Preface

Our cultural venue turns a hundred

Michael Schade, Head of Communications, Bayer AG

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Michael Schade, Head of Communications, Bayer AG

“Die Erholung” (Recreation) was the name of the magazine published in 1908 for members of the Erholungshaus and the clubs run by Farbenfabriken Bayer. Very few people know that the Erholungshaus was originally a place for both intellectual and physical recreation. The historical article on the inside flap of this programme describes how the venue developed to achieve the significance it has today. The Bayer athletes found other, more suitable facilities of their own fairly early on. Cultural activities like theatre, music, dance and art then quite literally spread throughout the Erholungshaus, eventually transcending the walls of the building, as depicted in the wonderful drawing produced by Leverkusen artist Rolf Wetter in 1997.

The centenary of the Bayer Erholungshaus closely follows the one hundredth season organized by the Cultural Affairs Department and fits in perfectly with our celebrations marking “A century of Bayer.Kultur”. The history of the Erholungshaus shows how Bayer’s support for cultural affairs has been closely linked with the company’s development and, in addition, has contributed in no small measure to Leverkusen’s profile. Despite its venerable age, the Erholungshaus is a venue for contemporary and modern arts – thanks to the creativity shown by the Cultural Affairs Department in putting together each season’s programme and to the professionalism of the technical team that runs the Erholungshaus. On behalf of Bayer, I take great pleasure in thanking all those involved.

Special thanks are due to Nikolas Kerkenrath who, having overseen the organization of this season’s programme, retires as head of the Cultural Affairs Department after 22 highly successful and creative years.

I draw great satisfaction from the fact that our cultural activities have adapted to reflect change in society, focusing particularly on young people. Anyone who has been there when hundreds of children and teenagers throng into the Erholungshaus to experience theatre or classical music will have realized that this was the right policy.

Today, more than ever before, musical education for young people fulfils a vital social need. This was recognized and addressed by the Cultural Affairs Department at a very early stage and its longstanding dialogue with schools is a central pillar of its work. Indeed, providing support to young people has been a key element of Bayer’s corporate policy for many years and is one of the company’s main objectives within the context of its social responsibility. One example here is Bayer’s collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to support youth projects worldwide. Among these is an annual painting competition for children in which they express their views and concerns about current issues in colourful pictures and which now attracts more than 15,000 entries from over 100 countries. The Erholungshaus has housed several exhibitions of these pictures.

Through the Bayer Science & Education Foundation, the company also supports schools in the communities surrounding our German sites. The aim is to increase student motivation and thus improve the opportunities available to future generations. This combination of cultural offering and education for young people is in keeping with our long-standing motto that “Working for culture is working for education”. At the same time, our encouragement of young people’s talents is crucial for the future.

Bayer’s cultural centre – the Erholungshaus – celebrates its centenary on September 13, 2008. Thanks to the work of the Cultural Affairs Department and Bayer’s many cultural ensembles, this venue has acquired a unique reputation over the years and is cherished throughout the region by a large and enthusiastic audience spanning all generations.

I hope that the cultural activities in the Erholungshaus continue in future to draw the applause they deserve.

Michael Schade
Head of Communications, Bayer AG