Exhibitions
The Power of Music
Cultural Life in the German Prisoner-of-War Camp Bando in Japan Between 1917 and 1919
21.01.2009 to 15.06.2009
The exhibition once again takes up the motto of the last Beethovenfest ("Power. Music.") and places it in a new context of meaning. Especially in times of human borderline experiences such as captivity, culture as a source of strength cannot be overestimated. This can be exemplified by the German prisoner of war camp Bando in Japan. The exhibition shows a selection of the artistically designed theatre and concert programmes - including that of the Japanese premiere of Beethoven's 9th Symphony on 1 June 1918 in Bando - and combines them with Beethoven's manuscripts of some of the works performed. Photos of the orchestral and theatre performances and other original documents illustrate the cultural life of the camp.