Wedekind Hermann

Wedekind Hermann (November 18, 1910, Coesfeld, FRG – January 16, 1998, Saarbrücken), theatre director, actor, singer; a promoter and supporter of Georgian culture in Germany.

In 1946, he was the chief director of the Bonn Opera Theatre and the head of the acting school. In 1951, he became the director of the Münster City Theatre. During his tenure as the General Director of the Saarbrücken State Theatre (1972–76), he established a close relationship with the Z. Paliashvili Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre, which subsequently grew into active cultural exchanges between Tbilisi and Saarbrücken. During this period, the Saarbrücken Theatre staged Z. Paliashvili's Daisi and Abesalom and Eteri, O. Taktakishvili's Mindia, as well as dramatic performances such as D. Kldiashvili's Samanishvili's Stepmother (Samanishvilis dedinatsvali) and R. Ebralidze's Contemporary Tragedy (tanamedrove tragedia]), among others.

Between 1973 and 1983, Wedekind directed ten performances in Georgian theatres: R. Wagner's Lohengrin and The Flying Dutchman, W. Mozart's The Magic Flute, Ch. Gounod's Faust, A. Gryphius's Ketevan the Georgian (Ketevan kartveli), F. Schiller's Intrigue and Love (Kabale und Liebe), W. Borchert's Outside the Door, and F. Dürrenmatt's The Physicists.

Through his activities, Wedekind made a significant contribution to the twinning of Tbilisi and Saarbrücken. He initially founded the "Georgian Museum" in Kirf-Beuren and later the Rustaveli Society in Wadern. He received state awards from both Germany and Georgia. In 1990, his 80th anniversary was celebrated in Georgia. In 1995, he was elected an honorary citizen of Tbilisi, and in 1996, an honorary citizen of Kutaisi.