Lepanto in Zittau

What lies beneath the mirror-smooth surface of the Ionian Sea?

In his powerful yet poetic play "Lepanto in Zittau", author Gerhard Zahner sends two men on an extraordinary expedition. A Turk and a Greek dive down into the silent depths in search of the remains of one of the greatest naval battles in world history: the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

Treasure hunt in the graveyard of history What begins as a search for gold, sabres and the glamour of bygone times quickly turns into a painful confrontation with reality. Between the sand and the wreckage of 400 ships, the divers not only find the left hand of the poet Cervantes, but also the symbols of the present day: yoghurt pots, a doll and the bitter testimony of dying in the modern Mediterranean.

Two men, one story As they sink deeper, the treasure hunters clash over the history of their own countries, Cyprus and ancient conflicts. Zahner masterfully links the historical destruction of the Ottoman fleet by the "Holy League" with the fates of today's refugees.

• World premiere: A brand new work that brings world history to Zittau.
• Special setting: The play is set "behind the Iron Curtain", which creates a particularly intimate and dense atmosphere.
• Themes: A reflection on war, identity and the Mediterranean as an eternal theatre of hope and death.

Zittau House Behind the Iron Curtain

Theatre ring 12
02763 Zittau