The Cause of Joan of Arc
Radio play, SWR 2, Easter Sunday, 6:20 p.m
A young woman rises to the status of moral authority. No one asked her to do so, and few initially agreed to do so – the reactions to this self-empowerment were correspondingly negative. But there are also those who support her, celebrate her, follow her. This is how the farmer’s daughter becomes a heroine, who, however, comes to a bad end. Kai Grehn has taken on this biography, in which the main features reflect the present, such as the rebellion of climate activists, and this three-part radio play has been staged with Roxane Duran in the title role (further episodes: Easter Monday and April 16, 6:20 p.m. each time). Also to be heard: Anna Seghers’ only original radio play, staged by Hans Lietzau in 1959: The Trial of Joan of Arc at Rouen 1431 (NDR Kultur, Easter Sunday, 7 p.m.).
The art robbery of Düsseldorf
Feature, WDR 3, Holy Saturday, 12:04 p.m
On the Rhine, it was long understood that the Alte Pinakothek in Munich almost exclusively contained looted art. Much of what can be seen there once belonged to the Düsseldorf Picture Gallery, including several dozen paintings by Rembrandt. In the course of the Napoleonic Wars, Max Joseph von Bayern, when he briefly got his hands on the collection through an exchange of countries, had it brought to Munich – where it is to this day. Stefan Zednik tells the adventurous and nefarious story in his feature, but goes beyond the single incident and also describes how the struggle for the return that ultimately failed – and above all how Düsseldorf emancipated itself from the old collection and instead into one world-renowned place of the avant-garde.
Prince Caspian of Narnia
Children’s radio play, SWR 2, Easter Sunday, 2:05 p.m
It is the fourth chapter of Chronicles of Narniathe first three of which the SWR already called radio plays has staged. Siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy haven’t been to Narnia for a year – it’s been 1300 years since then! A lot has changed for the worse, the four are challenged again (part 2: Easter Monday, 2:05 p.m.). More children’s radio plays for Easter: The Flying Classroom by Erich Kästner (HR 2, Easter Sunday and Monday, 2 p.m.), Stupid Augustine by Otfried Preußler (WDR 5, Easter Sunday, 7.04 a.m.), A handful of stars after Rafik Schami and At the ark at eight by Ulrich Hub, both awarded the German Children’s Radio Play Prize (NDR Kultur, Easter Sunday and Monday, 7 a.m.) and Maria Klings Nothing scares Freddy and Flo! (DLF Kultur, Easter Sunday, 8.05 a.m.).
The widow and the policeman
Feature, Bayern 2, Holy Saturday, 1:05 p.m
It’s a tricky constellation: Ankie Spitzer, the widow of André Spitzer, who was murdered in the Munich Olympics, meets Guido Schlosser, one of the police officers who was on duty in the attempt to free the Jewish hostages that failed fatally. And the woman responsible for the feature is Patrizia Schlosser, the police officer’s daughter. It gets emotional for all three, and probably also retraumatizing. But because everyone courageously faces it, and the journalist is also very aware of her role, the feature is a highlight, as it rarely allows deep insights. The situation becomes even more thorough in the much more detailed eight-part podcast version suicide squad shown (depth viewWDR 5, Sundays, 6.30 p.m. and in the ARD audio library).
