{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"da.news","provider_url":"https:\/\/da.news\/en\/","title":"Darmstadt roundtable discussion with Julian S\u00f6ller - da.news","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"FAjUyUllr8\"><a href=\"https:\/\/da.news\/en\/darmstadt-table-talk-with-julian-soeller\/\">Darmstadt roundtable discussion with Julian S&#xF6;ller<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/da.news\/en\/darmstadt-table-talk-with-julian-soeller\/embed\/#?secret=FAjUyUllr8\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#x201C;Darmstadt Roundtable Discussion with Julian S&#xF6;ller&#x201D; &#x2013; da.news\" data-secret=\"FAjUyUllr8\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! 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Christian Schmitt Between 1950 and 1975, the legendary \"Darmstadt Conversations\" event series took place. In short, the aim was to bring culturally interested citizens closer to relevant topics and problems through public discussions. This is also the goal of the \"Darmstadt Table Talks,\" where those who contribute to the preservation and development of our society in various capacities have their say. This time, journalist and publicist W. Christian Schmitt, along with cameraman Werner Wabnitz, is a guest of Julian S\u00f6ller, cultural manager of the Darmstadt City Church parish. If Martin Luther, the Bible translator, were alive today, he would surely have long since become a member of the German Academy for Language and Literature \u2013 and a (further) example of how closely church and culture are intertwined. And that was precisely the topic at the beginning of our table talk in Darmstadt's oldest church in the city center: What connects church with art and culture? For centuries, many things. Just think how many works of art have survived in (Catholic) churches. Paintings, sculptures, and so on, once commissioned by bishops, cardinals, or even popes, or which, alongside princes and kings, were among the main patrons. But that wasn't all we talked about with Julian S\u00f6ller, who first wanted to show and explain the interior of the city church to us: the altar, the wainscoting behind it, and also the trapdoor in the floor that\u2014when opened\u2014leads down to the crypt. But that would be something for a later visit. Then, in a church where priests usually hold the reins and preach, the cultural manager, who is actually an environmental engineer, told us how he came to this job as a relative newcomer and what his responsibilities encompass. It all started during his university studies. There, under the umbrella of the student union (where he was the representative for social affairs and housing), he first came into contact with \"those who organize events,\" including demonstrations and readings. Then he \"founded an artists' collective with friends in Darmstadt\"\u2014but the \"longer story\" would go beyond the scope of this discussion. Eventually, he made contact with the city church and with the cultural pastor, Karsten Gollnow. For many years, Gollnow was the go-to person for all matters relating to church and culture, from author readings and concerts to exhibitions, jazz sessions, and the like. The church had granted him a half-time position for this purpose. Julian S\u00f6ller has been filling this position since the beginning of 2024. The church, he explains, \"used to be a place of community.\" And that's precisely where his commitment to promoting \"shared experiences\" comes in. He also wants to \"create a range of social offerings that covers as many areas as possible.\" We talk about cultural funding, about fees for performing artists, about coordinating with municipal and other cultural providers in the city\u2014and, of course, about how he has settled into Darmstadt's cultural scene. \u201cRight at the beginning,\u201d he recounts, he was invited to the \u201cartists\u2019 get-together\u201d at the Bessungen Boys\u2019 School. Later, he made contact with the SPD\u2019s \u201cCultural Forum,\u201d and the Greens also showed a willingness to talk. And what about the CDU? \u201cNo one approached me,\u201d he remarks. \u201cWhat kind of freedom do you have?\u201d I ask. \u201cWith whom do you have to coordinate when developing your own cultural program?\u201d \u201cYou never have completely free rein,\u201d he says. But he has \u201cthe confidence that my events will treat the venue, that is, the city church congregation, with respect.\u201d Although\u2014as current leading politicians demonstrate\u2014\u201crespect\u201d can be defined very differently. \u201cI\u2019m employed by the Darmstadt Deanery,\u201d he adds, \u201cbut I work in the city church congregation, I\u2019m in contact with the church council and Pastor Gollnow, as well as Annette Laakmann, the deanery president.\u201d And what\u2019s his interim assessment? \"Mostly positive. I feel completely at home in this cultural city.\" When we then ask him about his hobbies, he, who also once tried his hand at playing the drums, tells us the following: \"I'm a very passionate museum-goer and particularly interested in design, architecture, and design.\" Before we say our goodbyes, I return to an offer Julian S\u00f6ller made to us before we recorded our conversation: \"If it bothers you that the church bells start ringing in the middle of our conversation, I can turn them off.\" But that wasn't necessary. Our dialogue ended just in time, shortly before the bells started ringing. About Julian S\u00f6ller: Born in 1995; cultural manager of the city church parish; studied at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences from 2020 to 2024 (Master of Engineering); Chairman of the Board of the cultural association prima (2023\/24). Our next interviewee is Judith Kautz, owner of the Bessungen bookstore."}