To mark the university's anniversary, the Unitheater is bringing the story of Rosalinde von Ossietzky to the stage. The documentary drama is dedicated to a woman who had many facets - and was a fighter in many ways.
"Without Rosalinde von Ossietzky, the long name dispute could have ended differently. The University of Oldenburg might never have been named after her father, Carl von Ossietzky." With this statement, Kai Janssen, author and director of the theatre play "Eine gute, anständige Sache" (A good, decent thing), names an important motive for the Studentenwerkbühne Unikum's production of Rosalinde's story to mark the university's 50th anniversary. The play was commissioned by the university and premiered in the BIS Hall on 17 May. At the centre is the daughter of the namesake, from whose perspective the life story of the Ossietzky family is told. The aim of this unusual theatre project is to bring Rosalinde's eventful biography to the stage, including her activities as a pacifist, social worker and dancer, as well as her role in the controversy surrounding the naming, and thus make it known to a wider audience.
The play was written based on historical sources
Janssen drew on various sources when writing the play, including writings by Carl von Ossietzky, the autobiography of his wife Maud and works by their daughter Rosalinde. The historical drama follows the life story of the family from the Weimar Republic to Carl's death as a result of his mistreatment by the National Socialists in the Esterwegen concentration camp and into the 1970s and 80s. Important, sometimes recurring motifs are the absence of the obsessively hard-working father, mother Maud's alcoholism and psychological problems, the political and personal consequences of forced exile abroad and finally Rosalinde's involvement in the fight to have the university named after her father Carl. For many of the performers, it was an exciting and moving experience to engage so intensively with the Ossietzky family. "I knew very little about Carl von Ossietzky beforehand. But by working on the play, I learnt a lot about the life of the Ossietzky family, but also about the later dispute over the university's name," says actress Viktoria Rupp.
Author Kai Janssen characterises his work as a "theatrical documentary with elements of a drama". Despite the artistic freedom he takes, it is important to him that the events are portrayed as realistically as possible. A "chronicler" is responsible for the documentary character, interrupting the biographical scenes with her appearances. She uses original quotes from newspaper articles, speeches and other documents to bring the changing historical background to life. A total of 17 student actors and actresses, most of whom take on several roles, play various scenes from Rosalinde's life. Maren Duken as Rosalinde, Tom Nietmann as Carl and Lisa Schmidt as Maud von Ossietzky are the only ones who play a fixed role. All the other characters are not historical figures, but are representative of a certain social class or group - such as the middle classes, reporters, students or even passers-by.
Despite everything, hope is a leitmotif
"Although I already had some previous historical knowledge, it was a challenge to put myself in the shoes of people from other eras, to combine lively acting with historical documentation, so to speak," says actor Marcel Settnik, who plays a public prosecutor who accuses Carl von Ossietzky, among others. The language, the choice of words, the manners and the whole temperament were very different in the 1920s than they are today. In order not to distract from the performance and to have more time for the play, Janssen dispenses with the use of costumes. Instead, all the actors - who are on stage for the entire duration of the play - wear plain black clothing. The stage design is also deliberately minimalist.
The announcement text makes it clear that director Janssen and the ensemble see Rosalinde von Ossietzky as a strong and "above all an emancipated woman". But although the play tells a lot about the family's ordeal, it is also intended to inspire hope, not least through some light-hearted moments. "Rosalinde's life story was characterised by struggles. Nevertheless, her journey through life shows that hope cannot be beaten and that there is often a better future at the end," says Janssen. He and the other people involved naturally hope for a sold-out theatre - also so that as many people as possible can share in the story of an unusual woman.
