The Fabled Ruhr Region
The ruins of Hardenstein Castle, Witten /
Photo: Stefan Leenen
Who knows about a knight named Jost, Goldemar, King of the Dwarves, the Emscher Mermaid or the young swineherd who discovered coal?
Legends are much more than mere stories. They recount events, fortunes good and bad, fears, inexplicable happenings, ideas and traditions. Legends are part of the local identity. Despite traditions stretching back centuries, legends are not set in stone; rather, they continue to evolve and develop, are interpreted anew and recounted differently. New, contemporary legends may even be born, derived from urban myths and "friend of a friend" or "FOAF" tales.
But who knows about the old legends typical of the region around the rivers Ruhr, Emscher and Lippe? Who can tell these tales? Who knows about this region's wealth of stories, long ago enriched by the contributions of people from all over the world who found work and made their lives in the Ruhr conurbation?
From January 2010, storytellers will travel around the Ruhr Metropolis, bringing to life its most alluring legends. Many of these legends are available to download from the Internet as audio or video files. Detailed information is provided to allow those Ruhrcities that are home to the most important legends to be located using Google Earth and Google Maps. There are also tips for walks, cycling tours and geocaching challenges designed to follow in the footsteps of mysterious legends. The legends can be accessed using the search bar, map or index and are organised into the following categories:
• Of coal, clairvoyants and mountain trolls
Legends from mining, industry and the trades
• Of mermaids, marauding knights and dwarf kings
Legends of castles, abbeys and sights both urban and rural
• The ten most popular legends from the Ruhr
Stories from collections of German legends
27 April 2010, 11 a.m. | Storyteller: Hartmut El Kurdi | Mayersche Buchhandlung, Witten
4 p.m. | Storyteller: Dirk Sondermann | Schermbeck Municipal Library
22 May 2010, 6 p.m. | Performance: Jessica Burri in conjunction with the Long Night of Churches | Gnadenkirche, Duisburg
27 May 2010, 7.30 p.m. | Storyteller: Dirk Sondermann | Martfeld House, Schwelm
1 June 2010, 7 p.m. | Storyteller: Jessica Burri | Herten Castle
11 June 2010, 11 a.m. | Storyteller: Hartmut El Kurdi | Mayersche Buchhandlung, Gelsenkirchen, WEKA House
21 June 2010, 10 a.m. | Storyteller: Jessica Burri | Witten Municipal Library
13 July 2010, 11 a.m. | Storyteller: Hartmut El Kurdi | Mayersche Buchhandlung, Bochum
12 October 2010, 7.30 p.m. | Storyteller: Jessica Burri | Kamen Municipal Library
24 November 2010, 3 p.m. | Storyteller: Jessica Burri | Rheinberg Municipal Library
ALL YEAR
Ruhr Metropolis
Partner: Institute of Folktale Research in the Ruhr, Dirk Sondermann
You can find further information from february 2010 at:
www.sagenhaftes-ruhrgebiet.de