Michel Friedman: “It is an honor to remember Margot Friedländer”
On the initiative of Michel Friedman and Igor Levit, the Berliner Ensemble is organizing a memorial evening for Margot Friedländer.
To commemorate Margot Friedländer, the honorary citizen of Berlin who died on May 9 at the age of 104, the Berliner Ensemble is hosting a memorial event on July 12. As the theater announced on Tuesday, the invitation was initiated by Michel Friedman and Igor Levit . The title, "Be Human," draws from the core of her message to future generations.
Margot Friedländer was born into a Jewish family on November 5, 1921. All attempts by her mother to emigrate from Nazi Germany with her and her younger brother Ralph failed. She was the only member of her family to survive the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Her brother and mother were murdered in Auschwitz in 1943, her father and aunt in 1942. After the war, she and her husband emigrated to the United States; he died in 1997. After repeated visits, she decided to return to Berlin in 2010.
In her later years, Margot Friedländer made it her mission to tell young people how life in Berlin had changed with the rise ofNational Socialism , and how the disenfranchisement and persecution of the Jews had progressed. She emphasized that religion was a private matter: "There is no Jewish, no Christian, no Arab blood. There is only human blood. We are all human beings." With phrases like "Be human beings, respect human beings, whatever they are," she opposed all forms of discrimination.
"Margot was a miracle of a human being. I see it as my daily obligation to carry on her message and work for her ideals," Igor Levit is quoted as saying in the Berliner Ensemble's statement. And Michel Friedman said: "They exist – role models! Margot Friedländer was and is a role model. For humanity. For curiosity. For understanding. For tolerance. For compassion. To honor her and remember her spirit so that her values, her view of the world and humanity, are passed on is an honor."
Announced performances include actor Matthias Brandt, violinist Guy Braunstein, publicist Michel Friedman, musician Sophie Hunger, music theater director Barrie Kosky, pianist Igor Levit, singer Katharine Mehrling and actress Natalia Wörner.
Tickets for the homage on July 12, at 8 p.m., at the Berliner Ensemble will be available from June 3. The proceeds will be donated to the Margot Friedländer Foundation, established in 2023. In the spirit of its founder, its mission is to promote tolerance and humanity, as well as freedom and democracy.
Berliner-zeitung
