speeches
Dances for the Blue House in Breisach
Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr.
Breisach
August 3, 2006
Mayor Rein, thank you for hosting this reception in honor of the participants, organizers and supporters of the “Dances for the Blue House” project.
Dr. Walesch-Schneller and all the Friends of the Blue House, what more fitting tribute to your efforts to commemorate the Jewish community of Breisach than this dance evening.
Today we turn a page in a story that started almost 20 years ago when Jonathan Hollander visited you here in Breisach and learned about the history of the town’s Jewish population. Dr. Walesch-Schneller, just as you dreamed of restoring the Blue House to honor the victims of the Holocaust, Jonathan Hollander dreamed of performing here.
Over the years, both he and Aviva Geismar have been inspired by the people of Breisach as they come to terms with the tragedy of the Holocaust. For all involved in the wider circle of the Blue House Project, the main challenge was safeguarding the lessons of World War II when first-hand memory fades. Along the way, many people learned about very personal lost family connections and that the lessons of history are the stuff of enduring memories. The Blue House Dance Project builds on these lessons, building a bridge between yesterday, today and tomorrow for coming generations.
A Yiddish proverb says, "Bygone troubles are good to tell." Bearing witness to the tragic events of the past is important. Artistic exchanges like this dance project touch the core of our humanity and are the best way to establish a foundation of trust.
I am very proud that the Consulate and the Embassy have been able to support this project. It is an additional measure of the importance of the initiative that it was awarded a State Department cultural grant. Every year, we support a variety of artistic programs but my colleagues at the Consulate in Frankfurt and the German-American Institute in Freiburg have told me how very rewarding the association with the Friends of the Blue House, with Jonathan Hollander, Aviva Geismar, the dancers of the Battery Dance Company and Drastic Action, the dancers-in-training from the region, and local high school students has been.
Congratulations to you all. Your commitment and initiative are to be commended.
