German Resistance Memorial Center Exhibition
Stefan Roloff: Bearing Witness – Red Orchestra Survivors Speak
An exhibition of the German Resistance Memorial Center
For Berlin's Red Orchestra resistance network, 1942 was a year in which their activities in the fight against National Socialism were further intensified. It was also the year when the Gestapo uncovered the group. In the fall of 1942 the "Red Orchestra" special commission arrested more than 120 people, followed by 49 death sentences passed in winter 1942-43 by the Reich Court Martial. Others were murdered without trial. 2022 sees the 80th anniversary of these events.
Stefan Roloff, an internationally renowned artist and the son of a Red Orchestra survivor, takes a very personal approach to eleven of those involved in the network during the 1940s. From 1998 he accompanied them with his camera, usually for long periods, using empathy and understanding to enable them to describe their perspectives. In various exhibitions and film projects, Stefan Roloff explores their history through his art.
This exhibition and catalog cannot possibly present a full picture of the Berlin resistance network. Instead, the video installation gives center stage to Red Orchestra survivors, family members, and friends. And give us a chance to listen to them.
The video installation is flanked by the documentation "The Red Orchestra - Lives in the Resistance," which uses a series of examples to show the diverse lives lived by those who came together in the Berlin resistance circles. They came from a range of social backgrounds and held differing worldviews.
The exhibition is on display at the German Resistance Memorial Center in the special exhibition area on the first floor from July 14, 2022, to January 2, 2023.
Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sat, Sun and public holidays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
We reserve the right to make changes. Information by telephone: +49 (0)30-26 99 50 00.
