“Lighting the fire is what I call the act as such; the question of guilt is all those things around it.” This was one of the few comments Marinus van der Lubbe made when he stood trial for setting fire to the Reichstag in Berlin (27 November 1933). This latest chapter in the March series by Sluik/Kurpershoek continues the voyage through European landscapes, guided by unique sound recordings of this controversial trial. The recordings are part of one of the best documented and most thoroughly studied incidents of the recent past. Yet, today still there is no unanimous agreement as to what exactly took place at that fire. Was Van der Lubbe the sole perpetrator or were others involved? Was he a victim? Of the fascists or of the communists…? Is there such a thing as guilt? The truth now is a myth and each individual has his own interpretation of a truth. And so history consists of questions only and whoever has no more questions has reached the end of a journey. The Reichstag fire is the leitmotif of Sluik/Kurpershoek's voyage along fields and roads. These landscapes are a witness to history and are always ready for the next season. This journey romantically cherishes the wish that there is no such thing as a guilty child. Van der Lubbe, shortly before embarking on one of his trips, quoted an old Chinese saying: “Without leaving my house, I know the world”. He couldn't agree more, and left.
– Sluik/Kurpershoek
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Thanks to: BOOZ-AV Amsterdam, stichting 'een graf voor Marinus van der Lubbe' Amsterdam, Rundfunk Archiv Frankfurt.
Ron Sluik ° 1961, Enschede (The Netherlands)
Reinier Kurpershoek ° 1959, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
Ze Live and work in Landsmeer (The Netherlands)
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