We live in an occupied country. In the “Green Kingdom” the “Anakonda Baerbock”. That’s how cabaret artist Uwe Steimle sees it.
The little white peace pigeon in Dresden: Uwe Steimle.Sebastian Kahnert/dpa
Chemnitz, Kulturzentrum Kraftwerk, this is where the people stand. And the people are still in a good mood. Even at the end of the line. One says: “He speaks to us from the heart.” Another says: “He’s got his ass in his pants.” In an hour Uwe Steimle, admired from heart to ass, will come on stage, “live and uncensored”. Many here experienced the founding year of the GDR themselves.
Steimle, born in Dresden in 1963, is a satirist, a credible Honecker imitator and “survivor of the fall of the Wall”, which he prefers to call “Kehre”. Also inventor of the cozy campfire feeling Ostalgie. He turns it into political cabaret. And that, in his opinion, can hardly be distinguished from the cabinet. Just as Steimle himself can hardly be distinguished from an artificial figure.
In a world in which it is becoming increasingly difficult to squeeze the fringes of society under a halfway democratic roof, Steimle, the left blinker and right turner, is an endurance test for the political road traffic regulations. He himself says: “I’m either a right pig or a left sow. I’ll probably end up as a vegan schnitzel.” If in doubt, pork.
Ever since he was fired from MDR, Steimle’s “Aktuelle Kamera” has been running on YouTube, guaranteed to be uncensored. After all, censorship is not such an unusual practice in occupied Germany. This “Green Kingdom” of the “Anaconda Baerbock”. Where “Marionetta Slomka” makes state-friendly opinion for “Voldemort Schmollenskyj”. That’s how Steimle sees it and that’s exactly how he says it. Greetings from wordplay hell.
What the little white peace dove sees and says – with greetings back – the people cannot ignore. “Thank you Uwe” is written on several Nikki’s in Chemnitz. Steimle himself already carried these messages: “Ami go home” and “Strength through friends”. In blackletter.
Before the good mood fades, a cyclist comes by and calls out to the people who are standing in line: “What’s for today, bananas?” One calls back: “Welcome money!” Everyone laughs. That must be this nostalgia. In any case, the mood climbs to folk festival level. And still no sign that an invisible wall is about to be raised and the festival almost leads to a riot.
It is thanks to Ute Kiehn-Dziuballa that Steimle can perform in Chemnitz. She runs the cultural center. Her husband Uwe Dziuballa runs the Jewish restaurant Schalom. The three are friends and as a friend Kiehn-Dziuballa says: “Uwe Steimle is by no means an anti-Semite.” Others say the opposite. A second appearance in Chemnitz was cancelled. When in doubt, Steimle is not a pig, not a sow, but “a folkish anti-Semitic whiner”. You can call him that under certain circumstances. A court decided.
And now the good mood is really over. The people are still outside the door when a man steps outside, draws a line with his hand, says: “There are no more tickets from here.” It’s better to go home. Indignation. grumbling. One shouts: “We want to go in!” Another complains: “There was no pre-sale for the common people!” The queue pushes forward. Determination. Hustle. The poor cashier: “I can’t change it either.” A funny ticket owner: “If you’re late, life punishes you – you know.” Nobody laughs. No more nostalgia. The people feel cheated. Those up there have tickets. Not the ones down here. And not even Us-Ost Uwe can still help.
In the column “Ost visit” Paul Linke reports every two weeks from his interim life in Chemnitz and the surrounding area. Saxony sucks? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that!