Article
The kitchen in the monastery cellar was no longer needed. So the Franciscans from Vossenack decided to have something meaningful established and set up a theater space. An old cluttered room next door was transformed into a charming café, and the old wine cellar became a monastery shop. The ticket office for the puppetry theater based in Vossenack and a large props room have also found space here. An unusual project – what lies behind it is known by Brother Wolfgang Mauritz as the initiator and driving force of the Monastery Cultural Cellar (KKK).
How does culture get into your monastery cellar?
Brother Wolfgang Mauritz:
It all started with our puppet theater "De Strippkes Trekker". I founded it in 1980 as an educator at the Franziskus boarding school with boys from the lower grades. Over time, it developed into a semi-professional puppet theater. Starting in 1989, we performed in the school's own theater space, but that was quite cumbersome. Since the brothers were supplied by the boarding school's large kitchen, the opportunity arose in 2007 to repurpose the old kitchen in the basement.
Who puts together the cultural program for the monastery cellar?
Brother Wolfgang Mauritz:
Together with some collaborators, I put together the program and organize the operation. Everything is voluntary. In the beginning, as a leader, I looked for all possibilities to utilize the cellar. Meanwhile, inquiries come from all over Germany. We host readings for all age groups, as well as concerts, film nights, comedy, and monastery crime nights. Since there is also an exhibition space in the basement, there are various openings. Great diversity is important to us, and it is essential that there is an offer for all age groups.
Do the puppets still have their fixed place in the basement?
Brother Wolfgang Mauritz:
Yes, and our "Strippkes Trekker" do not keep to themselves here. Since 1990 we have been organizing an annual puppet theater festival, for which the auditorium with approximately 300 seats and other areas of our high school are used. Also, with other events, we occasionally leave the basement. In the monastery church, which accommodates 350 people, there are always special concerts - Simon & Garfunkel tribute, for example, OPUS 4 with the trombonists of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, concerts with Crescendo and more.
Are there connections between the cultural venue and monastic life?
Brother Wolfgang Mauritz:
There is of course an intensive connection. Important for our monastery are also spiritual events, from the solemn Vespers to the monastery Sunday, which, with its changing musical highlights, represents a solid bond. One brother is a musician, another leads a student band, then we have the artist Father Laurentius U. Englisch ofm, one of the last Beuys students. He has his studio here. And finally, there is me as a puppeteer – so pure culture, even within our own ranks. The brothers support everything well, even if it sometimes gets loud and long on the weekend before the KKK.
