FörderFreunde lecture: Dr. Jochen Tohlen: Borgward – a shot into bankruptcy

Desert. Voodoo. Viruses. Broken Leaf Spring – Across West Africa in a Classic Vehicle

Africa – is that not the continent associated with war, corruption and disease? And West Africa is said to be even worse. Terrorists waiting to kidnap travellers, dangerous smuggling routes crossing the Sahara, war in Mali, and Ebola outbreaks making the headlines again and again …

But designer Berit and her husband Heppo, a master carpenter and drummer, see things differently. They think of the beautiful music of Mali, fantastic fashion, and mystical encounters with Sufis and representatives of Yoruba culture. In the end, their desire to travel wins.

Once again, the two climb into their nearly 60-year-old Mercedes-Benz short-bonnet truck, affectionately known as Frau Scherer, and set off on a new adventure. Also on board is their dog Sidi, whom they found as a tiny puppy in Western Sahara back in 2011.

They planned to spend a year on the road, travelling to the Voodoo Festival in Benin and back again. But after “only” seven months, SARS-CoV-2 brought their long-planned journey to an abrupt end. And that was not the only thing that failed to go according to plan. There was the case of mistaken identity involving an internationally wanted couple of murder suspects, an unsettling voodoo spell in Benin and, of course, Frau Scherer herself.

As might be expected, she caused trouble once again: a broken leaf spring in the middle of nowhere. There is certainly plenty to tell.

This travel lecture by Berit Hüttinger is much more than a book reading. The author accompanies her texts with videos and photos from the journey, shares her musical discoveries with enthusiasm and enjoys entering into conversation with the audience. Questions are welcome.

Admission to the lecture is €10. FörderFreunde enjoy free admission. Spontaneous guests are welcome, but unfortunately a guaranteed seat cannot be offered without prior booking.