CURRENT MISSION

Puppet theatre, arts, nhistgory

ABOUT ME

Youth in a suburb of Berlin, left East Germany at the age
of 16, apprenticeship telecommunication in Hannover, back
to (west) Berlin autumn 1956, working for theatre, film,
schoo assistant physics an chemistry with French teachers, free lance journalist for more than 30 years,
TV documantaries, mainly radio work. Organized festivals in 1987 and 1988 in Berlin, member of
Union Internationale de la Marionnette since 1966;
translated plays and poetry, travelled to many countries as observer, researcher, reporter, consultant
in Europe, US, Canada, Uzbekistan, very often to former
Yugoslavia (one language became many). I am father and grandfather (son and family in the Netherlands since
25 years) Research on family entanglement in Nazi crimes, which resulted in a well documented exhibition
and with the help of professional historians to a permanent memorial place in Erfurt opened recently.
www. topfundsoehne.de (crematoria for the death camps)

PHILOSOPHY

Freedom of thought, mutual respect and tolerance,
environmental responsibility. Optimism (even without
reason, being sceptic for various reasons).
No personal violence, love and understanding
are simply much better.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

First of all I need a place for some days in Copenhagen
in March, as I want to attend a little festival of
puppetry for adults; that took me to couchsurfing, as
hotels are beyond my budget and the festival can not
invite me to one. Very often I have slept in friends
homes, and people came to stay in my flat or I showed
them around in my town (actually I can not offer even
a couch, unfortunately; but sometimes my friends here
offered help and shelter.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

None yet in this orgaisation, but in younger years in
international exchanges (Hannover-Bristol), in international youth camps (after the flood in Holland 1953, in Summer schools of music in Cornwall and in
Istria)

Interests

History, languages, puppetry, sometimes museums,
fine arts, theatre in general, buskers, music,
classical, experimental, authentic folklor.
People and their landscapes.

• arts
• humanities
• books
• poetry
• festivals
• tv
• music
• chemistry
• history
• journalism
• languages
• physics

Music, Movies, and Books

Classical films, (Chaplin, Chabrol, Wajda, Hitchcock, Truffaut, some Italians like Fellini, Bergmann, Eisenstein. Mozart, Beatles, Jazz (Miles Davies,
Eric Dolphy, west coast cool jazz), Schubert, Beethoven,
Liszt, Chopin, Phil Glass

Books: Too many to tell, from many countriesand times.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Two things: Brought up my son alone since his 5th birthday, and it went well for all. he has now a
family of his own and made me a happy grandfather
23 years ago.
Second: Stirring up the almost forgotten and officially neglected story of the crematoria built for the most harrible Nazi concentration- and extermination
camps by a company with my name, owned by two younger
cousins of my father. Against much restance the project
resulted in solid research, an exhibition, a memorial.
I have been honoured with the Federal Cross of Merits
for my efforts in this matter.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teaching puppetry knowledge and skills, learning from
fighting dictators and their systems, sharing personal
experience, books and other goods if needed. Spending time with others, who need attention and patience, even
school assistance and help with authorities, offices etc.

•