"Zit euch warma zachan an," writes the girl with the colorful stockings and the bobbing pigtails on the green slate board that stands at the edge of the rough stage in the old synagogue. The audience laughs only sporadically; the majority can’t read or write any more than pippi langstrumpf, astrid lindgren’s heroine in the play "pippi celebrates christmas". The audience consists of hundreds of kindergarten children from kitzingen. And they might never have met the cash-rich resident of the villa kunterbunt – if it weren’t for bernhard lenz.
The kitzingen businessman, former managing partner of heinrich huppmann gmbh, together with "jungstil," the youth work department of the city of kitzingen, invited 270 children from the daycare centers in kitzingen and the surrounding areas to a morning of theater.
The children, mostly aged four to six, walked with their teachers from all directions to the old synagogue, where the artists of the witten children’s and youth theater were already waiting behind their colorful backdrop. Whoever expected a rude awakening was proven wrong: the young theatergoers knew how to behave in an exemplary manner. It was quiet as a mouse when richard arndt-landbeck dimmed the lights. "The children are already a bit excited," fluttered educator tanya.
They were not alone in their excitement. Marie-kristin muller has landed an internship at "jungstil" for the current winter semester – and has been given the honorable task of organizing the children’s theater. Her supervisor, jochen kulczynski, had nothing but praise for the social work student. "She really handled it very well."Writing to the kindergartens, accepting registrations, inviting guests of honor, everything came easily to her. But when it came time to enter the stage for the funeral, her voice trembled. But the long applause rewarded the young organizer twice over: for her nervousness and for her dedication.
The city of kitzingen, represented in the old synagogue by mayor siegfried muller and former children’s and youth officer hiltrud stocker, also supported the event. She made the location available free of charge. All other costs have been borne by bernhard lenz for about 15 years. Once inspired by his granddaughter’s kindergarten days, he launched this fundraising campaign. "It’s always his greatest joy when he can give the children a treat," explained isabella lenz-schurer, who, representing her father, wanted to see for herself how enthusiastic the children were – and wasn’t disappointed.
Because the young audience really went along. The children laughed when pippi showed the long nose to the annoying "prysseliese. They held their breath when donner-karlsson and blom stole the box of gold. And they clapped when the police sounded and sounded and arrested the gangsters – and pippi could finally celebrate the "plundafest" with her friends. "For many children, this action may be their first access to a theater," suspects jochen kulczynski. And thus issued bernhard lenz a very rough certificate of gratitude. "The children get to know a piece of culture here." Now they know at least already once, who pippi longstocking is. And that every year at "waihnachtan" there is a particularly valuable donation campaign in kitzingen.