The Berlin clinic clowns have been bringing a good mood to dementia shared flats or children’s homes for three years Photo: DCMP
By Sabine Klier
The BZ met the Berlin clinic clowns on the day of the smile.
“Laughter is the best medicine,” says Barbara Duss. She knows what she’s talking about. As Clown Charlotte, the Berliner regularly visits clinics, old people’s homes and children’s homes.
Duss and her colleagues from the Berlin clinic clowns use their jokes to bring laughter back to the patients. On Sunday, they gathered at the Babylon cinema on the international day of smiles.
The clowns Schnuppe, Heleneken, Henriette Schnurz and Florentine spark a new zest for life with their jokes Photo: Ralf Gunther
“What’s funny about the clown is his desire to fail and finding surprising solutions,” says Barbara Duss. “It’s very human – falling over and getting up again.” It’s not easy to make others laugh, she emphasizes: “It takes skill and training.” All members of the ten-person troupe are professional clowns.
The fun group was founded three years ago. It belongs to the umbrella organization of clowns in medicine and care Germany.
Julia de Boor (50) works as a receptionist. Once a week she turns into Henriette Schnurz: “It is emotionally exhausting to experience the difficult fate” Photo: Ralf Gunther
The clowns are on duty once a week, often in facilities for the disabled or people with dementia. They are financed by donations or sponsors.
There are always touching encounters. “Sometimes we only hold hands for ten minutes,” says Julia de Boor (50), aka Clown Henriette Schnurz. “And we can also achieve a lot with it.”
Barbara Duss aka Clown Charlotte (122 years old, as she jokingly says): “We also sing a lot. People with dementia never forget the old songs. Humor helps against depression in old age, a study has found” Photo: Ralf Gunther