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Culture Café: Minna's eventful journey from Wilhelmshaven to Tsingtau
On August 13th, experience a culture café about the history of Minna and Otto Stielow in the Coastal Museum Wilhelmshaven.
Culture Café: Minna's eventful journey from Wilhelmshaven to Tsingtau
Who would have thought that a small town in northern Germany would have such an eventful history connected to China? On August 13th at 3 p.m., the culture café in the Coastal Museum Wilhelmshaven will be the stage for the eventful life of Minna and Otto Stielow, which is impressively traced in Gerlinde Pehlken's lecture. Under the title “From Wilhelmshaven to Tsingtau: The Story of Minna and Otto Stielow,” the event invites everyone interested to find out more about this extraordinary biography. The lecture will take place as part of the exhibition “Happiness in the Distance” in the museum, which highlights the cultural connections between Germany and China. Admission is €5 and you can end the afternoon comfortably with a cup of coffee and cake. Places are limited, registration is required at 04421 / 400940 or by email to kuestenmuseum@wilhelmshaven-touristik.de.
Minna Günther-Stielow, born on February 22, 1886 in Heppens near Wilhelmshaven, spent over 40 years in China. She married Otto Stielow, a naval engineer, in 1906 in Tsingtau. Together they raised three children while Otto served on the escort ship Titania. Particularly exciting is Minna's life, which, after many twists and turns, led her and her family to Otto's death in 1937 in Tsingtau before she returned to Wilhelmshaven in 1950. The lecture will focus on the themes of love, uprooting, family life and the perseverance of Minna, who ran a guesthouse called “German House”. Wilhelmshaven.de reports that descendants of emigrants, such as the naval chaplain Ludwig Winter and his grandson Mr. Hehner from Berlin, will also be present, giving the story a personal connection.
A look back into history
What happened to the Stielows is only part of the facet of German-Chinese cultural relations. Many examples can also be found in the story of the brothers Artur and Otto Kibat, who lived at the same time and also shaped the culture. These two brothers are known not only for their translation of the Chinese novel “Djin Ping Mei” during National Socialism, but also for their courageous resistance and their social democratic orientation. Artur Kibat was a teacher in Wilhelmshaven and after the war was a co-founder of the Wilhelmshaven animal protection association, while Otto Kibat worked as a lawyer in Gotha and was heavily involved in the Jewish community. NWZonline places the Kibat brothers in the context of the German-Chinese cultural bridge and highlights how they contributed to the resistance against National Socialism.
Both stories are part of an exciting network of cultural exchange and humanitarian commitment that goes far beyond the borders of Wilhelmshaven. The August 13th event will not just be a lecture, but an opportunity to discover these connecting stories and recognize their relevance for today.
Anyone who is interested in learning this emotional and moving story is cordially invited to come to the Coastal Museum on August 13th. Be inspired by the resilient life story of a woman who lived in a foreign country for over five decades and celebrate with us a memory of the lively exchange between two cultures.