When does the event take place?

The book presentation and reading will take place on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at 8 PM.

Where does the reading take place?

The venue is the Oval Office in Schauspielhaus Bochum, Königsallee 15, 44789 Bochum.

What can the audience expect?

The editors will present their research. Afterwards, ensemble members will read from testimonies and reports of former forced laborers.

Will there be a discussion afterwards?

Yes. After the reading, there will be time for questions and discussions.

What is the entry fee?

For events in the Oval Office, the pay-what-you-want principle applies. Visitors pay what they want and can.

Experience an intense reading on forced labor and forgotten voices in the Bochum Oval Office

Name: When the Wooden Shoes Broke, I Went Barefoot
Start: 2026-11-08T20:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-08T22:00:00+01:00
Location: Oval Office

Memory Gains a Voice: When the Wooden Shoes Broke, I Went Barefoot

In the Oval Office of Schauspielhaus Bochum, an intense book presentation will be combined with a staged reading on November 8, 2026. The focus is on the story of forced labor during the Nazi regime at the Constantin mines in Bochum and Mont Cenis in Herne, as well as the former camp on Bergener Straße.

Documents Against Forgetting

The initiative Gedenkort Bochum-Bergen and the Bochum-Donezk Society e. V. have published a collection of essays containing text and image documents, as well as reports from witnesses. The book brings to light life stories that have long been barely visible in the memory culture of the Ruhr area.

Reading with the Ensemble of Schauspielhaus Bochum

The editors will report on their research, contextualize the historical findings, and discuss potential educational work and future activities. Afterwards, ensemble members of Schauspielhaus Bochum, including Jele Brückner and Payam Yazdani, will read from the testimonies and reports of former forced laborers.

An Evening Between Theater, History, and Conversation

The staging of the evening is created from the power of documentary texts. Voice, rhythm, and the focused theatrical atmosphere of the Oval Office transform historical sources into an immediate stage experience. The dramaturgy does not rely on spectacular effects but on accuracy, listening, and the impact of the spoken word.

Afterwards, there will be space for questions and exchange. Thus, the event opens up a dialogue between the art of acting, local memory culture, and historical education work.

Conclusion: A Necessary Evening in the Sign of Remembrance

When the Wooden Shoes Broke, I Went Barefoot promises a concentrated and touching stage experience: a reading that connects historical facts with personal testimonies and makes Bochum's past audible in the present. Those who experience theater as a place of confrontation and collective remembrance will find an important evening with lasting impact.