A Song
Views on Siegen

• Text zum Nachlesen

  The Song about Itself

  I am a song. I am a thing that one cannot see or touch. With my lyrics and notes, of course, that‘s possible. But as a song, I am truly myself only when I am sung. I fill the air, sounding different depending on the voice, and when there are multiple voices, they even blend together. That‘s how it is when Valentina, Soja, and Svetlana sing me.

  I also enjoy it very much when there are instruments involved, each with its own unique voice. Like the guitar played by Mikhail.

  But songs aren‘t only sound, we also always say something. That‘s why we always can have a clear theme and be about something.

  I am about a city, about our city here, about Siegen – and more than that. I like to think that I am a notably friendly song, an affirmative song. I affirm this city. And I do so in the spirit of Svetlana, who wrote me. She is half Russian and half Ukrainian and moved to Germany, to the Siegerland, for love. And she always emphasizes how she was „welcomed with open arms“ here. And that‘s it, exactly what resonates within me now. Wherever I am heard again, it‘s a new echo of this feeling – being „welcomed with open arms.“

  Zusatzinfos

  Svetlana Ochs majored in German studies in Krasnodar, supervised German tourist groups, and met her current husband during this time. Through him, she came to Fellinghausen in Kreuztal and felt welcome there from the very beginning. For 17 years, she has been a founding member of the singing group „RadOst“. This song, written by her, was performed for this exhibition here in the museum with Valentina Kramer, Soja Fuhr-Buschmelev, and Mikhail Zakharov on the guitar. The costumes are inspired by Russian attire from the 18th/19th centuries.

  Two Siegen-Paintings to the Song

  We are two paintings from the late 19th century. Jakob Scheiner painted us, and we are called „Siegen: Unteres Schloss mit Mühlenweiher“ and „Scheiner Blick“.

  We both could be said to depict Siegen. And we both harbor affection for Siegen.

  Listening to you, we found many things quite familiar. The Sieg River, for example, or the hills – we portray those too. But what particularly resonates with us is the line about the sunflowers. You compare the Lower Castle (Unteres Schloss) to sunflowers – for their color. But by doing so, you express something else as well. You could have compared it to mustard or bananas. But you say: sunflowers. And by doing so, you place the Lower Castle in the sun, and perhaps you even let it grow and bloom, metaphorically of course...

  Anyway, that mainly depends on how your writer views Siegen. Her perspective is very personal. And of course, we know this well; we too don‘t merely show the city, we offer our views of it. Because our painter had a perspective too. And perhaps there‘s no other way. Each person has their own perspective – and things like us, whether songs or paintings, attest to that.

  What‘s your perspective on Siegen? What makes the city stand out for you? What facets would you highlight?