International Messiaen Days Görlitz Zgorzelec

On the southeastern outskirts of the twin cities of Görlitz and Zgorzelec lies a unique historical site, long forgotten and only recently brought back into the public consciousness: the former prisoner-of-war camp Stalag VIII A. Between 1939 and 1945, 120,000 prisoners of war from various nations were registered at Stalag VIII A; an estimated 12,000 did not survive. Many of them were assigned to work details and thus significantly shaped the cityscape of Görlitz.

In remembrance of all those who suffered, feared, and hoped in this camp, the Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen e.V. hosted a special concert annually since 2008. The French composer Olivier Messiaen proved that music does not divide but unites and can help overcome pain and misery when, during his imprisonment in Stalag VIII A, he composed his musical masterpiece, the "Quartet for the End of Time," and premiered it with three fellow prisoners on January 15, 1941, in the camp's theater barracks. Today, the quartet is among the best-known and most frequently performed works of the 20th century. Every year on January 15, the Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen e.V. commemorates this significant event at the historical site.

The annual performance of this piece has become an inspiring and encouraging ritual for countless people from the Euroregion to kick off the year. In 2017, the association began to build on this tradition, transforming the recurring single event into a multi-day festival that aims to bring together people on both sides of the Neisse River, as well as from all over Europe, at this unique site of (musical) history. International artists meet researchers of the region's recent history, and the public is invited to experience contemporary music in the historical setting of the border town, as well as to participate in guided tours and lectures, thus exploring the complex relationship between art and war.