Gastspiel "Das Schweigende Klassenzimmer"

In the organizer's words:

Würzburg, February 8, 2025 - A school class remains silent. And turns the entire state apparatus of the GDR against itself. Anna Stiepani directs the world premiere of The Silent Classroom by Dietrich Garstka at the Mainfranken Theater. The production can now be seen for a guest performance at the former Stasi headquarters in Berlin.

In cooperation with the Institute for German Studies at the Ruhr University Bochum and funded by the Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship (Berlin), the Mainfranken Theater is bringing the story of Dietrich Garstka's 12th grade class to the stage. Director Anna Stiepani and dramaturge Barbara Bily are using Garstka's memoirs as the basis for the stage version and incorporating original documents. From the class's decision to remain silent, to the restrictions and investigations of the GDR regime, to the flight of many of those involved to the Federal Republic of Germany to escape the punishment of not being admitted to the Abitur.

It is November 1956 and a school class in Storkow holds a minute's silence in honor of the freedom fighters who died in the Hungarian revolution. It was this minute's silence that brought the GDR's socialist regime and state security onto the scene. Discussions are held and pressure is exerted on the pupils to betray the ringleader. But the class sticks together. As a result, the entire class was excluded from the Abitur. A large number of the students then flee to the Federal Republic of Germany.

The performances are accompanied by conversations with contemporary witnesses who lived in the GDR and experienced the political system there. During school visits in the region or on-site discussions in the theater, the students can come into contact with the contemporary witnesses and ask questions, and the performances are also accompanied by follow-up discussions.

Following the great success in and around Würzburg, the ensemble is now coming to Berlin for a guest performance. The play will be staged in the former Stasi headquarters on the Campus for Democracy on March 6 and 7.

Tickets: https://www.mainfrankentheater.de/programm/spielplan/gastspiel-das-schweigende-klassenzimmer/2422/

Price information:

Normal price: 18,00 Euro Reduced price: 9,00 Euro