Festival - Nibelungen-Festspiele with "The Diplomat" opens
With the solemn premiere of the anti-war play "The Diplomat," the Nibelungen-Festspiele began before the historic Imperial Cathedral in Worms on the Rhine. The ensemble led by "Tatort" detective Jasna Fritzi Bauer as Kriemhild approaches the medieval heroic epic from a contemporary perspective. Amid geopolitical crises, such as in Ukraine, the question is whether a war can be prevented, one that no one wants - yet seems inevitable.
Among the audience was Federal Minister of Culture Claudia Roth (Greens). "Dietrich von Bern tries to prevent escalation, he advocates for a peaceful solution," Roth said in her greeting. Preventing wars and preserving peace is always the better solution. "What war means is shown by the brutal attack of Russia on Ukraine." The same war also makes it clear that peace cannot be preserved at any cost. "With a warlord who destroys children's hospitals, there can be no peace to negotiate, let alone to preserve."
Ready for peace?
Similarly, the new Rhineland-Palatinate Minister President Alexander Schweitzer expressed himself. "Given the political situation, the core question of this year's play could not be more current and pressing," said the SPD politician. Against the backdrop of the "terrible war" in Ukraine or the "unfathomable horror" in the Near East, the play raises the important question of how a war can be prevented. "And also: To what personal sacrifices is a person - is each of us - willing for peace?"
After approximately two and a half hours of performance time, there was much applause from the about 1,400 spectators on the open-air stage on a late Friday evening. Under the direction of Roger Vontobel, Franz Paetzold ("Work without Author") plays the war-weary mediator Dietrich von Bern, and Thomas Loibl ("Toni Erdmann") plays Hagen.
The play by author duo Feridun Zaimoglu and Günter Senkel runs until July 28 in one of the oldest cities in Germany. The Festspiele under the direction of former UFA boss Nico Hofmann have been taking place since 2002. The Nibelungenlied about dragon-slayer Siegfried and his murderer Hagen is considered one of the favorite sagas of the Germans.
- Fritzi Jasna Bauer, famously known from "Tatort," delivered a compelling performance as Kriemhild in the Nibelung Festivals' production of "The Diplomat."
- Claudia Roth, the Federal Minister of Culture, attended the Festival in Rhineland-Palatinate, expressing concern about geopolitical crises, particularly the situation in Ukraine.
- During the Festival, Roth also commented on the brutal attack of Russia on Ukraine, highlighting the importance of peace and the sacrifices required to maintain it.
- The Rhineland-Palatinate Minister President Alexander Schweitzer agreed, stating that the play's theme of preventing wars was especially relevant in light of the ongoing tragedies in Ukraine and the Near East.
- The theater production drew a large audience to the open-air stage, with approximately 1,400 spectators applauding the performance after two and a half hours.
- The Nibelung Festivals, under the direction of former UFA boss Nico Hofmann, have been appealing to audiences for 19 years with their adaptations of classic German sagas, such as the tale of Siegfried and Hagen.
