The exhibition for children and young people based on Birgitta Ber's book of the same name, "Suzy, the Granddaughter of House No. 4 and the Time of the Hidden Jewish Stars," has found a permanent home. After its memorable debut in the capital and its presentation in the cities of Vidin and Petrich, the exhibition has become permanent and found its place in the city of Popovo. The opening will be on November 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Historical Museum in Popovo.
The exhibition is organized by the Popovo Historical Museum and the Popovo Municipality.
"Suzy, the Granddaughter of House N4" is an unadulterated and truly moving look at the evil of fascism as experienced by a Jewish child and her family, told from the bombed but undestroyed and unbroken house of our collective memory.
A story that is not malicious, but revealing.
A story that deserves to become part of our children's world and does not deserve to fall under the fire of the ideological layers of us, their parents.
But will this be the fate of the book and the exhibition Suzy, or will it resemble the difficult fate of the heroine Suzy?
The answer to this question depends solely on us.
As publishers of the book and curators of the exhibition, we are willing to take the risk because we are certain that the specific story of the granddaughter from house No. 4, like all good literature, sends messages that transcend ideological divisions—messages related to the important themes of post-memory, exclusion, and inequality, which are just as relevant today as they were 70 years ago.
And we believe that these are themes that should excite children equally, regardless of which side of history their parents choose to stand on.
That is why we challenge you to embark, together with your children, on an exciting, visually appealing, and well-intentioned journey that will allow you to get to know Suzy's family.
The exhibition tells the true story of a Jewish girl from Berlin-Wilmerdorf who, together with her parents Steffi and Ludwig Kolm, went into hiding in October 1942 to escape persecution by the National Socialist regime. The family survived thanks to the help of a whole network of people who believed that good was worth the risk.
Along the way, you will encounter many entertaining little stories about rejection and acceptance, fear and courage, and optimism and innocence as an antidote to evil.
Berlin-based writer, illustrator, and teacher Birgitta Beer has brought the experience to life from the perspective of her granddaughter Suzi, using a literary technique that intrigues children's imaginations—the visual language of the graphic novel.
Her story is based on materials from Stefan Kolm, a descendant of the family and Suzi's stepbrother, who shared his memories, documents, and artifacts from the family archive with the author.
The exhibition based on the book offers an innovative approach to recounting the past through the present—a risk that makes the experiment even more exciting.
The exhibition will remain permanently at the History Museum in Popovo.
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The project was implemented in cooperation with and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the State Cultural Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, the America for Bulgaria Foundation, Sofia Municipality, Petrich Municipality, Vidin Municipality, Popovo Municipality, the Popovo History Museum, the Shalom Organization of Jews in Bulgaria, the Petrich History Museum, the Communitas Foundation, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, TRADUKI, Marché Antique, J-point Group, and others.