© Alina Simmelbauer
With the support of the Federal Ministry of Finance and the EVZ Foundation, the Junges Nationaltheater Mannheim [Mannheim Young National Theater] has the opportunity to launch a project which examines the continuity of right-wing thinking in two artistic productions that build on each other for and with its young audience. The focus is on the question of how memory and the youthful biographies of those involved from Mannheim, Leuna and Oświęcim can lead to a new type of commemoration.
The JNTM production “Für alle Ewigkeit” [For all Eternity] will premiere as part of the opening of the National Socialism Documentation Center at MARCHIVUM, City Archives Mannheim, in the fall of 2022. The artists' collective imaginary company has designed the location-specific production. Young people working on the project will carry out on-site research, examining the continuity of right-wing thinking and learning about the work and function of a city archive.
Under the title "Chemie bringt Brot, Wohlstand und Schönheit“ [Chemistry brings bread, prosperity and beauty], the JNTM focuses in the second part of the project on coming to terms with the history of chemical companies in Oświęcim, Leuna, and BASF in Ludwigshafen. Which narratives about chemical companies as employers and breadwinners and with which memories of horror - after the social ruptures of '45 and '89 - are young people growing up with there today? The aim is to bring young people together to reappraise National Socialist history with a focus on forced labor and to make a connection with the current situation and personal family history of the participants. The result will be a musical theater production.
Founded in 1979 as the fourth division of the National Theater in Mannheim, the Junges Nationaltheater Mannheim is the oldest municipal children's and youth theater in Baden-Württemberg. It combines theater programs for all ages from 6 months and introduces young audiences to various artistic approaches, with a major focus on active participation.
Project partners:
MARCHIVUM
BASF Corporate History
Duration: 01.11.2021 until 31.12.2022