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The Children of Golzow
Film history was written in the small town of Golzow in the Oderbruch. This is where Barbara and Winfried Junge found their protagonists for the longest documentary film series in film history: “The Children of Golzow”. And now there is also a museum dedicated to the films here: the Golzow Film Museum.
The Golzow town sign already says what makes the town in the Oderbruch unique: Place of the “Children of Golzow”. Film enthusiasts know what the three words stand for. The most comprehensive long-term observation in film history. Shown at countless festivals. Life's work of Barbara and Winfried Junge.
The first day of filming was on August 28, 1961 - a few days after the construction of the Wall. The last day was on October 13, 2005. In between there were almost 45 years, a state that ceased to exist, 400 kilometers of film and 19 films with a running time of over 42 hours.
The importance of the documentary film series is undisputed. According to the German Cinematheque Foundation, the 1980 film “Lebensläufe” is one of the 100 most important films in German film history.
If you don't want to watch 42 hours of film straight away, the best thing to do is drive to the location where it all happened. The Golzow Film Museum has been in existence since 2000 in Golzow, between Seelow and Küstrin. In the bright, low-rise building, there are several video and audio stations, including interviews with the documentary filmmakers Barbara and Winfried Junge and with contemporary witnesses. And of course, excerpts from the films. There are also photos, letters, documents and film technology (the cameras used to be pretty big!). And there is a small cinema.
Furniture and technology from the film studios in Johannisthal were used to create an almost authentic editing room. The editing room is stocked with many rolls of film material on the shelves. Several hundred of these contain unpublished material about the children of Golzow. The highlight: the technology in the editing room still works. Will films perhaps be made here one day?
A visit to Golzow can always be combined with a tour of the Oderbruch. In spring, the Adonis flowers on the Oder slopes are a tempting sight. In summer, take a tour on the Oder-Neisse cycle path. On a warm summer evening, attend an event at the Theater am Rand in Zollbrücke.
And in autumn, just drift through the countryside and watch the cranes preparing for their flight south.