Theatre Project

In collaboration with the theatre company Freuynde + Gaesdte, the Käte Hamburger Kolleg ‘Legal Unity and Pluralism’ developed the play Der lange Fall des liederlichen Mönchs [The Long Fall of the Dissolute Monk]. It brought together scholarship and the performing arts by recreating a well-documented legal case in staged scenes and having researchers from the Kolleg place it within its (legal) historical context through interspersed lectures. Between October 2025 and January 2026, over 900 people saw the nine performances at the Münster District Court.

The primary aim was to spark curiosity about an era in which law and jurisprudence operated according to principles entirely different from those of today. At the same time, the production sought to convey knowledge of early modern legal history in an entertaining way and to illustrate the phenomenon of legal pluralism, which may appear rather abstract at first glance. Using the example of a convoluted legal case involving a monk accused of adultery, the play demonstrated just how complex and fragmented the feudal-based legal system of the 16th century was.

Collaborators

Playwright and Director: Zeha Schröder
Academic lecture text: Vera Teske
Actors: Gabriele Brüning, Andreas Ladwig, Johan Schüling
Speakers (alternating): Vera Teske, Ulrike Ludwig, Peter Oestmann, Lennart Pieper

Venue: Münster District Court (Am Stadtgraben 10, 48143 Münster)
Premiere: 15 October 2025

Further information

The play on the Freuynde + Gaesdte website

Lennart Pieper: Bringing research and theatre together (EViR Blog)

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