From the 17th century to the present day, tobacco has been one of the most widely traded global commodities – building empires along the way. But how did one of the world’s oldest medicinal plants, sacred to many Indigenous peoples of the Americas, become a deadly mass-market product, creating addiction in 1.1 billion people worldwide?

This year, the Greek Community of Cologne e.V. celebrates its 60th anniversary and marks the occasion with the performance “Tabak Stories: Just breathe”, which sheds light on the complex and rich history of tobacco.

Many older members of the Greek community living in Cologne today once worked in tobacco cultivation in Greece as young people. Harsh living and working conditions led many to emigrate to Germany from the 1950s onwards.

This performance was developed collaboratively by members of the Greek Community of Cologne and the artist collective DIPHTHONG. Set against the global history of tobacco, the piece places a particular focus on its significance for the Greek population – including refugees from Asia Minor – and on the biographical impact tobacco had on individual lives.

Through a power-, culture-, and grief-sensitive lens, the piece deconstructs common narratives and offers the audience an unusual and nuanced perspective on the topic of tobacco and smoking.