Human Commodity

A musical-documentary memorial by the Marc Sinan Company and the Dokumentationszentrum NS-Zwangsarbeit

Forced labour was a central component of the Nazi dictatorship. Between 1938 and 1945, around 13 million people had to perform forced labour in the German Reich. In Berlin alone, some 500,000 forced labourers were distributed throughout the city in around 3,000 camps and collective accommodation centres. At no time were so many people from other countries living in Berlin and forced to work.

The project “Human Commodity” uses an interactive app to commemorate 99 places of forced labour in Berlin and makes the stories of 99 forced labourers audible. In addition to central historical information, musicians present the pieces composed by Marc Sinan. The 99 audio miniatures are representative of all victims of Nazi forced labour.

The memorial will be presented in two parts for the first time on 17 September 2022. A ceremony will take place at the Dokumentationszentrum NS-Zwangsarbeit from 2 p.m. – with lectures, music and guided tours of the grounds. In addition, the sound artist Kaffe Matthews will offer cycling tours on her “Sonic Bikes” specially developed for the project.

In the SPREEHALLE Berlin you can experience a photo exhibition on Human Commodity from 5 pm and the opening concert of the Marc Sinan Company at 6 pm.

Programme

From 2 pm // Dokumentationszentrum NS-Zwangsarbeit

Welcome event

6 pm // SPREEHALLE Berlin

Opening concert

Marc Sinan Company

Registration

For both parts of the programme: schoeneweide@topographie.de // 030/ 63 90 288-10

In addition, musicians from the Marc Sinan Company will perform musical miniatures at five selected locations:

15:15 & 16:15 // SPREEHALLE Berlin // Reinbeckstr. 16, 12459 Berlin – Oberschöneweide // Oguz Büyükberber

15:00 & 16:00 // Warschauer Brücke // S-Bahnhof Warschauer Str., Berlin-Friedrichshain // Daniel Eichholz

15:00 & 16:00 // Gendarmenmarkt // Gendarmenmarkt 1-2, 10117 Berlin-Mitte // Susanne Fröhlich

15:15 & 16:15 // Humboldt Forum // Schloßplatz 1, 10178 Berlin-Mitte // Meinrad Kneer

15:30 & 16:30 // Tempelhofer Feld // Coordinates: 52°28’15.7″N 13°25’14.3″E // Vladimir Blagojevic

Human Commodity – App

The app is available in all major app stores or at www.human-commodity.de.

Sponsors and Partners

A project of the Spreehalle Berlin and the Dokumentationszentrum NS-Zwangsarbeit.

In collaboration with the Marc Sinan Company, YMUSIC and Nur Baute.

Cooperation partners: Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin, Ernst Busch University of Dramatic Arts Berlin.

Funded within ‘dive in’ – a programme for digital interaction by the Federal Cultural Foundation (Kulturstiftung des Bundes).

Kontakt

Dokumentationszentrum
NS-Zwangsarbeit
Britzer Straße 5

12439 Berlin-Niederschöneweide

Spreehalle Berlin

Reinbeckstraße 16

12459 Berlin-Oberschöneweide