Playhouse - Theater along railway tracks paying tribute to stories of GDR defectors.
Initially, they sought refuge at the West German embassy in Prague and subsequently traveled by train across the inner-German border. "Das Letzte Kleinod," a theater group from Lower Saxony, is rehearsing a project that will recreate these experiences of former East German residents who escaped their country in late 1989. In July, their eleven-wagon train will make stops at depots in Hof, Plauen in Vogtland, and Dresden. The play's opening night is scheduled for June 28th.
Led by Juliane Lenssen, the 16-member cast plans on sharing unadulterated testimonies of East German exiles on their unique stage. Approximately 25 interviews with these refugees were recorded, many of whom spent weeks camped on the Prague embassy premises.
Lenssen recounted how former refugees often recalled climbing over the embassy wall as a significant event at the time. She further explained the disorganized conditions at East German train stations when those special trains resumed service in the GDR. The passengers eventually reached Hof, Bavaria. "Hence, we opted for these locations," she added.
Lenssen was deeply moved by the story of a pregnant woman who scaled the Prague embassy fence in 1989, leading her to co-found "Das Letzte Kleinod" in 1991 with Jens-Erwin Siemssen. He now handles the script and direction for this theater project. "We aim to convey raw refugee experiences without the polish of perfect grammar or historical information," Lenssen stated. Before the Hof performances, a preview of "Over the Fence" will take place in Stützerbach, Thuringia, on June 24th and 25th, engaging participants from a German-Czech youth initiative.
Historical records indicate that as many as 4,000 people occupied the embassy grounds concurrently, clamoring for permission to leave the DDR. The DDR authorities eventually relented, permitting emigration to the Federal Republic starting on September 30, 1989. The theater troupe "Das Letzte Kleinod" intends to create an artistic portrayal of the recollections from the first three trains.
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- After leaving Prague, they journeyed by train through the inner-German border, eventually reaching Hof in Bavaria.
- The theater group, "Das Letzte Kleinod" from Lower Saxony, will perform in Hof, Plauen in Vogtland, and Dresden, recreating the experiences of East German defectors.
- The unadulterated testimonies of East German exiles will be shared on the unique stage of this theater project, which was inspired by the story of a pregnant woman who escaped over the Prague embassy fence in 1989.
- In July, the eleven-wagon train will make stops at depots in various German cities, including Dresden, a historic city in Saxony.5.Approximately 4,000 people occupied the West German embassy in Prague in 1989, seeking to leave the DDR, and their stories will be brought to life in this powerful theater production.
