EINE FRAU IN BERLIN 1945
SHOW IN GERMAN (B1)
Note: this show is also available in English (A WOMAN IN BERLIN 1945) for mainstage theatre
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
On April 16, 1945, troops of the Red Army crossed the Oder River to reach Berlin before the Allies. The operation to capture Berlin involved 2.5 million men, 41,600 artillery pieces, 6,250 tanks, and 7,500 aircraft.
It was the largest urban battle in history after Stalingrad, not only marking the end of World War II but also the division of Europe into two blocs.
Loosely inspired by the book “Eine Frau in Berlin” by Anonyma and “Berlin 1945: The Downfall” by Antony Beevor, the performance aims to tell a largely forgotten story: the systematic violence committed by the Red Army during the first month of Germany’s occupation, targeting German women. It was the largest mass rape in history, with nearly 2 million women assaulted across Germany. The violence also affected Polish prisoners and even liberated Soviet deportees.
It is estimated that between April and May 1945, around 100,000 people committed suicide in Berlin to avoid falling into the hands of the Russians. A significant portion of these victims were women who feared or had already suffered violence.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE SHOW
The show mainly presents the war from a female perspective, attempting to portray the tragedy of war from both sides. The central story is that of a young Berlin woman between April and May 1945—one of thousands trapped in a city disintegrating along with German society itself. The protagonist recounts the shocking experience of Berlin’s fall and the nightmare of mass rapes lasting for weeks.
Instead of graphically depicting sexual violence, this is symbolically evoked through Indian rhythms and dances, revealing a surprising connection between India and Nazism. The swastika, an ancient sacred symbol of good fortune in Indian Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, was co-opted and distorted by the Nazis, becoming the emblem of their racial ideology based on the pseudo-science of Aryanism (the word “Aryan” itself is derived from Sanskrit, the ancient Indian language).
The show was staged at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, from 6 to 21 August 2026, at TEATRO FISICO – Fruitmarket, 45 Market Street, Edinburgh — Venue #359a.
PROFESSIONAL CRITICS
★★★★
THE STUDENT
“The direction of this play is fantastic. Through the woman’s emotive monologue, supported by effective lighting changes and surrounding sounds of artillery, a vivid picture of war-torn, collapsing Berlin is painted. As an audience member, it is powerful to see the empty space of the stage transform into the desperate city of Berlin, achieved entirely through Pohl’s expressive movement and speech. By bringing an underrepresented topic to the centre of discussion, A Woman in Berlin 1945 stands as a show of great significance in this year’s Fringe”
REVIEWS FROM THE AUDIENCE AT EDFRINGE.COM
❝ Powerful and moving, a fine solo performance on an important theme ❞
❝ Absolutely amazing, one of the most impressive solo performances I have seen! I was truly transported to 1945 and fully immersed in the intensity of the Russians invading and occupying Berlin! ❞
❝I was not alone in having tears in my eyes at its conclusion. Highly recommended❞
❝A deeply emotional expressive physical theatre piece addressing an aspect of WW2 not widely known.❞
❝An intense yet often beautiful solo performance❞
❝Poignant and convincing. The atmosphere of violence and terror is brilliantly evoked. ❞
❝A moving performance expressing emotion through dance and theatre of a dark period in WW2 history that few people know of. Telling a story of war from the perspective of women’s & children’s lived experiences through physical theatre is timely and chilling at once. Highly recommended!❞
❝Superb and moving piece of theatre.❞
BIO OF THE ACTOR
MAGDA POHL. Italian-German actress trained at the Philip Radice’s Atelier del Teatro Fisico. She has performed lead and supporting roles in TV and theatre, including productions such as La Fame (2016), Salt—the Marvelous Puppet Show (2016–2019), I Progenitori (2014), and Dolly (2013–2014). Voice-over artist and narrator for audiobooks and radio in German.
READ THE SCRIPT OF THE SHOW ON AMAZON
All shows written by Tom Corradini are published on Amazon. We believe in making our scripts accessible because we know that reading them is a completely different experience from watching the live performance. Our theatre is highly physical—what you see on stage goes far beyond what can be captured in words on a page.
Check out the script on Amazon of a Woman in Berlin 1945 (English version of the show)
Check out the script on Amazon of Eine Frau in Berlin 1945 (German version of the show)
