Germans are not suited for revolution, and the Berlin Republic is a bad design. This is the tenor of a cabaret performance by Matthias Deutschmann and Volkmar Staub proposing "The Baden Solution."
In their joint performance, the two men devote
themselves to promoting the historical train of the 1848 revolutionaries
since, for the general public, the Baden Revolution is not a topic. In
addition to remembering the 175th anniversary, they spin new ideas for
Baden's future. Both cabaret artists were already on stage together 40 years
ago in Freiburg for a satirical monthly review.
While Volkmar Staub, born at Brombach in the Wiesental, living in Berlin, and playing the role of the Alemannic bedrock takes on the historical context and brings the failed yet "symbadetic" revolutionaries closer, Matthias Deutschmann, who since long lives in the Freiburg region, is focused on an image campaign for today's Baden. Based on the Länd's economic and historical features, Deutschmann dreams of Baden as an independent artificial intelligence center based on the Californian model.
The scene opens with Staub ranging the stage for his performance while waiting for "his" audience. Deutschmann bursts in and claims the stage for his program being scheduled for the same evening. After a short quarrel, the two cabaret artists agree that Volkmar will start to trace the path of the Baden Revolution 175 years ago and that Matthias will present his act after the break.
Volkmar starts reading from the diary of his ancestor Fritz, a contemporary witness and participant in the Baden Revolution. While tracing the procession of the revolutionaries in his Brombach dialect, he slowly transforms into Fritz. Matthias remains on stage and usurps the role of Staub's director, spicing some of Volkmar's gags.
Finally, the mystery shooting of General Friedrich von Gagern of the government troops at the Kandern skirmish is solved. Fritz prosaically, "I fired my revolutionary carbine in that direction, and von Gagern fell off his horse." Read the whole story in German.
We know the revolution failed. What makes it so sympathetic, according to Volker and Matthias. The reasons are multiple, the lousy weather, the unwillingness to participate, and the lack of obedience to "leaders" like Hecker and Struve.
Peppered with a lot of humor and several bitterly wicked points, the play develops from the recapitulation of the historical circumstances of the Baden Revolution into a draft for the future of Baden.
After the break, Deutschmann's High German performance is enriched with "Alemannic" remarks by Staub as the attentive listener on stage.
In 1952 the French attempt to make Baden independent failed because of the vote of the Swabians, who, as Deutschmann claims, were probably not entitled to vote. Baden could still become independent, however, in a future European region.
The cabaret artists fire each other up with satirical jabs against the Berlin Republic they regard as a prolongation of Bismarck's united Prussian Germany, which was based on the hatred of France!
Alluding to the phase-out of nuclear power, the cabaret artists claim that the present "Germany is a misconstruction that will be taken off the grid like an old nuclear power plant." And even worse and pessimistic about our current traffic light coalition, "When the traffic lights go out, right takes precedence over left."
On the other hand, Deutschmann sees bright times ahead for Baden. With the sun as its trademark and Freiburg as the capital with a cathedral built by its citizens, a "Baden Solution" could be found, but "you have to think away the bishops."
Red Baron enjoyed the evening where revolutionary history met current events in a mixture of biting humor and harmless jokes.
The applause was deserved, and they returned to the stage. While Volker tuned his guitar, Matthias unpacked his cello. They intoned the well-known song of freedom: Thoughts are free (Die Gedanken sind frei). Red Raron joined in, but the essentially young audience remained silent. So sad.
While Volkmar Staub, born at Brombach in the Wiesental, living in Berlin, and playing the role of the Alemannic bedrock takes on the historical context and brings the failed yet "symbadetic" revolutionaries closer, Matthias Deutschmann, who since long lives in the Freiburg region, is focused on an image campaign for today's Baden. Based on the Länd's economic and historical features, Deutschmann dreams of Baden as an independent artificial intelligence center based on the Californian model.
The scene opens with Staub ranging the stage for his performance while waiting for "his" audience. Deutschmann bursts in and claims the stage for his program being scheduled for the same evening. After a short quarrel, the two cabaret artists agree that Volkmar will start to trace the path of the Baden Revolution 175 years ago and that Matthias will present his act after the break.
Volkmar starts reading from the diary of his ancestor Fritz, a contemporary witness and participant in the Baden Revolution. While tracing the procession of the revolutionaries in his Brombach dialect, he slowly transforms into Fritz. Matthias remains on stage and usurps the role of Staub's director, spicing some of Volkmar's gags.
Finally, the mystery shooting of General Friedrich von Gagern of the government troops at the Kandern skirmish is solved. Fritz prosaically, "I fired my revolutionary carbine in that direction, and von Gagern fell off his horse." Read the whole story in German.
We know the revolution failed. What makes it so sympathetic, according to Volker and Matthias. The reasons are multiple, the lousy weather, the unwillingness to participate, and the lack of obedience to "leaders" like Hecker and Struve.
Peppered with a lot of humor and several bitterly wicked points, the play develops from the recapitulation of the historical circumstances of the Baden Revolution into a draft for the future of Baden.
After the break, Deutschmann's High German performance is enriched with "Alemannic" remarks by Staub as the attentive listener on stage.
In 1952 the French attempt to make Baden independent failed because of the vote of the Swabians, who, as Deutschmann claims, were probably not entitled to vote. Baden could still become independent, however, in a future European region.
The cabaret artists fire each other up with satirical jabs against the Berlin Republic they regard as a prolongation of Bismarck's united Prussian Germany, which was based on the hatred of France!
Alluding to the phase-out of nuclear power, the cabaret artists claim that the present "Germany is a misconstruction that will be taken off the grid like an old nuclear power plant." And even worse and pessimistic about our current traffic light coalition, "When the traffic lights go out, right takes precedence over left."
On the other hand, Deutschmann sees bright times ahead for Baden. With the sun as its trademark and Freiburg as the capital with a cathedral built by its citizens, a "Baden Solution" could be found, but "you have to think away the bishops."
Red Baron enjoyed the evening where revolutionary history met current events in a mixture of biting humor and harmless jokes.
The applause was deserved, and they returned to the stage. While Volker tuned his guitar, Matthias unpacked his cello. They intoned the well-known song of freedom: Thoughts are free (Die Gedanken sind frei). Red Raron joined in, but the essentially young audience remained silent. So sad.
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