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Digital Folktale

This site was conceived as a digital sequel to the experimental documentary "Potentially Good" (2021) by Friedberg-born artist Carsten Tabel. While the film explores relations between rebellion and obedience using the example of Elvis Presley's military time in Friedberg, Hesse, www.digitalfolktale.com is intended to provide space for the stories that all the other U.S. Americans and Wetterauers have experienced about their time together, sixty years after all, in Hesse and would like to share with the public.

This site features exclusive footage shot during the filming of Potentially Good, as well as videos, interviews, audio documents, essays, eyewitness accounts, etc. that tries to develop a kaleidoscopic view through six decades of U.S. presence and document the many ways in which members of both populations interacted with each other in civil life.

Digitalfolktale.com should and will continue to grow over time, in the form of a wildly proliferating online magazine. the extent to which this happens is also up to the people to whom this site is primarily addressed: namely, all Wetterau people and US-Americans who have memories of their time together in Hesse, who want to share stories and photos.

Every two months, the latest contributions are posted in the NEW! section.

Open Call

With the page www.digitalfolktale.com I invite you to participate in a joint historiography about the relationship of Germans and Americans:ins in Friedberg and the Wetterau! I am from Friedberg/ Hesse and the Americans are part of my childhood and youth memories, like the river Nidda, the Friedberg autumn market or summer vacations in the Ortenberg outdoor pool. Due to the upcoming revitalization of the Ray Barracks property, I have often wondered in recent years if one day there will only be an Elvis Presley memorial as the last reminder of American presence, the Cold War and all the other stories in the Wetterau? I wondered if all that took place between people will be completely forgotten? What about all the private connections, the friendships, the love affairs, the enmities, the quarrels, the reconciliations? I created and designed this site to provide a platform for all Americans:inside and Hessians who were involved in this part of history to shape the way we remember the six decades of Americans in Hesse.

Do you have memories of encounters, friendships and experiences with Americans:inside, are you in possession of photos, videos, images that you would like to share?

Would you like to make yourself available as an interview partner?

Then contact us at:

digital.folktale@gmail.com

If you would like to tell your story, but leave the writing to us, please contact us at the same address.