Wie geht es dir? – How Are You? Illustrators Against Antisemitism, Hatred and Racism.

The complexity of the current situation in the Middle East also affects the rest of the world and leads to uncertainty and polarisation. In Germany, a group of comics makers and illustrators initiated the project Wie geht es dir? How are you? They create stories to break the silence and create visibility for those affected by what us happening. They want to express their empathy and contribute to dialogue.

After the horrendous assault by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the appalling suffering caused by the ongoing Israeli military attacks on the Gaza Strip they felt overwhelmed. Hearing that Jewish people in Germany feel isolated and threatened, that they once again experience increased fear for being Jewish, profoundly disturbs the initiators of this project. Simultaneously, they are horrified to witness a rise in Islamophobia and racial discriminations. Right-wing extremism, hatred, and incitement to violence are becoming more visible and tangible, yet speechlessness often prevails.

Drawings and comics tell stories of individuals, educate, and foster closeness without exploiting people and their personal stories. Illustrators draw what they perceive, what they see and hear, but also what remains hidden. The illustrators participating in this project use drawing to engage with the people around them. It is crucial for them not to deepen existing divides but to raise awareness, cultivate understanding, and learn through this project.

On January 2, 2024, the project Wie geht es dir was initiated. The stories were published weekly on the website Wie geht es dir?

The project’s initiators are illustrators Hannah Brinkmann, Nathalie Frank, Michael Jordan, Julia Kleinbeck, Moritz Stetter, Birgit Weyhe, and Barbara Yelin. Numerous other artists have participated. Dr Véronique Sina (Goethe University Frankfurt), the Erlangen International Comic Salon team, and the press office of the City of Erlangen provide professional and organisational support for the initiative.

In the coming weeks we will regularly publish a story from the project, translated into English. We will start with the story Ruth, that Nathalie Frank, initiator of the project, made about her grandmother’s experiences in Germany in the 1930’s.