Speaking lost words

Münchner Kammerspiele performers give a voice to the last letters written by prisoners executed in Stadelheim

The Münchner Kammerspiele stands for daring, contemporary theater arts and an open, democratic attitude. As the “city’s theater” it is closely tied to Munich and its history.  This is why the ensemble under Director Barbara Mundel was immediately interested in the #lostwords project and the farewell letters written from Stadelheim Prison. In short videos, six performers read excerpts from the letters – and give a voice to words which never reached their intended recipients and went unheard for so long.

Letters read aloud

Letter from Marie Ehrlich, 81 years old
executed on 10 February 1944 for “subversion of the Wehrmacht”
Read by Anja Signitzer
Letter from Johannes Fleischmann, 42 years old
executed on 28 November 1941 for “dangerous habitual crimes”
Read by Walter Hess
Letters from Victor Douillet and René Blondel, both 24 years old
executed on 28 October 1943 for “theft of small animals”
Read by Frangiskos Kakoulakis
Letter from Charlotte Schulz, 20 years old
executed on 17 May 1943 for “theft”
Read by Maren Solty
Letter from Nikolaus Segota, 41 years old
executed on 25 May 1943 as an “international hotel thief”
Read by Edmund Telgenkämper
Letter from Jan Stępniak, 19 years old
executed for “disparaging the German people”
Read by Luis Brunner

To the Münchner Kammerspiele website