The Walter Kempowski Project

Walter Kempowski’s (1929–2007) autobiographical novels, “German Chronicals” were responsible for putting the author on the literary map. In this novel series, Kempowski delves into his own family history and depicts scenes which illustrate the involvement of the German middle class in the First and Second World War. He describes the international connections in his father’s and grandfather’s shipping company as a part of German imperialism, and reports on the years of Russian occupation and his own eight years imprisoned in Bautzen.
The stage director and general theatre director of the Altonaer Theater, Axel Schneider, has adapted the nine-volume series of “German Chronicles” for the stage as a three-night production, scheduled to premiere at the Altonaer Theater during the 2018/19 season.
With such an extensive project that so vastly diverges from conventional theatre productions, the Altonaer Theater hoped to attract a broad and preferably younger audience which has no immediate connection to the world wars or to the post-war era of German division.

Artistic director: Axel Schneider
Dramaturgy: Sonja Valentin, Jan Philipp Reemtsma
Musical director: Mathias Christian Kosel
Choreography: Malcolm Ranson (GB)
Camera: Eric Jacquet (FR)
Musician: Natalie Böttcher (RU)

With: Tobias Dürr, Katrin Gerken, Ute Geske, Detlef Heydorn, Dirk Hoener, Johan Richter, Anne Schieber, Philip Spreen, Nadja Wünsche