Letters To Kürten Mayor Herrn Ulrich Iwanow
In Support of The Stockhausen Courses
BREAKING NEWS: Stockhausen met unofficially with the members of Kürten city government this evening (Sept. 24). Stockhausen assured those present that he had never made any statements in sympathy with terrorists. The atmosphere was friendly and the meeting was very fruitful. There will be more on these developments soon.
Dear friends of the Stockhausen-Courses Kürten:
Many of you may be familiar with the recent unparalleled campaign of defamation directed towards Karlheinz Stockhausen by the German press during this past week.
As anyone who has heard Stockhausen's music, read his words, or attended his lectures knows that the reports that started in the German press and have now been circulated worldwide concerning his comments during the Hamburg interview are not true. It is clearly an act of libel towards one of the most important composers of our time. It is truly absurd that someone would believe that Stockhausen would sympathize with terrorists or glamorize the atrocious events that recently happened in America.
It has come to our attention that the community of Kürten wants to cancel their much needed support of the Stockhausen-Courses. Without the support and the appropriations of the Kürten Community Office the courses will no longer take place. We feel that this would be a great loss to the many of us who recognize the importance of his work and teachings. It would, also, be a loss not only to the local community - the reduction of cultural and economic benefits - but a loss to the world community as well by disallowing the teaching of hundreds of creative minds who will shape our future through
*their* creative activities.
We feel that one of the best ways to try to prevent the Courses from being cancelled is to write a friendly letter or email to the Honorable Mayor of Kürten, Ulrich Iwanow to express our deeply held interests in keeping the Stockhausen-Courses alive. We feel that in these difficult times, the community of Kürten should (and, we believe, will) show the rest of the world that they will not be swayed by petty innuendos and falsehoods fabricated by an unconscionable press.
best regards
Takashi Matsudaira
Mark Polscher
Rod Stasick
Alain Taquet
Shuji Yamashita
adress:
Herrn
Ulrich Iwanow, Bürgermeister
Rathaus
Marktfeld 1
51515 Kürten
email to Ulrich Iwanow, Bürgermeister:
gemeinde@kuerten.de
Liebe Freunde der Stockhausen Kurse Kürten,
wie Sie sicher alle mitbekommen haben, läuft in den deutschen Medien gegen Stockhausen eine beispiellose Verleumdungskampagne.
Jeder, der nur ein Werk gehört, nur einen Text gelesen oder einen Vortrag von Stockhausen erlebt hat, weiß, daß das, was wir nun der aufgebrachten Presse entnehmen müssen, völlig aus dem Zusammenhang gerissen und bewußt falsch interpretiert wurde. Es ist absurd zu glauben Stockhausen sympathisiere mit Terroristen oder verherrliche das, was in den USA geschehen ist.
Nun lesen wir heute mit großer Bestürzung von den Plänen der Gemeinde Kürten, die Stockhausen Kurse im nächsten Jahr nicht mehr stattfinden zu lassen. Desweiteren gibt es Bestrebungen Stockhausen die Ehrenbürgerwürde der Gemeinde Kürten wieder abzuerkennen.
Ohne die Einwilligung und die Unterstützung der Kürtener Gemeinde wird es keine Stockhausen Kurse mehr geben. Wir meinen, das muß verhindert werden und würden uns wünschen, wenn Sie alle per Post oder email den Bürgermeister Herrn Ulrich Iwanow freundlichst bitten, die Pläne des Gemeinderats wieder zu verwerfen um gerade in solch schweren Zeiten ein Zeichen für Wahrheit und Unerschrockenheit zu setzen.
herzliche Grüße
Takashi Matsudaira
Mark Polscher
Rod Stasick
Alain Taquet
Shuji Yamashita
Adresse:
Herrn
Ulrich Iwanow, Bürgermeister
Rathaus
Marktfeld 1
51515 Kürten
email an Ulrich Iwanow, Bürgermeister:
gemeinde@kuerten.de