Aber Wo ist Fritz? – Das FritZine

Fritz Levy was one of the best-known citizens of Jever, who gained prominence in particular through his experiences during the Nazi dictatorship and his commitment after the war. Ariane Litmeyer and Jan Charzinski, alumni/ae of the Hochschule für Künste (HfK) Bremen, have published a magazine about his life and work in May 2022.

"The zine 'Aber wo ist Fritz' (But where is Fritz) is part of an artistic exploration of Jever's contemporary and city history based on the biography of Fritz Levy," said Ariane Litmeyer, HfK alumna who studied fine arts. "It was particularly important to us to present Levy's symbolic power for the city and regional history and to address the significance of a culture of memory based on his person," said Litmeyer, who grew up in Jever. The magazine is intended to serve as a basis for discussion for the implementation of a memorial in Jever's city space.

"Fritz Levy was a citizen of Jever, a Jew, a man of life and a melancholic, a cattle dealer and a city councilor. A revolutionary against his will. A child of his time and yet ahead of the times," said HfK alumnus Jan Charzinski, who studied integrated design. "We are convinced that a place of remembrance is important for the city of Jever. The question of where Fritz Levy is, where the culture of memory has a place today, needs to be discussed more again," emphasized Charzinski.

The publication was presented on May 8, 2022, the day of liberation and two days after Levy's 121st birth anniversary. The presentation of the magazine and a reading took place in the GröschlerHaus Jever, the center for Jewish history and contemporary history of the region, which organized the event together with the Jeverländische Altertums- und Heimatverein e.V.

"Fritz Levy was a polarizing personality. And precisely because of this, he is and remains a person who is inseparably linked with Jever. His life's work still moves people today. You could feel that during the reading," said Charzinski.

Litmeyer and Charzinski conducted intensive research and held conversations with the people of Jever in preparation for the zine. Through a facade and window display of a centrally located building in the small Frisian city, attention was drawn to the question "Aber wo ist Fritz?" and the population was called upon to share stories, anecdotes and comments about the person Levy. They received a lot of information and submissions this way, parts of which were published in the magazine. 

In addition to these contributions, Levy's own texts, biographical facts and articles by various authors can also be found in the magazine. For example, Elianna Renner, HfK alumna of the fine arts, who prepared a contribution together with curator Nicole Giese-Kroner from Syker Vorwerk.

The publication was supported by the GroeschlerHaus Jever, the Jeverländischen Altertums- und Heimatverein e.V., the city of Jever, the district Friesland, the Senator für Kultur Bremen, the Stiftung niedersächsische Gedenkstätten and the Niedersächsischer Landesbeauftragter gegen Antisemitismus und für den Schutz jüdischen Lebens. 

The zine can be downloaded as a PDF from the homepage www.woistfritz.de.

Ariane Litmeyer and Jan Charzinski
E-mail: info@woistfritz.de