Movie based on 2000-page script documents love story set against the backdrop of the GDR and Nazi era, gains acclaim.
The city of Neubrandenburg has become a significant cultural hub for German literature, with the archiving of research materials, screenplay drafts, and interview transcripts for the critically acclaimed miniseries "Jahrestage". This miniseries, based on Uwe Johnson's novel, holds immense cultural and literary value as an adaptation of a key work by one of Germany's most influential postwar authors.
Uwe Johnson, a significant German writer who spent his formative years in Anklam and later Güstrow, penned the novel "Jahrestage". The novel's deep exploration of German history, identity, and personal memory during the Cold War era makes the miniseries a vital medium to bring these complex themes to a wider television audience.
The miniseries' connection to Johnson's personal history is underscored by its preview in Anklam, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the author's birthplace. This local preview likely attracted attention from both literary enthusiasts and regional audiences, celebrating Johnson’s legacy in the area most connected to his life and work.
The Mecklenburgische Literaturgesellschaft (MLG), under the leadership of chairman Carsten Gansel, played a significant role in the creation of this miniseries. Gansel collaborated with director Margarethe von Trotta and screenwriters Christoph Busch and Peter Steinbach, who were awarded a special prize for their convincing adaptation of Johnson's novel in 2001.
The miniseries features a stellar cast, including Matthias Habich, Axel Milberg, Edgar Selge, Jutta Wachowiak, and Nina Hoger. One chapter of the novel and miniseries deals with the camp of Fünfeichen near Neubrandenburg, further emphasising the local connection.
The archived materials, now housed in the city archive of Neubrandenburg, include video and audio cassette recordings. These materials will be processed in an archival manner and will be accessible for researchers to work with in Neubrandenburg. The MLG recognises the importance of honouring the screenwriters' achievement in adapting the novel into a miniseries.
Uwe Johnson uniquely addressed the German-German division during his career, a theme that the miniseries "Jahrestage" also explores. The MLG, which hosts the annual Uwe-Johnson days and the renowned Uwe-Johnson Prize, continues to rediscover Johnson's work and celebrate his legacy. This archival collection serves as a testament to the enduring impact of Johnson's work and the miniseries that brought it to life for a wider audience.
- The city archive of Neubrandenburg hasn't only preserved research materials related to the critically acclaimed miniseries "Jahrestage", but also fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, books, education-and-self-development, and entertainment articles and publications that portray the general-news of Neubrandenburg's cultural rise as a hub.
- Being a significant part of German literature, Uwe Johnson's novel "Jahrestage" not only delves into German history, identity, and personal memory during the Cold War era, but also provides insights about the evolution of lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, and home-and-garden practices during the same period.
- As the creator of the game-changing miniseries "Jahrestage", Carsten Gansel, the chairman of Mecklenburgische Literaturgesellschaft (MLG), not only collaborated with esteemed directors and screenwriters, but also organizes annual Uwe-Johnson days and the Uwe-Johnson Prize in education-and-self-development, encouraging literacy and appreciation for literature.
- The miniseries "Jahrestage" not only explores themes such as German-German division, but also depicts various aspects of Neubrandenburg's local culture, from the social life to the entertainment sector, offering a comprehensive portrayal of the city during the Cold War era.
