The Annual Theme 2024 Church

Poster Johanna Benz

Our projects on the annual theme of CHURCH

The poster of the tuba player blowing the church awake, designed by Leipzig graphic artist Johanna Benz, marked the start of our annual theme of the church. It is hanging in many parishes and we are delighted!

At 2. March we opened the season with a look back at the theme of YOUTH. On this day, we not only celebrated the premiere of the workshop book JUGEND, but also opened the Gustav Schüler Archive, which provides an insight into the work of this poet, who is known far beyond the Oderbruch region. In the picture salon, we presented watercolors of the Oderbruch landscape by the painter Martina Dost and in the cabinet, we arranged a large number of sheets under the title "Letters to the Studiolo", which were drawn and written in pen and ink by museum visitors in the Studiolo last year.

With one of the Exhibition "A woman builds a church" on the building history of the Altranft church we are on April 06 We have started the annual theme of CHURCH. In the resonance room, we have redesigned the description table, which offers visitors space for their comments and is framed by around 80 drawings by children and photos on the annual theme of CHURCH. In the Yellow Salon, cultural scientist Kenneth Anders, pastor Erhard Wurst and physicist Martin Jenssen spoke about "God, faith and spirit" as a theological challenge.

May 4th is our Children's Day at the Oderbruchmuseum. On this day, the castle and park belong to the children - and their parents. Music, cabaret, games and workshops invite you to get to know the Oderbruchmuseum in a fun way. In the castle, you can once again see dioramas by schoolchildren from all over the Oderbruch region, which were submitted for the diorama competition on the question "What's good for you?".

Peace and Resistance - Of Cemeteries and Political Conflicts: This is the title of June 1. In the Oderbruch region, the majority of cemeteries are still in the care of the church. The results of a summer school with students from the University for Sustainable Development in Eberswalde (HNE) on cemeteries as places of remembrance and mourning and landscape elements with special ecological characteristics will be presented. A discussion in the Yellow Salon picks up on these threads. We open the Exhibition "Faith and Power" about the relationship between church and state in the Oderbruch region. Freedom of faith guaranteed by the king, the confessing church under National Socialism, the church in the GDR and today - the installation sheds light on a complex topic.
In the picture salon we are showing works by the painter Dorothée Irene Müller, who has explored places of religious tradition in the Oderbruch.

Everyday church life in the Oderbruch region July 6 in focus. The exhibition on the annual theme of CHURCH opens in the Altranft patronal church with photographs by Michael Anker, large-scale quotations, audio clips, films and further material in the annual theme module. Christians have shaped the landscape of the Oderbruch in many ways and are still involved in the landscape in various ways today. What drives them, what gives them strength, what do they despair about, how do they look to the future? We talked about these questions in detail with around 25 people. We are continuing this exchange in a salon discussion about Christian life.

At August 3 we are back on the road - probably by bike again - in the cultural heritage and present some churches that are cultural heritage sites.

Harvest crown tying at the Fischerhaus is a tradition for us. On September 7 it's that time again at the Fischerhaus. Anyone who wants to is cordially invited to tie a crown themselves. The Altranfter Traditionsverein will be there, who are masters of the art of tying and will be happy to give interested visitors an insight into the intricacies of this work. In the cabinet, under the heading "Peuplierung!", we start with a cartographic representation of the settlement of the Oderbruch and explore the question of how the landscape structures have developed. In the Picture Salon, photographer Holger Herschel will be showing pictures of the old lock steps at Niederfinow under the title LEERSTAND.

We are organizing September 21 together with the districts of Märkisch-Oderland and Oder-Spree, the district farmers' association and the Frankfurt/Oder Chamber of Skilled Crafts, organized a major Regional and farmers' marketbut nevertheless continue the popular elements of the harvest festival. An illustrious artistic program, various hands-on activities and a richly decorated table give the regional and farmers' market a cheerful character, harvest wagons with many pictures parade through the village, a technology show invites visitors to get to know old and new agricultural machinery. A display of handicrafts and talks with trainees provide an insight into rural trades and training opportunities in the region.

The Play "The Amen in the Church" has on October 5 Premiere. Based on the discussions and research on the theme of the year, Kenneth Anders wrote the template for the play, which will be performed in the Altranft Patronal Church.

Into the debate! we go on November 2 and engage in a cultural debate about the conflict surrounding the Oder. The Oder and its water system form the backbone of the Oderbruch and shape the landscape. The Oder is a dynamic habitat, waterway, recreational area, subject of artistic or scientific work and much more. Its water management development has been a controversial topic not just since the 2023 fish kill. What are the arguments for and against expansion? Can there be compromises, what would they look like?

Reading and singing are the keywords for the December 7. Advent is a special time, it marks the beginning of the new church year and the start of preparations for Christmas. It is a time of quiet Sunday afternoons when stories can be read and songs sung. We invite you to Readings with stories from the Oderbruch and listen in the afternoon in the patron saint's church Wind groups and Choirs from the region.