Easy English

Reproduction of an oil painting on canvas by Dito Tembe entitled Remembrances of Germany dating 2023. The colors used in the painting are various shades of grey as well as black and white. Three people are in the center of the painting. Two of the people can be seen in profile. The third person is in the center wearing a hat and glasses and is depicted from the front. The television tower can be seen in the background alongside urban architecture. At the bottom edge of the picture is a globe surrounded by numerous birds.

Dito Tembe, Rememberances of Germany (2023), oil painting on canvas, original 110 x 100 cm, reproduction 345 x 306 cm. Photo: Mariano Silva, courtesy of the artist

What does remembering cost?

And what is lost when we forget?

What is Echoes of Brother-Countries?

Echoes of Brother-Countries is a cultural project.

It looks closely

at the history of East Germany (GDR).

And its connections with its friendly countries.

These friendly countries

were called "brother-countries".

They had similar politics

as East Germany (GDR).

And similar beliefs.

East Germany (GDR) was a country.

It doesn't exist anymore.

Since 1990.

This project tries to understand:

How does this past

still affect Germany?

And those friendly countries?

It connects these stories

to a bigger world story.

And a shared culture.

After Germany became one country again

many stories are not shared.

Stories about Germany

often focus on West Germany (BRD).

They leave out

East Germany's (GDR) perspective.

More importantly

they leave out

the perspective of the people.

Echoes of Brother-Countries shows these stories.

By showing:

art

live shows

workshops

learning programs

sound works

websites

magazines

It shows

how people lived in East Germany (GDR).

What they felt.

And how they suffered.

And it shows

what life was like.

What is part of Echoes of Brother-Countries?

Workshops in Berlin

look at what has changed

and what has not.

They focus on stories

from people who moved to East Germany (GDR).

Also, workshops and research in other countries

help with research and talks.

They are in:

Ghana

Algeria

Angola

Cuba

Vietnam

Research in Chile

shows perspectives

that most research forgets about.

The project shows

how these stories

still shape Germany.

The culture and economy and politics.

And especially the lives of those

who moved under Eastern alliances.

HKW creates a space for remembering

and listening.

It helps understanding

the unfairness and sadness.

But also happiness and love.

For that

it uses stories and arts

from different ages and countries.

There are programs

with schools and groups.

And there are films

by filmmakers

from different ages.

They lived or studied or worked

in East Germany (GDR).

A country gone.