Brundibár-Project

Update 26 March 2025

Patronage: General Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich Vladimir Jurowski

Brundibár. An opera and a children's book  inspired to our Brundibár. Reading and Book-Gift Project. Because the message of the book is: Friendship, Justice, Humanity and Solidarity are the source of our strength. 

The project is based on the children's book first published in September 2023: Brundibár. Wie Aninka und Pepíček den Leierkastenmann besiegten. (How Aninka and Pepíček defeated the organ-grinder). See: Edition Room 28

The Ukrainian edition was published end of 2023 in the sign of solidarity with Ukraine. In the sign of solidarity with the Israeli people the Hebrew edition was created and was published in March 2025 by Edition Room 28.

In the sign of Solidarity we give the books to Ukrainian and Hebrew-speaking children at our events or on suitable occasions. It is a project of Room 28 association and Edition Room 28. The production of the Ukrainian and the Hebrew edition was supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. The motives behind the project can be found in the Epilogue to the Hebrew edition which contains additional texts in German and Hebrew.

Hannelore Brenner. Epilogue for the Hebrew Edition (German)

The project was inspired by Mstislav Pentkovsky, Riga/Latvia, who has staged Brundibár on major Russian stages since 2015, his last one was in the famous Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. He is our strongest ally.  See his Statement Against the War on Hannelore Brenner's BLOG and on this website: Motives.

We are delighted that the General Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera, Vladimir Jurowski, has taken on the patronage of our project. Here is a passage from his letter dated July 13, 2o24:

It is with the greatest gratitude that I am taking on the patronage of this project. The messages of the wonderful children's opera by Hans Krása and Adolf Hoffmeister are universal and timeless: only together are we strong. We must trust in our strength, in friendship and humanity.
Communicating these messages to Ukrainian children and children of all nations is an important task that I am very happy to support.
I look forward to further contact and exchange and wish the project a great response, support and success.

Vladimir Jurowski, General Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich

The Kulturforum München-West is planning an event in the frame of our Brundibár project in cooperation with the Bavarian State Opera and Room 28 in 2026.

Ambassador Christian Heldt. Greeting Words by, Hebrew edition (German)

Of course we would be delighted if you would support our project. You can donate directly via the association or via the Betterplace platform.

For a media-effective launch event we are looking for a partner. From our side, the actor and singer Andreas Jocksch, member of the ensemble Zwockhaus and the concert pianist Katarzyna Wasiak are ready to take part. Katarzyna would teach some of her students to sing along songs from Brundibár to an event. 

However, anyone who loves to realize an event with their own participants is welcome to join in. Contact us, if this is the case.

2024. Our first Reading for Ukrainian Children

On June 29, 2024, the first event for Ukrainian children took place in a small circle at the J-ArtEck Youth Education Center in Berlin. With Andreas Jocksch and the Ukrainian musician Iryna Skriabina-Shphyl. Young people took part and sang a few songs from Brundibár.

Further events in 2024 see: Aktionen

Offers for Bookstores and Libraries

If you are interested in a reading for children, let us know. This is also possible. Write to us, see Kontakt.

Our young guests experience the miraculous adventures of Aninka and Pepíček, who want to get milk for their sick mother, rush to the market but are refused milk by the milk seller because they have no mone. Finally they are chased out of the marketplace by the evil organ grinder Brundibár... What then happens when night falls and a sparrow, a cat and a dog join the children and hatch a plan to help them is like a fairy tale. In the end, Aninka and Pepíček, together with the animals and the children of the town, have defeated Brundibár and chased the villain away from the market square. Because they stuck together! Because friendship, justice and solidarity are the source of our strength. 

Surprise! Thanks to a member of Room 28: There is also a barrel organ, from which a waltz from Brundibár and other melodies can be heard.

May 2025. Colloquium. Brundibár and The Girls of Room 28

Against historical forgetfulness and anti-Semitism

Room 28 allies, members and our “Brundibár Ambassador” Mstislav Penktovsky, Riga, meet to prepare the following event and to deepen our cooperation.

May 2025. Public Event. Bundibár and The Girls of Room 28

Against historical forgetfulness and anti-Semitism

Musical-scenic reading with actors, young people and the ensemble Zwockhaus and presentation of the new edition of the old book The Girls of Room 28, which is the basic element of the Room 28 Educational Project. The book is also a contribution to the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 1945.

Contact

E-Mail: hannelore.brenner@room28.net  Telephone: (030) 691 83 95