Olga

Memorial Tours with Katharina Michael Five themed memorial tours through Dresden immersed participants in the diverse Jewish history of the city – from the early community to today’s culture of remembrance. Through interactive methods, reflection and creative inspiration, we worked together to develop personal connections to historical sites and their significance today. Memorial Tour: ‘Introduction to the Jewish history of Dresden’ Friday | 15.08.2025 | 16:00 – 17:30 The first tour, ‘Introduction to Jewish History in Dresden,’ offered a basic introduction to Jewish history in Dresden – from its beginnings to the Nazi era. The focus was on key locations of Jewish life and religious practice. In the workshop that followed, participants creatively processed their impressions of the city.   Memorial Tour: ‘The persecution of the Jewish population during the Nazi era’ Saturday | 16.08.2025 | 11:00 – 12:30 The tour ‘The Persecution of the Jewish Population during the Nazi Era’ shed light on the systematic exclusion, disenfranchisement and deportation of Jewish citizens during the Nazi era in Dresden. Participants encountered specific sites of injustice and remembrance.   Memorial Tour: ‘Destruction and reconstruction after the Second World War’ Friday | 22.08.2025 | 16:00 – 17:30 The third tour, ‘Destruction and Reconstruction after the Second World War,’ focused on the destruction of Dresden and its reconstruction after the Second World War. Participants explored the question of how Jewish history is remembered (or overlooked) in an urban space shaped by war. Memorial Tour: ‘Culture of remembrance and current memorial sites’ Saturday | 23.08.2025 | 11:00 – 12:30 The tour ‘Culture of Remembrance and Current Memorial Sites’ took participants to central memorial sites in the city of Dresden and addressed how the victims of the Holocaust are remembered today. It focused on forms of remembrance, public responsibility and the role of urban and civil society actors.   Memorial Tour: ‘The Future of Remembrance’ Friday | 29.08.2025 | 16:00 – 17:30 Finally, the focus turned to the future: What does Jewish life look like today – and how can we remember in the future? The tour ‘The Future of Remembrance’ focused on encounters with places of Jewish life today, educational initiatives and questions about the role of the participants themselves.

CREATIVE-WORKSHOPS with Nazanin Zandi In a series of creative workshops, participants learned how to tell stories using images and text – from panel layout to character design. They developed their first scenes and image ideas, discovered their style and worked on their own narrative about memory, persecution, Jewish life or questions about the future. ‘Visual storytelling’ Friday | 15.08.2025 | 18:30 – 20:00 | KulturCentrale In the creative workshop ‘Visual Storytelling’ with Nazanin Zandi, participants creatively processed their impressions of the city. Through initial drawing experiments in the style of graphic novels, historical content was made emotionally and visually accessible. The connection between place and image served as an introduction to the connection between history and artistic expression.   ‘Characters & Perspectives’ Saturday | 16.08.2025 | 13:30 – 15:00 | KulturCentrale In the creative workshop ‘Characters & Perspectives’ with Nazanin Zandi, the focus was on developing a character who can represent an individual fate. The change of perspective – telling the story ‘from the character’s point of view’ – promoted empathy and the creative interpretation of historical complexity.   ‘Places & Atmosphere’ Friday | 22.08.2025 | 18:30 – 20:00 | KulturCentrale In the creative workshop ‘Places & Atmosphere’ with Nazanin Zandi, the impressions from the tour on the destruction and reconstruction of Dresden were translated into atmospheric scenes: places were made tangible as carriers of memories, using visual language, symbolism and emotional expression. ‘Narration & Dramaturgy’ Saturday | 23.08.2025 | 13:30 – 15:00 | KulturCentrale In the creative workshop ‘Narration & Dramaturgy’ with Nazanin Zandi, participants used dramaturgical techniques to structure their graphic novels and turned what they had worked on so far into a coherent narrative.   ‘Your Voice of Memory’ Friday | 29.08.2025 | 18:30 – 20:00 | KulturCentrale In the final workshop, ‘Your Voice of Remembrance’ with Nazanin Zandi, historical reflection was creatively processed and the graphic novels were completed. The result was a collection of personal artistic contributions to the culture of remembrance – a bridge between history and the present.

Graphic Novels Working Sessions with Olga Yocheva & Doreen Siegmund & others In several sessions, participants worked on their graphic novel. They received support from artists, historians and educators. At the end, they had their finished story – and the opportunity to showcase it in an exhibition, a public presentation and a printed publication.   ‘Jewish Life Before 1933 – Diversity and Everyday Realities’ Thursday| 04.09.2025 | 18:00 – 19:30 | KulturCentrale The first working session provided insights into the diverse lives of Jewish citizens in Dresden before 1933. The focus was on individual biographies, social roles and cultural contributions. Based on this, ideas for graphic novels were developed: possible characters were sketched, perspectives were discussed and narrative approaches were collected. ’Persecution and Exclusion – Local Dimensions’ Thursday | 11.09.2025 | 18:00 – 19:30 | KulturCentrale Using local examples such as the ‘Judenhaus’ (Jewish house) or the Gestapo headquarters in Dresden, the concrete implementation of anti-Semitic measures was discussed. In the working phase, historical places and situations were translated into initial scenes, narrative approaches were reflected upon, and perpetrator-victim relationships were creatively realised. ’Places of Remembrance and Forms of Remembrance’ Thursday| 18.09.2025 | 18:00 – 19:30 | KulturCentrale This working session highlighted contemporary forms of remembrance, such as stumbling stones or the memorial room in the regional court. The examination of symbolism and impact flowed directly into the artistic work. Existing scenes were revised, places of remembrance were integrated into the storylines, and feedback was gathered in groups. ’Creative Transformation – How Do You Tell History as a Graphic Novel?’ Thursday| 25.09.2025 | 18:00 – 19:30 | KulturCentrale The focus was on creative implementation: the basics of comic storytelling, such as panel structure, image-text ratio and character design, were taught. Participants then developed visual sketches of important scenes, tried out different stylistic devices and received feedback on their graphic designs.