Kulturland Brandenburg 2010
“Mut & Anmut (‘Courage & Grace’). Women in Brandenburg—Prussia”
2010 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Queen Luise, who has remained a popular figure in the public imagination to this very day. Kulturland Brandenburg has taken this occasion to bring to light forgotten, lost, and hidden histories and stories of women in Brandenburg-Prussia and to illustrate how these women have impacted the present. In addition to the theme’s historical motive, the theme year portrays Brandenburg’s current social, demographic, and economic situation, addresses contemporary problems, and discusses future perspectives for society.
Remarkable women in history will beckon visitors from near and far to visit a wide array of events: film and theater projects, concerts, and even city and architectural tours and exhibits. Our guests will discover women in Brandenburg who shaped both the times in which they lived and the lives of their contemporaries—or who do so today. Indeed, women have often been ahead of their time. They often influence the taste and style of an era, display greatness and emotion, were beautiful muses as well as intellectual advisors, and they continue to make an impact with their Mut und Anmut—“courage and grace.”
In their approach to this year’s theme, many projects take the form of a historical retrospective. They skillfully link past events to the present, thus showing the relation of historical and contemporary developments. This theme year focuses on the legacy of Queen Luise, who is still remembered as a beautiful, subtle, and courageous woman. Symbolizing Mut und Anmut (“courage and grace”), she will serve Kulturland Brandenburg 2010 as a “godmother” for all women.
In this vein, the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten (“Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg”) will display the dresses and gowns of the fashion-conscious queen in Paretz Palace starting July 31. These rare originals, which until now have not been accessible to the public, present a special cultural-historical image of a grand epoch in Prussia.
The Filmmuseum Potsdam will also adopt “Luise von Preußen” as its icon: an exhibit and a film series from March to October both analyze how television and film productions have taken up the legend of Luise and simultaneously become a part of it as well.
Stories of other women who made an impact both during and after their lifetime will enrich this theme year. The main exhibit in the Haus der Brandenburgisch-Preußischen Geschichte is a literal expression of the 2010 motto Mut & Anmut—“Courage & Grace.” A selection of artistically outstanding portraits from the mid-eighteenth to the early twentieth century portray women who have played and who continue to play an important role as “icons” of women in Brandenburg’s collective memory. The exhibit Preußens Eros will open in Potsdam in September.
“A beautiful woman is a jewel; a good woman is a treasure”: Prince Pückler’s riches took the form of Lucie von Hardenberg, his wife and advisor. For the first time ever, an exhibit will provide visitors a comprehensive view into the life and influence of Lucie von Pückler-Muskau. Open from May to October, Die grüne Fürstin (The Green Princess) makes a historical inquiry into the accomplishments of the princess and her contribution to her husband’s works.
From May to August, an exhibit in Frankfurt (Oder) traces the life and impact of another self-confident noblewoman— Caroline de la Motte Fouqué. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Gut Nennhausen (“Nennhausen Manor”) became an intellectual center that attracted many noble and bourgeois literary figures, including Joseph von Eichendorff und August Wilhelm Schlegel. The hostess at these illustrious meetings was none other than Caroline de la Motte Fouqué, “a being who shines in all the glory of a sublime mind,” as her husband, Baron de la Motte Fouqué, described her.
At the Kurt Tucholsky Literaturmuseum Schloss Rheinsberg, Tucholsky’s fiancée Else Weil is the focus of attention. She was the inspiration for “Claire” in his short story “Rheinsberg - Ein Bilderbuch für Verliebte” ("Rheinsberg—A Picture Book for Lovers"), which made the young author an overnight success. Else Weil, who embodied the new, self-confident image of women in her time, was one of the first women who studied medicine in Prussia. Opening in mid-November, the exhibit presents the many facets of this unusual—and progressive—woman.
The working group Städte mit historischen Stadtkernen (“Cities with Historical Centers“) is again organizing a special project in Kulturland Brandenburg 2010: Frauen machen Stadt. (“Women Shape the City”). A number of cities throughout Brandenburg (Angermünde, Belzig, Dahme/Mark, Gransee) are participating and featuring women who have been of great importance in city development both in the past and in the present. Starting in May, visitors will have the chance to acquaint themselves with exciting personalities highlighted in intriguing related programs such as exhibits and city tours, readings, and seminars.
Fontane’s women come to the fore in not one but two projects in 2010: “My female characters are all a bit loony,” wrote Theodor Fontane in 1895, declaring his love for his heroines’ human nature, weaknesses and shortcomings. As part of the 2010 premiere of the Fontane-Festspiele in Neuruppin, 10 female figures from Fontane’s letters and novels will be presented in photo- and audio installations throughout Neuruppin as well as in other cities in Brandenburg. And at the Uckermärkischen Bühnen Schwedt, Fontane’s wife Emilie and his only daughter Martha (“Mete”) are the focus of the play Schicksal, ick erwarte Dir! (Fate, I Await Thee!). Entertaining dialogues, poems, and quotes from Fontane’s letters evidence these women’s influence on the work of the author from the Mark Brandenburg. Complete with musical accompaniment, the production brings a piece of Prussia’s and Brandenburg’s history to life.
Beginning August 19, the exhibit Zeitsprung – Aus der Sicht der Frauen (Fast-Forward—From a Woman’s Perspective) at Caputh Palace, the City Gallery Kunstgeschoss Werder, and the Heimathaus (“Heritage House”) Caputh examines the state of “womanliness” today. The collection of close-ups sheds light on the day-to-day life and the social self-conception of women.
The project Frauenorte im Land Brandenburg (Women’s Spaces in Brandenburg) looks at the lives of women in order to make the historical and contemporary impact of women in Brandenburg both visible and tangible. For instance, uniform signs on posts will designate those spaces that have a clear relation to the life and work of women as “women’s spaces.”
Unusual stories of emancipation will be presented at the Spielzeugmuseum (“Toy Museum”) in the Havelland: in Kleßen, a range of toys for girls from a various eras will be displayed. The toys reflect the self-conception of women, which has transformed over the centuries.
The Kammerakademie Potsdam examines images of women’s roles and takes up a current topic. In the project Break Classics: stay loose, boy – get cool, girl, socially disadvantaged youth and professional musicians and dancers stage a play that deals with the lives of girls in the milieu of street gangs. Two opposing worlds of youth culture and “high culture” collide.
Music will also fill the air in Cottbus: from October 21-24, women who have made a name for themselves as jazz composers, arrangers, and band leaders take center stage at the Jazz-Feminale. Together with cultural institutions in Cottbus, they will offer workshops that will involve young female jazz musicians from the region.
Not only music fans but also enthusiasts of the visual arts will be sure to get their fill at Kulturland Brandenburg 2010. The exhibit Malerinnen des Havellands um 1900 (Early Twentieth-Century Women Painters of the Havelland), opening on July 24, will present around 30 works of women artists from the Schwielowsee region. Although they are largely unknown today, they made a considerable contribution to the development of modern art at the turn of the last century.
Linking the past to the present, the project Schwesterherz 1x1 - Künstlerinnen in Brandenburg (Sisterheart 1x1—Women Artists in Brandenburg) opens on September 19 in the Schinkelkirche Petzow (Petzow Village Church, designed by Schinkel). Eight contemporary women artists from Brandenburg work in dialogue with 8 women artists from Brandenburg’s past. The result: art that interprets the personality and works of the selected artists by contemporary means.
The opening ceremony of Kulturland Brandenburg 2010 will take begin on May 7 at 4 PM at the artists-in-residence center Schloss Wiepersdorf.
The cultural network Kulturland Brandenburg takes you along on journeys through Brandenburg, “Berlin’s backyard.” (Re)discover Brandenburg—with us!
We look forward to welcoming you at the wide array of this year’s events.
Sincerely,
Kulturland Brandenburg
