"Refugee Talks" by Bertolt Brecht – read by Maria Hofstätter and Martina Spitzer

"The passport is the noblest part of a person. It does not come into being as simply as a person does. A person can come into being anywhere, in the most reckless way and without a proper reason, but a passport never does. For this reason, it is recognized if it is good, while a person can be very good and still not be recognized." Ziffel, the intellectual, and Kalle, the worker, are German emigrants in Helsinki. They regularly meet at the train station restaurant to discuss the international situation and their own circumstances. Two completely opposing characters engage in discussions with subtle humor and witty wordplay on political, philosophical, and religious topics. It is very impressive to see what concerns the displaced individuals, where their opinions differ, and where they agree.

Bertolt Brecht was born on February 10, 1898, in Augsburg and died on August 14, 1956, in Berlin. From 1917 to 1918, he studied natural sciences, medicine, and literature at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. However, he had to interrupt his studies in 1918 as he was deployed as a medical soldier in a military hospital in Augsburg. Even during his studies, Brecht began writing plays. From 1922, he worked as a dramaturg at the Munich Kammerspiele. From 1924 to 1926, he was a director at Max Reinhardt's Deutsches Theater in Berlin. In 1933, Brecht left Berlin with his family and friends and fled through Prague, Vienna, and Zurich to Denmark, later to Sweden, Finland, and the USA. In addition to dramas, Brecht also contributed to several emigrant magazines in Prague, Paris, and Amsterdam. In 1948, he returned from exile to Berlin, where he worked as a writer and director until his death.

MARIA HOFSTÄTTER born 1964 in Upper Austria. Active as an actress since 1983 — theater, film, and TV.

MARTINA SPITZER born 1962 in Upper Austria. Theater, film, and television actress.