Premiere in Leipzig: Puppet theater tells of war and memory

Premiere in Leipzig: Puppet theater tells of war and memory

On September 21, 2025, the Theater der Junge Welt (TDJW) in Leipzig celebrated the premiere of the play “a lucky thing”, which linked the stories of two young people in a moving way. Juri, a 14-year-old boy from today's Leipzig, and Motja, who spent his childhood in Kyjiw at the time of the Holocaust, are the focus of the staging. Juri fled from Ukraine before the Russian attack war and now lives in Leipzig, while Motja survived Babyn Jar's massacre, where almost 50,000 Jewish people were killed in 1941. The narrative aims to combine the present and the legacy of the Holocaust, especially by showing how the past affects the perspectives of young people today.

The dolls that represent the two boys were lifelike and contribute to the emotional depth of the piece. Dramaturg Jörn Kalbitz emphasizes that dealing with history is an important topic that also affects young people. However, this also requires a careful consideration regarding the narrative style that is available and accessible. The author Lena Gorelik was commissioned to create a work that connects these complex issues with the reality of young people. Motja is a real person, and contemporary witnesses by puppeteer Dina Pronitschewa, who reported on Babyn Jar's atrocities after the Second World War, form the basis for the piece.

Thematic deepening through historical contexts

Babyn Jar's massacre is still very important today, and the current state of research raises many questions that could also be taken up in the play. Who were the victims and perpetrators and how did the population Kiev react to the crimes committed? According to an audio contribution by the Federal Center for Political Education, which deals with memory -political aspects to Babyn Jar, there are numerous unexplained questions and blind spots that make historical processing difficult. The problem of memory after the war is also discussed, which was characterized by public ignorance and dealing with Babyn Jar during the Soviet period. Only since the independence of Ukraine has a broader discussion about the Jews began as a sacrificial group, with various initiatives to become more important to establish a central memorial.

Historians and experts, including Vladyslav Hrynevich and Karel Berkhoff, show that dealing with the memory of Babyn Jar is not without challenges. The topic has been relevant for many years, since new approaches are always required for a more appropriate honoring of the victims. A central memorial place that recognizes the various victim groups has not yet been realized, although numerous monuments have been built.

Love and war

In “a lucky thing”, the boys experience not only the horror of war, but also their first great love. Puppet player Sven Tillmann emphasizes that this relationship, for Motja from the time of the war, remains unreachable. This gives the piece an additional emotional dimension because it illustrates how war life and dreams of young people can influence.

The director Martina van Boxen implements the story in a surreal fantasy world that enables the audience to deal with the difficult topic of the Holocaust, among other things, while the connection to the current situation is strengthened. This profound staging not only represents the past, but also stimulates reflection on current social reality.