June 7, 2025
Guided Tour: "In the Footsteps of Edith Stein through Cologne"
(In person)
Anyone who wants to understand the significance of Edith Stein cannot ignore Cologne. This is documented by the Carmelite convent "Maria vom Frieden" with the Edith Stein Archive, the crypt of Cologne Cathedral, and the impressive Edith Stein monument at Maria-Ablass-Platz.
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But in addition to these prominent sites, Cologne is home to many other traces that connect with events and encounters from her life — for example, her 1931 lecture on St. Elisabeth of Thuringia at the Association of Catholic Academics. The impact of people’s experiences with Edith Stein is also reflected after the war in numerous signs of appreciation: be it the Edith Stein Bell at the Church of St. Mariä Himmelfahrt in central Cologne, or in neighborhoods like Bilderstöckchen with its impressive Edith Stein Chapel and the touching stories it tells.
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In a two-part guided tour, we will be accompanied by Revd Dr. Joachim Feldes, who has been researching and publishing on Edith Stein’s connections to Cologne since 2005, when he oversaw events on her during World Youth Day.
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The city walk begins at 10 a.m. at the Church of St. Severin and continues via the Church of St. Georg, the City Hall, the former mikveh at Rathausplatz, and the former civic society, passing through the Domplatz to the Church of St. Mariä Himmelfahrt, the Edith Stein monument, and the crypt of Cologne Cathedral.
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After lunch, we travel by public transport to the former Carmelite convent on Dürener Straße, to the Church of Christ's Resurrection, and to the Trinity Hospital. From there, we proceed to the Edith Stein Chapel in Cologne-Bilderstöckchen, followed by a visit to the Carmelite convent “Maria vom Frieden.” The tour is expected to end around 5:00 PM.
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A participation fee of €5 will be charged. Any costs for public transportation are not included.
Please register for the tour by email at: edithstein.veranstaltungen@gmail.com
June 6, 2025
Lecture: "Encounters that Lead Further –
Edith Stein and Bergzabern"
(In person)
The questions of why Edith Stein came to Bergzabern and how her— as she writes— “long search” came to an end form the starting point of the lecture by Revd Dr. Joachim Feldes, among others Secretary General of the International Association for the Study of Edith Stein’s Philosophy. Since his work as a priest on site, he has examined the many encounters Edith Stein had in Bergzabern and the remarkable, often decisive developments that resulted from them.
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The core of the lecture is a search for traces that leads to a young philosopher and her circle of friends who, in the face of war and the intellectual distortions of their time, committed themselves to clear and unbiased thinking, community, and faith. In this context, Edith Stein decided, coming from Breslau and Göttingen, at the end of 1921 to enter the Church. But after receiving baptism and first communion, she did not leave Bergzabern behind; rather, she repeatedly returned, especially until 1927, because it offered opportunities for direct exchange with those whom Edith Stein regarded as competent companions and helpful dialogue partners. From these encounters, new paths emerged, leading further to Cologne and even South Africa, but ultimately also back to the Palatinate.
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The lecture will take place on June 6 at 6:00 p.m. in the Teresian Chapel of the Monastery "Maria vom Frieden" (Vor den Siebenburgen 6, Cologne) as part of the exhibition "On the Problem of Empathy: A Photographic Investigation."
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Note: All events within the exhibition program are free of charge. We would greatly appreciate a small donation to support our work and mission.
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May 24, 2025
Symposium and Workshop: "Shaping Time: Rethinking Archives Through Photographic Practice"
(In-person)
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"Shaping Time: Rethinking Archives Through Photographic Practice – Artistic Research and Transhistorical Curating" is a one-day symposium and workshop exploring the intersection of photography, archives, and artistic research. The event features talks by Daria Bona and Eva Langerak, followed by a discussion on artistic interventions in cultural heritage sites. In the afternoon, Katarina Šoškic will lead a workshop on photography as a method of inquiry, reflecting on its role in memory, archives, and the negotiation of uncertainty. The symposium is open to all, with the workshop limited to 20 participants (Registration is open until 23.05: https://forms.gle/5YLXJVfXQZYKLmHi8)
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This symposium is organized on the occasion of Lucrezia Zanardi's exhibition "On the Problem of Empathy: A Photographic Investigation"
PROGRAM
11:00 - 11:10 Welcome, Dr. Monika Adamczyk-Enriquez & Lucrezia Zanardi, ESA
11:10 - 11:30 Daria Bona, Artist Meets Archive, Photoszene Köln
11:30 - 12:10 ‘“Activating the Archive’: notes on transhistorical curating” - Eva Langerak
12:10 - 12:30 Artistic intervention in archives and cultural heritage sites - Eva Langerak in dialogue with Prof. Dr. Marcel René Marburger & public
12:30 - 13:30 Break & Networking
13:30 - 16:00 Workshop “Those in the know – facing the unknown” with Katarina Šoškic
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Workshop Information:
What kinds of knowledge—and forms of not-knowing—does photography enable?
This workshop invites participants to reflect on photography not as an artistic medium but as a method of inquiry. Together, we’ll discuss its capacities to navigate uncertainty, construct meaning, and engage with archives, memory, and place. Drawing from the experiences of practitioners working across disciplines, the session offers space to explore how photographic practices operate at the intersection of research, creation, and interpretation. Open to artists, researchers, archivists, and others working with or through photography. Bring curiosity, pen, and paper.
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May 16, 2025
Lecture: The Edith Stein House –
Identity and Memory of the Place
(Present)
The Edith Stein House is a building located on the former Michaelissstraße, where Edith Stein lived with her family from 1910 to 1933. In 1995, the building was acquired by the Edith Stein Society and, after a thorough renovation, was made accessible to visitors and pilgrims from Poland and all over the world. Today, it serves as a unique place of remembrance for Edith Stein, visited by tourists, researchers, and admirers of her life and philosophy. In addition to its historical value, this place has a special significance as a space for reflection on her person, her thinking, and her legacy.
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As part of the event, Dr. Anna Siemieniec, a staff member of the Edith Stein House, will speak about the history of this special place, its significance, and her personal experiences working there. The lecture will be delivered in Polish and will be simultaneously translated by Dr. Monika Adamczyk-Enriquez (Edith Stein Archive in Cologne).
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The lecture will take place on May 16 in the Teresienkapelle of the "Maria vom Frieden" Monastery (Vor den Siebenburgen 6, Cologne) as part of the preview of the exhibition "On the Problem of Empathy: A Photographic Investigation."
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Note: All events in connection with the exhibition are free of charge. We would greatly appreciate a small donation to support our work and mission.
May 16, 2025
Lecture: The Edith Stein House –
Identity and Memory of the Place
(Present)
The Edith Stein House is a building located on the former Michaelissstraße, where Edith Stein lived with her family from 1910 to 1933. In 1995, the building was acquired by the Edith Stein Society and, after a thorough renovation, was made accessible to visitors and pilgrims from Poland and all over the world. Today, it serves as a unique place of remembrance for Edith Stein, visited by tourists, researchers, and admirers of her life and philosophy. In addition to its historical value, this place has a special significance as a space for reflection on her person, her thinking, and her legacy.
​
As part of the event, Dr. Anna Siemieniec, a staff member of the Edith Stein House, will speak about the history of this special place, its significance, and her personal experiences working there. The lecture will be delivered in Polish and will be simultaneously translated by Dr. Monika Adamczyk-Enriquez (Edith Stein Archive in Cologne).
​
The lecture will take place on May 16 in the Teresienkapelle of the "Maria vom Frieden" Monastery (Vor den Siebenburgen 6, Cologne) as part of the preview of the exhibition "On the Problem of Empathy: A Photographic Investigation."
​
Note: All events in connection with the exhibition are free of charge. We would greatly appreciate a small donation to support our work and mission.
From May 16 to August 9, 2025
Exhibition: "On the Problem of Empathy:
A Photographic Investigation"
by Lucrezia Zanardi
(Present)
From May 16 to August 9, the exhibition "On the Problem of Empathy: A Photographic Investigation" by Lucrezia Zanardi (Radboud University/Dortmund University of Applied Sciences/Edith Stein Archive) will be on display at the "Maria vom Frieden" church. In this exhibition, the artist Lucrezia Zanardi engages with the phenomenological ideas of Edith Stein, particularly the concept of empathy. She uses photography as a medium to explore the relationship between perception, archival work, and empathy. She draws on her research at the Edith Stein Archive, which she has been conducting since 2020. The exhibition invites visitors to engage interactively with these themes and to develop a deeper connection to Edith Stein's phenomenological thinking.
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A complementary program is also planned for the exhibition, offering visitors an in-depth engagement with Edith Stein's life and legacy. Special focus is placed on the places of memory, such as Wroclaw, Bergzabern, Göttingen, and Cologne, which are linked to her life and work. Through lectures and discussions, these places and their historical significance will be brought to life. Additionally, a guided tour of Cologne will be offered, where visitors can explore local sites of memory and better understand their connection to Edith Stein's biography. The program invites participants to preserve Edith Stein's legacy in dialogue with the present and to use the exhibition as a space for history, art, and philosophical reflection.
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Opening Hours for the exhibition "On the Problem of Empathy: A Photographic Investigation":
Preview of the Exhibition:
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May 16: First event and preview (everyone is warmly invited)
Regular Visits from May 23:
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May 23 to June 14
Friday: 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
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June 14 to August 2
Visits by appointment and with registration
Available on Fridays and Saturdays
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Edith Stein Week (August 2 – 9):
Thursday & Friday: 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: Monastery "Maria vom Frieden," Vor den Siebenburgen 6, Cologne.
Registration required (only for the period from June 14 to August 2):
Email: edithstein.veranstaltungen@gmail.com
Note: All events in connection with the exhibition are free of charge. We would greatly appreciate a small donation to support our work and mission.