Research
I came across both stations during our initial recce to Georgium & Master’s Houses as a group. When I first saw Trinkhalle, I was immediately taken aback by how simple yet magnificent it looks. I’ve always had a thing for cafe interiors (in this case, exteriors). Upon further research, I realised that not only has that building survived an actual war, but it was also the first and only structure to be designed and built by the legendary Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. I decided I want people to know that Trinkhalle is more than just a cute little coffee shop. It has a story. It has a past. It has a soul. Also, the timing of it all felt very right since this particular establishment celebrated its tenth anniversary in June 2026.
Roter Bogen was simply a pit stop on the way to my fellow classmate Leo’s station - the Viereckteich. I had no intention of choosing it as one of my locations but something about that tiny bridge made me want to pause, and hide from the rest of the world just for a little bit. It seemed like the perfect place to take refuge.. from life. After the first visit, I went there multiple times - alone and with friends - often roaming around the rest of Georgium as well. What a gorgeous park! Turns out, its founder Prince Johann Georg, was buried right underneath Roter Bogen. His tombstone was one of the first things I noticed while circling the area.
Writing about Trinkhalle came rather easy to me. All it took was a deep dive on Google, and a couple of drafts. I had a clear idea of the information I wanted to convey, and the way I wanted to deliver it. The Roter Bogen script, however, took an unbelievably long time. I wasn’t familiar with writer’s block before, but it truly hit me like a truck. I spent weeks staring at an empty page with nothing but a heading, struggling to even start. Maybe I got too caught up in my own head? Maybe the pressure of all submissions combined got to me? Eventually, I ended up visiting the station again, and staring at the tall, lush trees in front of me while taking in the sounds of nature. I spent a good 20-30 minutes in absolute silence, trying to calm my nerves and get in touch with my own feelings. That’s when it struck me - I must not use my brain anymore (it was overworking anyway) and simply write from the heart! And so I did!
Process
I recorded both my documentary and artistic audios using Mr. Lohmann’s studio equipment, which was an experience in itself for someone who had never been to a professional recording studio before. It was a bit bizarre listening to myself speak into the microphone. I couldn’t help but judge and get conscious at first, but after a few attempts I was more than content with the output. In fact, I now think what sets my work apart is the clear, crisp narration in my own unique voice - something I never thought I’d say!
For the Roter Bogen episode, I also recorded some outdoor sounds during a visit to the park with my peers Johanna and Nomin, using a portable recorder. Wind blowing, leaves rustling, birds chirping, people talking, footsteps on the ground, us giggling - those were some really lengthy recordings. Sorting through them took slightly longer than anticipated, but it was definitely an enjoyable process.
I edited the final audios using Audacity, a software that I wasn’t familiar with at all. However, given my experience in video editing, I was able to get a hang of it rather quickly. I personally loved layering all the different background sounds together, but had to practice restraint in order for the primary audio to be actually audible.
The biggest challenge for me during recording and editing both, was to maintain the same level of volume and tone of voice throughout. I had to cut out quite a few breaths and unnecessary pauses, and adjust the volume of each sentence / paragraph manually to match the rest of the audio as best as it could.
Maybe it was the nervousness of recording in a studio for the first time, or the awkwardness of hearing myself talk, but I think I spoke slower than I would’ve preferred. In hindsight though, I believe it worked out in my favour because that’s exactly the kind of pace both my stations and scripts demanded!
Reflections
What I took away from this elective was not only improved narration and audio-editing skills, but also (and more importantly) a surge in self-confidence. I realised I’m actually pretty decent at creative writing and should definitely be doing more of it. Over the course of both recordings and hours of editing, I also got more comfortable with my own voice. Maybe I won’t shy away from public-speaking as much anymore. Additionally, it was quite amusing to learn so many new historical and geographical facts about Dessau through my own research + other students’ audios. And the biggest gift of all was getting to know and explore one of my favourite places in the city, Georgium - to my heart’s extent!
One aspect where I see room for major improvement though, is time-management. There was an uncomfortably long gap between finalising + recording my first script, and the second one. I now know that I just have to start. Somewhere. Anywhere. Just start! Things do flow, and fall into place eventually.
Collaboration
While the other students provided me with valuable feedback and moral support when I was battling with my Roter Bogen script, I helped the group with visuals for some of the stations along the Georgium route. It was also genuinely fun walking around the park with a couple of my mates, recording ambient sounds and discussing ideas together.
Final audios
https://dessau-explore.vercel.app/
(mobile only experience)
