Celebratory Events in East Germany: Exploring the Variety of Festivals, Ranging from Village Fairs to Punk Parties in the GDR Era

Celebratory Events in East Germany: Exploring the Variety of Festivals, Ranging from Village Fairs to Punk Parties in the GDR Era

Partying Freedom in the East: The Great Schwof

Get ready to witness an unparalleled celebration of East German culture! Neubrandenburg is set to host "The Great Schwof" exhibition, which showcases over 250 captivating images of festivals in the East. It's already considered the must-see event of the year at the Kunstsammlung Neubrandenburg.

Shocking Western Visitors

Neubrandenburg, after Jena, Brandenburgisches Landesmuseum für moderne Kunst, and Kunsthalle Rostock, is the last stop for this exhibition. Astonishingly, the attendees aren't just Easterners; the curator, Petra Göllnitz, notes that plenty of visitors have come from Western Germany. They're often surprised by "a side of the DDR they couldn't have imagined."

Petra Göllnitz, a cultural scientist, has collected numerous festival variations, primarily from the 80s, from 31 photographers, showcasing everything from village festivals to punk parties, official state events to emigration parties. Expect a blend of carnival, beauty pageants, costumes, nudity, and more—often with a subtle, subversive undertone.

Gathering Generations

"I designed this exhibition for those who remember and the next generation to understand," says Petra Géllnitz, who has led an artist's club, worked for the DEFA documentary film studio, and served as a photo editor for "Das Magazin" and "Der Stern." In Jena, entire graduating classes have visited the exhibition, finding the glimpse into Eastern party culture "totally exciting."

The fascination with Eastern themes, 35 years after the fall of the wall, is due to positive memories of "times when everything was open, the rest of the evening, as well as the next years – things that, with a few exceptions, are associated with good things: sociability, carefree, escape from everyday life."

Creators of Opportunities

"We made it happen," Petra Göllnitz summarizes. It's not only about drinking and dancing but also about eroticism and sex—and the togetherness across generations. "We had to create opportunities to celebrate, and we were quite good at it," recalls the exhibition maker, who hails from a "large, extremely party-loving family."

She's also proud of the term "Schwof," which some initially thought was outdated but has now become fashionable and almost a cult term due to this exhibition. Schwof, she says, is indeed a form of rebellion, and celebrating is a release: "At parties, the celebrants could stay among themselves. And in the exuberance of the celebrants lay the truth about societal life. Free from all restrictions."

For her exhibition concept, she designed fine structures: between city and country, state power and subversion, and in between, self-presentation from carnival costumes to striptease to erotic motives in DDR interiors.

Esteemed Artists

Most of the participating photographers – including legendary names such as Sibylle Bergemann, Harald Hauswald, Ute and Werner Mahler, Roger Melis, and Gabriele Stötzer – were graduates of the Leipzig Academy of Visual Arts. Almost all of them worked freelance, often "for the box office," making the seemingly random images and series even more precious today. Preserving this cultural heritage of a closed chapter of history is a significant concern for the curator.

She's also working on a concept for a West German counterpart to the Schwof project, tentatively titled "More glitz in the West," but it still requires some time.

First Time throughout the House

"The Great Schwof" will have a grand finale in Neubrandenburg, where an exhibition will take over all areas of the house for the first time. Unusually, a second exhibition location within a federal state has been approved, making this a unique event in Neubrandenburg's rich cultural history.

Discussions and Guided Tours

June 28, 3 PM: "Block Chocolate" - Erotic stagings of the 1980s with Olaf Martens July 2, 6 PM: "I carry a heart with me" - Punk in the GDR with Christiane Eisler July 16, 6 PM: "Carnival and other unexpected events" with photographer Werner Lieberknecht and actor Uwe Preuss August 16, 3 PM: "Ute, Werner, and I" with photographers Ute and Werner Mahler August 30, 3 PM: "Full of life" with Harald Hauswald

Each artist discussion will be accompanied by a guided tour by curator Petra Göllnitz; registration at 0395 5551290.

"This is thanks to the enthusiasm of Elke Pretzel," says Petra Göllnitz, referring to the scientific employee of the art collection who has shaped the collection and exhibition work since 1988. After a successor has been found for director Merete Cobarg, she too will retire – and set another major mark with "The Schwof." In addition to a reprint of the extensive catalog, there will also be several postcard motifs.

The exhibition "The Great Schwof - Celebrating Festivals in the East" will be shown in Neubrandenburg from June 22 to September 7. The Neubrandenburg Art Collection in Große Wollweberstraße 24 is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM.

1. The Kunstsammlung Neubrandenburg is hosting "The Great Schwof," an acclaimed exhibition showcasing East German festival images.
2. Western German visitors are surprised by this exhibition, discovering a different side of the DDR.
3. Petra Göllnitz, a cultural scientist, has collected images from 31 photographers, showcasing various festival types.
4. The exhibition features carnival, beauty pageants, costumes, nudity, and more, with subversive undertones.
5. Petra Géllnitz designed the exhibition for both those who remember and the next generation.
6. The fascination with Eastern themes persists 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
7. Petra Göllnitz summarizes that "we made it happen," creating opportunities for celebration despite societal restrictions.
8. Schwof, a term that some thought was outdated, has now become fashionable due to the exhibition.
9. Petra Göllnitz views Schwof as a form of rebellion and celebrating as a release.
10. Fine structures are present in the exhibition, such as city versus country and state power versus subversion.
11. Most photographers, including Sibylle Bergemann and Harald Hauswald, graduated from the Leipzig Academy of Visual Arts.
12. Almost all participants worked freelance, often obtaining assignments "for the box office."
13. Petra Göllnitz is working on a West German counterpart to the Schwof project, tentatively called "More glitz in the West."
14. The Neubrandenburg Art Collection will be taken over by the exhibition for the first time.
15. A second exhibition location within the federal state has been approved, making this event unique.
16. June 28 at 3 PM, Olaf Martens will discuss erotic stagings of the 1980s.
17. July 2 at 6 PM, Christiane Eisler will discuss punk in the GDR.
18. July 16 at 6 PM, Werner Lieberknecht and Uwe Preuss will discuss carnival and other unexpected events.
19. August 16 at 3 PM, Ute and Werner Mahler will discuss their photographs.
20. August 30 at 3 PM, Harald Hauswald will discuss his photographs.
21. Each artist discussion will be accompanied by a guided tour by curator Petra Göllnitz.
22. Registration for guided tours is at 0395 5551290.
23. Petra Göllnitz credits Elke Pretzel's enthusiasm for the exhibition's success.
24. Petra Göllnitz and Elke Pretzel are setting major marks in Neubrandenburg's cultural history with "The Schwof."
25. A reprint of the extensive catalog and several postcard motifs will be available.
26. "The Great Schwof - Celebrating Festivals in the East" will run in Neubrandenburg from June 22 to September 7.
27. The Neubrandenburg Art Collection is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM.

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