Despite all the uncertainty that the COVID‑19 pandemic brought to the world in 2020, Germany has an important milestone to celebrate this year — its 30th anniversary of reunification.
Held annually on Oct. 3, German Unity Day is the country’s national holiday that marks the reunion of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). The two states were divided for 45 years since the end of the World War II, with the defeat of Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler. The division lasted until 1990.
To celebrate the national holiday, the German Embassy in Ukraine is arranging a number of events to introduce their culture, history and language.
One of their main events is Deutsch Wochen, or Germany Weeks, a festival that has been held in Kyiv every October since 2013. It normally features activities devoted to German-Ukrainian cooperation in business, education and culture.
Since mass gatherings are banned in Ukraine under the COVID‑19 quarantine, Germany Weeks will, for the most part, be held online under the slogan “virtually together.” The slogan can be used as a hashtag to search for events online.
Running on Sept. 28-Oct. 23, the festival will feature activities in 16 Ukrainian cities. In most of them, residents will be able to find QR codes in public places that, after scanning, will transfer them to “the online world” of German Weeks. The QR codes will be available in Kyiv, Dnipro, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Kharkiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Lviv, Lutsk, Odesa, Uzhhorod, Zaporizhia, Severodonetsk and Sumy.
Ambassador’s address
Although there will be no traditional reception for the German community at the embassy, Ambassador Anka Feldhusen will give an online address on Oct. 3 at 11 a. m. streamed at www.deutsche-wochen-ukraine.com.
Art
All the exhibitions held under the German Weeks this year are curated by The Naked Room gallery, an avant-garde trendsetter in the capital’s art scene.
The gallery brought all the art activities under the #брюдершафт (brudershaft) title and hashtag. German Brüderschaft (brotherhood) is widely known due to Brüderschaft trinken (brotherhood drink), a tradition when two people have an alcoholic drink while having their elbows intertwined with each other as an act of friendship. The organizers suggest rethinking the term as a symbol of the reunification of Germany.
Through exhibitions, the Brudershaft project will explore the essential questions of humanity, such as freedom, solidarity, conflict and reconciliation. The exhibited art pieces will show unity through its different meanings including political and historical, social and cultural, intimate and poetic ones.
The project will involve public exhibitions along with expert talks in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro, which will be streamed live, as well as online art shared under the #брюдершафт hashtag. One of the public talks will feature acclaimed Ukrainian writer Sofia Andrukhovych. The project will launch on Sept. 28.
Radio marathon
Another activity planned for German Weeks is a radio marathon called “30 Years of German Unity,” which will air on Ukrainian radio station Pereс FM in Ukrainian.
The marathon will offer discussions with various German guests, fun facts about German Unity and a quiz. The winner of the quiz will receive a present from the German Embassy.
The Marathon will air on the Perec FM radio station every Tuesday and Friday from 12 a. m. until 1 p.m, on Sept. 29 — Oct. 30.
The full program of the festival is available at www.deutsche-wochen-ukraine.com
