratic state governed by the rule of law. But if we look more closely: our world has become neither more peaceful nor truly fairer. Nor have we yet managed to preserve the natural foundations of our lives. That is why I believe that even today there are every reason to work for change.”
Choreographer Roman Windisch had developed a choreography entitled “Freedom” especially for this evening with six female dancers from his dance company human moves. In advance, they engaged intensively both with the topic and with the venue. Several meetings with the residents and staff of the communal accommodation ultimately provided the content basis for the evening performance on the playground in front of the accommodation. Gaining people’s trust was initially the main focus of the encounters; incorporating the refugees’ experiences and accounts into the choreography was the second step. The result was a series of impressive images.
