Open-air theatre: ‘The black rose’

We will stage the complexity of human emotions, from the deep, unfulfilled love for Gritta (Alina Isele) to the grief of loss and his boundless creativity, which was characterised by the early death of his mother and the emigration of his father and four siblings. We are immersed in a world in which reality and fiction merge. Against an impressive backdrop, we will bring the magic of his thoughts to life and transport both our audience and ourselves to a time characterised by the events of the First and Second World Wars.

HEK was plagued by constant financial challenges. He was constantly dependent on support in order to realise his artistic works. Despite his creative talent and passion for art, poverty remained a constant companion. Nevertheless, he refused to be discouraged and drew on his imagination and unshakeable belief in art to create important works throughout his life.

"The Black Rose" offers a wonderful opportunity to combine history and art in an impressive way. Experience the life and work of a talented artist and the influences of contemporary history, which greatly shaped his creations.

It is an artist's life that we are staging. Heinrich Ernst Kromer lived from 1866 to 1948 and died in the Marienhaus in Constance. Our theatre begins with the death of his mother Marei Kromer in 1880.

This point can certainly be seen as a turning point in the life of the then 14-year-old HEK and had a lasting impact on his actions and thoughts.

HEK was always very close to his father Dorus Kromer (played by Lukas Böhler from Berau), his dead mother Marei Kromer and his four siblings, who all emigrated to America, as well as to the characters he created, painted and described in his books.

We stage Kromer's parallel world of America and also the parallel world of his imagination. We bring the magic of his thoughts to life on our open-air stage.

One example of this is "Don Quixote", which HEK painted very often and with whose story he could identify very well, HEK also often had to fight against "windmills" in his life. Or in his autobiographical novel "Gustav Hänfling. Memories of a Porcelain Painter", he describes many of his own characteristics.

Kromer was just as close to the fantasy figures he created as he was to his real flesh-and-blood contemporaries.

You will get to know HEK's companions, such as the Würtenberger family and Emanuel von Bodman from Lake Constance, Hans Thoma from Bernau, Anna Ebner from Berau, Oskar Malzacher from Waldshut, Hermann Hesse and Gritta (played by Alina Isele from Ühlingen), Heinrich Ernst Kromer's great love, who will immerse you in HEK's fascinating world, where fantasy, wishful thinking and reality are deeply interwoven and merge into a great whole on our open-air stage.

We have erected a windmill in the monastery garden especially for this play. Why?

Heinrich Ernst Kromer, the main character of our open-air theatre, discovered an original Spanish edition of Don Quixote as a child. Although he didn't speak Spanish, he read the book with the help of a dictionary and was immediately fascinated by the story of the knight who fought against windmills. Kromer saw his own life as a similar battle - a constant struggle against invisible obstacles. He repeatedly drew Don Quixote in various guises and felt a deep connection with the fighter against the windmills. This is why the windmill is a central symbol in our stage design: it symbolises Kromer's life and his tireless fight against the "windmills" of life.

Important information/hints at a glance:

- There will be plenty of parking spaces in Riedern. Our fire brigade will give you directions.

- We will cater for 2 hours before the performances, during the breaks and after the performances, as long as there is demand.

- There will be no catering during the performance.

- For insurance reasons and out of respect for the actors, drinks are not permitted in the stands. We have put a lot of time into the realisation of the play. We want to avoid bottles falling over, which would disturb both spectators and actors.

- Seats must be taken at least 15 minutes before the start of the play.

- Duration: The first part will last approx. 1 hour and 10 minutes, the second part approx. 1.5 hours, with a 25-minute break in between.

- In case of rain: We also play in the rain. There is a high-quality, free rain poncho under each seat. Please do not use umbrellas. If we have to cancel the show due to force majeure, we cannot make any refunds.

- Please note: Even if it is hot during the day, please bring a jacket and a woollen blanket so that you can enjoy the performance in the evening when it gets cooler. (There is often a light breeze in the monastery garden).

- Please do not bring dogs or other animals.

- Please do not bring babies or small children.

- Photography and filming is permitted on a small scale during the performances. The performance will be recorded by our photographers as well as by a film team. The professional film can be purchased from 25 euros. We are happy to accept orders at: [email protected]

- Data protection: By attending our events, you agree to be filmed and photographed as an audience member as part of the theatre and music productions and consent to the associated multimedia use and processing of the image and sound recordings by the Kultur- und Theaterverein Zeitschleuse e. V. and its partners.