The Ashes of Arata Osada

Who exactly was Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi? The play begins with a seemingly chance encounter with this historical figure: streets, schools and libraries are named after him everywhere; at first glance, he seems to be a household name – yet in reality, hardly anyone knows much about him anymore. This exploration of his biography becomes the starting point for an increasingly intense journey, which takes us from Pestalozzi’s grave in Aargau, via educational utopias, all the way to Hiroshima, where the Japanese educator Arata Osada translated his Swiss colleague’s complete works into Japanese and survived the dropping of the atomic bomb on his city in 1945.

Wearing headphones, the audience is immersed in a journey of sound spanning continents and centuries.

An evening of theatre about potential role models in times that overwhelm us. About the education of future generations when the world threatens to destroy itself. And on the question: To whom do we give our scarce attention, and what do we pass on?

The writer and director Maria Ursprung has been part of the co-management of Theater Marie since 2022. Following IN DUBIO (premiering at the Kurtheater in 2023) and HÖHERE GEWALT (2025), we present her new work, which is being rehearsed at the Kurtheater and will also have its premiere here.