Great cinema in Friedensau

In August 2024, attentive observers in Friedensau were able to spot film crews on the move, lugging around large microphones and other equipment, setting up in groups to shoot scenes with actors and extras dressed in historical costumes depicting striking historical events from Friedensau's history. We are talking about the film about Friedensau ‘Echo of Faith’, which is currently in production.

There are various films about Friedensau. The oldest surviving document is a promotional film from 1935, which Friedemann Mahlhus, the former head of the Friedensau picture centre, had already secured decades ago and which - with explanatory words from Gottfried Donat added afterwards - gives an impression of Friedensau around 90 years ago.

In recent years and decades, MDR film crews have also been on site from time to time to report on events at the university or on campus in short or longer sequences. Now, a ‘docu-drama’ is being produced that focuses on the history and stories of Friedensau. This film ‘Echo of Faith’ is based on Wolfgang Hartlapp's book ‘Wanderer, kommst du nach Friedensau ...’ from 2009. Lecturer and church historian Dr Johannes Hartlapp has now written the screenplay. The film was realised by Friedensau-Media under the direction of Matheus Volanin and Matthias Reischel; the latter is the director of various ARD films.

The majority of you, dear readers, know Friedensau. Many of you were once pupils or students. Our view and perspective of the place are usually based on our own experiences. This was also the case during the film shoot. Theology student Wieland Gelke had the opportunity to take part in the film ‘Echo of Faith’ as an actor. Like other amateur actors from Friedensau, he was very impressed by the film. He describes his impressions on set: ‘It's a tense silence. Everyone stands rigidly and waits for the signal: ‘And please!' And then it starts immediately. I'm standing opposite two sinister figures who are tailor-made National Socialists in terms of their clothing and demeanour. Everything about them intimidates me and makes me feel uncomfortable. ... I feel the pain and powerlessness, become smaller and smaller inside and yet try to maintain my friendly but slightly distant and shy demeanour. Then, all of a sudden, the call comes: ‘Thank you, and out’, and everyone stands there as if transformed. The scowls disappear and the Nazis, who had just been so nasty, become very friendly and likeable people ... For me as a layman, it is a completely new and overwhelming experience: the costumes, the make-up, the props and the set are designed with loving attention to detail. Together with the wonderful performance of the actors, it is very easy to immerse yourself in your role and the period. As the director of Friedensau Seminary, I [as Otto Vogel] am faced with a political superior force that wants to intimidate me and seize our buildings. It's all just an act, but the emotions are still real. I feel the discomfort, the helplessness and the pain that the representatives of the university must have felt in this situation at the time. I am deeply moved to know that they remained strong back then, relied on God and saved our Friedensau from far worse.’

Karola Vierus, who has lived, studied and worked in Friedensau for more than 45 years, also has her own scene. She plays - how could it be otherwise - an organ player. Her experience of filming in Friedensau Chapel was as follows: ‘I thought everything was very professional and well organised ... The only thing they struggled with was the overly bright fluorescent tube above the organ music stand: it was first covered with light-coloured and then dark paper, so that reading the music was a bit tiring. I found the little group that represented the churchgoers in the gallery very funny: In the special GDR fashion of the eighties, in beige and mouse grey ... they sat there focussed. That really amused me.’

Other filming locations included an old Latin school in Gernrode (Harz), the traditional railway association Kleinbahn in Magdeburgerforth - because the Pabsdorf-Friedensau railway station no longer exists today - and the Neue Schule, in a classroom converted into an office. Interviews were also recorded with Dieter Leutert (in Potsdam), Wolfgang Kabus (in Augsburg) and Bernhard Oestreich (in Friedensau), which will be included in the docu-drama. The necessary post-production work is currently underway, editing the film, optimising the soundtracks and so on. We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in this film, perhaps even acted in it or donated to its financing. The film premiere is scheduled for spring 2025. It will be exciting for us all to see what has become of this project. I'm really looking forward to it! (Text: Andrea Cramer).

Click here for advance ticket sales for the film premiere on 6 April 2025, 5 pm, at the Burg-Theater, Magdeburger Straße 4, 39288 Burg.