Memoir · Archive · Remembrance
Documents from Irene’s life and the continuing story of Bärchen—the beloved bear who stayed with her through the war and throughout her life.
Bärchen’s story
More than a hundred years old, Bärchen comforted Irene through the upheaval and trauma of the war. His story inspired the Schaubude Berlin production Bär. Ein Zeitzeuge erzählt.
June 28, 2024
Author Jill Levenfeld brought Irene’s beloved bear, Bärchen, back to 53 Schlüterstraße for the first time, together with the Schaubude team before the premiere. Bärchen had been with Irene during the war and remained her lifelong companion.
June 15, 2024
Tim Sandweg in conversation with author Jill Levenfeld (DE/EN), with excerpts from the blog article about Irene’s memoir and the Schaubude production.
Read the article ↗Schaubude Berlin
Bär. Ein Zeitzeuge erzählt, based on the biography of Irene Grumach-Shirun written by Jill Levenfeld, premiered at Schaubude Berlin on June 29, 2024.
The story continues
Photographs, talks, and presentations continue to return Irene’s life and scholarship to the places where her story unfolded.
A conversation with Tim Sandweg about Jill Levenfeld’s relationship with Irene, the writing of Irene’s memoir, the lasting effects of war, Irene’s memories of her grandmother, and Bärchen’s lifelong role as witness and companion.
Denkmal am Ort honors Irene’s academic life at Humboldt University, where she began studying Egyptology at the age of seventeen. The presentation traces her education, scholarship, and enduring intellectual legacy.
Inside Irene’s former home, Jill Levenfeld shared the story of Irene’s childhood, Bärchen, and life during the war. The gathering also returned to the courtyard where Irene and other Jewish residents once descended into the shelter during the bombing of Berlin.
The archive
Irene’s memoir and related publications are preserved here as PDF documents.