When we decided to start the Susie project almost a decade ago, the risk of falling into the “eye of the storm” seemed negligible.
Today, when we have finally managed to present our book in print, along with its accompanying exhibition, the world is embroiled in not one, but two wars, one of which is directly related to the subject of our work and places it in a complex context of ideological divisions.
“Susie, the Granddaughter of House N4” is an unadulterated and truly moving look at the evil of fascism, experienced by a Jewish child and his family, told from the bombed-out but undamaged and unbroken house of our collective memory.
A benign but revealing story.
A story that deserves to become part of our children's world and does not deserve to fall under the ideological stratifications of us, their parents. But will this be the fate of the book and the exhibition Susie, or will it resemble the difficult fate of the heroine Susie? The answer to this question depends solely on ourselves.
As publishers of the book and curators of the exhibition, we are ready to take a risk because we are sure that the specific story of the granddaughter from house number 4, like all good literature, sends messages that transcend ideological divisions – messages related to the important themes of post-memory, exclusion and inequality, which are just as relevant today as they were 70 years ago.
And we believe that these are topics that should excite children with equal force, regardless of which side of history their parents choose to stand on.
We therefore challenge you to embark, together with your children, on an exciting, visually attractive and well-intentioned journey that will allow you to get to know Susie's family. The exhibition tells the true story of a Jewish girl from Berlin-Wilmersdorf who, together with her parents Steffi and Ludwig Kolm, went into hiding in October 1942 to escape persecution by the National Socialist regime. The family survived thanks to the help of a whole network of people who believed that good is worth the risk. Along the way, you will encounter many funny little plots related to rejection and acceptance, to fear and courage, and to optimism and innocence as an antidote to evil.
Berlin-based writer, illustrator and teacher Birgitta Behr has brought the experience to life from the perspective of her granddaughter Susie, using a literary technique that intrigues children's imagination - the visual language of the graphic novel.
Her story is based on materials from Stefan Kolm, a descendant of the family and Susie's stepbrother, who shared with the author his memories, documents and artifacts from the family archive.
The exhibition based on the book offers an innovative approach to telling the past through the present – a risk that makes the experiment even more exciting. CULTURAMA Festival is part of the Sofia Municipality's 2022 Cultural Events Calendar.
Opening: February 12, 2024, 6:00 p.m.
Location: Serdika Triangle Tower Exhibition Hall, 16 Princess Maria Luisa Blvd.
Closing: March 19, 2024
Source: FB event
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