Detail view

Eva Schöck-Quinteros Awarded the Federal Cross of Merit

The Bremen historian Dr. Eva Schöck-Quinteros received the Federal Cross of Merit from the German Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier. The award was given for her work in historical-political education with the successful project “Aus den Akten auf die Bühne” (From the Files onto the Stage).

Together with the renowned “bremer shakespeare company” (bsc) and her students at the History Institute of the University of Bremen, Eva Schöck-Quinteros makes files come alive. The dedicated academic had the idea in 2007. The teaching, research and collaborative project “Aus den Akten auf die Bühne” quickly became a success. Peter Lüchinger, an actor at the bsc, develops the dramatic readings from the extensive material that students find during research-based learning in archives. The shows fill rooms and are especially loved by people from Bremen due to the local aspects and the electrifying effect of the documented history. 14 dramatic readings have so far taken place in the frame of this project, which is one-of-a-kind across the country.

Research-Based Learning and Transfer

Professor Berndt Scholz-Reiter, President of the University of Bremen, congratulated Eva Schöck-Quinteros for her high accolade. “You are skillfully implementing what the university has committed itself to: Research-based learning for students and transfer, in this case the cooperation with the city community”, he stated.

From World War to Occupational Bans

“Aus den Akten auf die Bühne”, which is often performed at the original locations, has made the most diverse topics tangible and comprehensible for the audience in the last 12 years. The vibrant documents range from deportation proceedings for foreigners in the 1920s to the day-to-day life of Bremen inhabitants during the war from 1914 to 1918. There are also moving stories from individuals spanning from “The Camp Turned Me into a Criminal” to the history of occupational bans. Especially “Prunk und Pleite der Unternehmerdynastie Lahusen, der Konkurs der Nordwolle und die Bankenkrise 1931“ (Splendor and Bankruptcy of the Business Dynasty Lahusen, the Insolvency of Nordwolle and the Bank Crisis in 1931) filled all seats. The current program, which is titled “Keine Zuflucht, Nirgends. Die Konferenz von Evian und die Fahrt der MS St. Louis (1938/39) (No Refuge. Nowhere. The Meeting of Evian and the Journey of MV St. Louis), deals with how countries handle migration and fleeing and the fates of refugees.

Prize from the University of Oxford

The one-of-a-kind project in Germany, which connects historical and dramatic work and makes source-based historical research tangible for the public, has already received prizes. In 2012, the founders and actors were awarded the EU-financed prize from the University of Oxford and are in demand for guest performances.

Further information

www.sprechende-akten.uni-bremen.de
https://de-de.facebook.com/sprechende.akten/
www.shakespeare-company.com/aus-den-akten-auf-die-buehne/

Contact:
Dr. Eva Schöck-Quinteros
History Institute
Faculty of Social sciences
University of Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-67251
Email: esqprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de

Zwei Männer und eine Frau lächeln in die Kamera
After the ceremony: (from the left) historian Eva Schöck-Quinteros, German Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier and actor Peter Lüchinger. Photo credit: Private