The project Raus aus Chemnitz? tells the stories of women who have left the city - and the hopes, ruptures and memories associated with this. Stephanie Brittnacher translates their stories into comics together with an international team of illustrators. The bilingual episodes (DE/EN) appear online on Instagram and at rausauschemnitz.de. We met the illustrator for an interview.
Your comics are about women who have left Chemnitz. How did you come up with this idea?
The topic of leaving and staying has characterised Chemnitz for decades - it's often only talked about in statistics or in judgemental reports. I was interested: How do people look at it themselves? What effects do breaks in their lives have and how do their biographies connect with social developments? Initially, this was not gender-specific. But as the process progressed, it became clear that we could only realise a handful of comics - and I had already spoken to five women. So I made a conscious decision to focus on their perspectives. Because it's often women who dare to make a move. This aspect should also find space in Raus aus Chemnitz? Should also find space.
"Everyone here knows someone who has moved away from Chemnitz"
