September 16, 2019: the official delegation of the German Chekhov Society, headed by the deputy chairman of the Society Heinz Setzer from the partner town of Badenweiler visited the home city of Anton Chekhov on September 10-14, 2019.

In the course of their stay German guests saw the major tourist attractions and memorial museums of Taganrog - Chekhov Gymnasium, "The Birth House of Anton Chekhov", both the new and the old buildings of the Taganrog Museum of Art. A boat trip around the Cape of Taganrog was led the local writer and performer Igor Pashchenko, representing Taganrog Visitor Information Center.


German delegation also had an opportunity to see the new temporary exhibition at the new museum known as "The Family Seat", set to open its doors in 2020. The premises including the rear patio and information on four years spent by Anton Chekhov in this house and his early literary activities were presented by Mrs. Zoya Vylotsakaya, director of Chekhov Literature Museum. On September 11, 2019 members of the German Chekhov Society took part in the grand opening of the Town-Planning Museum of Taganrog. The new vision for the city-owned museum is a thoughtful combination of unique authentic exhibits and modern interactive features. The new exhibit is entitled "A Time-Lapse Portrait of the City" and focuses on Taganrog's changing architectural landscape, with a blend of then-and-now photography, objects, and other sources to illuminate the story of Taganrog from the foundation by Peter the Great until the early 1990s.


Delegation from Badenweiler attended all official events dedicated to the City Day on September 12, participated in the flower-laying ceremony to Peter the Great Monument and attended the gala concert at Taganrog Chekhov Drama Theater, where Heinz Setzer gave a welcoming speech in Russian language: "It's been seven years since our previous official visit to Taganrog - the years in which the atmosphere and political and social relations between Russia and the Western Europe have unfortunately not improved. But I do not want to spread a litany of hopelessness - quite the contrary. Because we have Anton Pavlovich Chekhov ... That is, we in his name, with him, the doctor, the anti-ideological analyst of society and the gifted writer can react to this present situation in Europe - this is a stroke of luck for our two Chekhov cities. And so I think that our cultural partnership has rarely been as important as it is right now. It is still important to continue to promote mutual understanding and tolerance in dialogue, so that the mistrust between our countries does not continue to spread...".


The highlight of the visit was the report "Anton Chekhov and Stephen Crane", prepared by professor of the Tübingen and Warsaw universities, chairman of the German Chekhov Society Rolf Dieter Kluge and delivered by Dr. Regina Noheil. Russian students learned about the similarities and differences in the lives of two writers who died in Badenweiler only four years apart.. Stephen Crane had a great influence on the development of English literature.