Culture

Charity gala: “you are Germany!”

Til Schweiger, Herbert Grönemeyer and other Stars set a sign for solidarity with refugees. With the revenues of the charity gala with readings and concerts, the voice support should be pushed forward.

Big the star was contingent in the context of the lit.Cologne, one of the largest literature festivals in Europe. In Cologne’s Lanxess Arena, the Jack gave out about a dozen authors, actors and musicians in the Hand – the proceeds of the event go to the “Til Schweiger Foundation,” which would encourage language courses for refugee children and adults.

Around 7200 guests came to the charity gala, including many school classes and welcome initiatives. It was an evening of top-class concerts and readings. Under the slogan “you are Germany! The refugees and the power of language” read authors such as Wladimir Kaminer, Frank Schätzing and Cordula Stratmann texts home, escape and new beginning. With a special perspective: It is presented in both refugee stories of the Second world war as well as today – and there were surprising Parallels.

Unchanged Borderline Experiences

The comedienne and writer Cordula Stratmann read a Text by Stefan Zweig, who emigrated in 1934 to the seizure of power by the national socialists from Vienna to London fled and later to Brazil. His book “The world of Yesterday. Memories of a European,” wrote branch already in exile. In the autobiographical work, he tells the story of a whole Generation – in the years before the First world war to Hitler’s Nazi Germany, which plunged Europe into the abyss. Until today, the book is regarded as a mirror of society at the time; it portrays the intellectual class before the war, and the everyday effects of growing anti-Semitism.

Branch took in 1942, in exile for life, his book was published posthumously. His Text was consciously selected for this evening, because he makes it clear, to fight with what personal situations, refugees – then as now.

Best-Selling Author Franz Schätzing

The link to the current Situation, a further reading with best-selling author Frank Schätzing, the extracts of the work “break the reality” of the peace prize of the German book trade excellent writer and orientalist Navid Kermani presented. This describes how he accompanied refugees from the Turkish coastal city of Izmir to Germany.

Important food for thought in the Lanxess Arena, the musical accompaniment were: Herbert Grönemeyer sang the moving song “fire light” is about people on the run and encouraged the audience never to look away.

The escape with instruments funded

The three-hour program provided a lot of entertainment, but also a lot of material for discussions: While in the case of artists like Rapper Cro, or Thomas D., a member of the Fantastic Four, in front of all the younger audience felt entertained, and touched the Syrian Band Khebez Dawle nearly all present to tears. The Band has only recently escaped to Germany. The flight to Europe, they sold all their instruments. Currently, your asylum run applications.

Moving appearance: the Syrian Band Khebez Dawle at a charity gala in Cologne

The power of language, wove like a red thread through the night – fittingly, the revenue of the language development of refugees for the benefit of, co-ordinated by the Til Schweiger Foundation. The actor had founded the charitable organization in 2015, to provide, among other things, a fast and unbureaucratic help for the newly arrived Refugees.