Opening
On Thursday, 24 July, the four-day event was officially opened by Franz-Friedrich Müller, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Markant AG, Mayor Marco Steffens and Sebastian Mettler, initiator of StadtLesen.
"Wortartist" school competition
Schoolchildren demonstrated their writing talent with their entries to the “Wortartist” competition. The three winners read their short stories on the theme of ‘freedom’ – and showed impressive depth.
- First place: Tessa Bussler with "Freedom – no WiFi, no ticket, no luxury goods" (Class 8a, Eichendorffschule)
- Second place: Zara Joggerst García with ‘" light in the shadows" (Class 9a, Erich-Kästner-Realschule)
- Third place: Anne Broß with "Desire for freedom" (Class 6e, Schillergymnasium)
Readings & more
Rufus Beck then captivated the StadtLesen guests with his distinctive voice. The well-known actor, director and audiobook narrator read from John Irving's "The World According to Garp" – and the audience hung on his every word. The Thursday evening came to a cosy close with an after-work party featuring music by DJ B-Phisto.
Extreme athlete Gela Allmann recounted her impressive life story in an interview on Friday afternoon. More than ten years ago, her life was turned upside down when she fell 800 metres down a cliff during a photo shoot. Miraculously, she survived with serious injuries. In Offenburg, she described her rocky road back to life. The band Randy Club brought Friday to a musical close.
The film "Moon, the Panda" attracted numerous guests on Saturday. Before the story of a boy's friendship with a panda bear flickered across the screen, the moment belonged to the Markant trainees. They proudly presented the trailer they had worked on together.
On all four days of the event, visitors were once again able to linger on Offenburg's market square until nightfall, reading on comfortable beanbags, in hammocks and on beach chairs. The supporting programme included free ice cream for everyone, a photo booth and a magic show.
On World Cleanup Day, there was information on recycling – and free rubbish bags and litter pickers to start your own rubbish collection campaign.
The Markant lottery has also become an established feature – two of the participants will soon be delighted to receive notification of their win and will be able to travel in a climate-friendly way with their new e-bikes.
StadtLesen 2025 in Offenburg once again offered something for everyone: literature, music, community and environmental awareness. Markant would like to thank all co-organisers, participants and supporters who made this event possible.