Thatta Kedona

Culture is a Basic Need

Where Dolls Speak and Cultures Embrace - A Tribute to Humanity Through Art
Thursday, April 2, 2026

Haroon-ur-Rasheed (Communication & Graphics Designer, Visual Artist)

In a world often divided by borders, languages, and histories, moments of cultural convergence become rare and precious. One such moment is set to unfold in Lahore, where art, memory, and human connection will intertwine in a deeply meaningful gathering at the prestigious Mozart Haus Lahore.


The Pakistan-Austria Friendship Society, Mozart Haus, Model Town, led by President Aamir Rafique and its Executive Committee, will host an evocative tribute in honor of Dr. Senta Siller - a distinguished personality celebrated as “Sitara-e-Pakistan” and affectionately known as the “Mother of Dolls.” This event is not merely ceremonial; it is a philosophical reflection on the power of art to transcend the visible and speak to the unseen threads of human unity.


Dr. Siller’s work, centered on the creation and preservation of dolls, may at first seem rooted in simplicity. Yet, beneath this delicate craft lies a profound narrative. Each doll she creates becomes a vessel of identity, tradition, and emotion—an embodiment of cultures that might otherwise fade into silence. Through her hands, dolls are transformed into storytellers, quietly narrating tales of heritage, belonging, and shared humanity.


The symbolism of the doll in Dr. Siller’s artistic philosophy is particularly striking. It represents innocence, continuity, and the universal language of care. In a fragmented world, these creations remind us of a time when connection was instinctive and empathy unspoken. Her work asks an essential question: can art restore the emotional bridges we have lost? And perhaps more importantly, can it remind us of who we truly are?


The venue itself, Mozart Haus, Model Town, stands as a beacon of cross-cultural dialogue, embodying the enduring friendship between Pakistan and Austria. This event further strengthens that bond, illustrating how artistic expression can succeed where politics and discourse often falter. It is here that diverse minds—artists, intellectuals, and admirers—will gather not just to honor a woman, but to celebrate a philosophy rooted in compassion and creativity.


Scheduled evening promises to be a confluence of reflection and admiration. Distinguished guests from various walks of life are expected to attend, each bringing with them their own interpretations of art, identity, and cultural belonging.


In essence, this tribute to Dr. Senta Siller is more than an acknowledgment of her achievements—it is a meditation on the enduring power of art. It reminds us that even the simplest forms of expression, when infused with sincerity, can echo across continents and generations.


As the soft light of a Lahore evening descends upon Mozart Haus, one truth will quietly resonate:

Art does not merely imitate life - it heals, connects, and ultimately defines it.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:59 AM, ,

Greetings from the International Doll Museum in Flateyri
Monday, October 21, 2024

Welcome


Our dolls can still be admired. 


Dr Senta sorting and placing with volunteer Sabine and Sigga from the museum fund




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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:17 AM, ,

Poster Legend BookLets
Thursday, January 11, 2024

Overall and individual representations

The design and format of the catalogs about Senta Siller are based on the catalogs of the former gallery EYLAU'5-Berlin - see www.DGFK-archive.de


The cover photo is a cut-out from a family photo titled Before the Big Trip by D. Eckardt from 1978.

Catalog with an overall overview

35 pages of work examples and 11 pages of photos (At Work – While Inspiring – At Leisure)

2015 first printing

Heikus

Visual implementation of Japanese short poems

60 pages

2020

Compilation

Work highlights of 75 years as a poster

60 pages

2021

AphroMics

A mixture of contemplative texts and minimal sketches

48 pages

2023/24

Material

Nature sketches and material alterations

48 pages

2023/24

Private Moments

Selected documents from the Siller archive

48 pages

2023/24

SSi 88 2022

66 words of greetings from all over the world on Senta Siller's 88th birthday.

Categorized according to 7 decades of creativity (1946-2021) as per SSA.

108 pages

2023

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:01 AM, ,

Poster legend BLOGS
Thursday, October 19, 2023

2004 - 2022

PRELIMINARY NOTE

The projects of the initiator S. Siller were reported in quarterly magazines, DIN A4 format, each with a volume of 16, etc. in the DGFK newsletter, Indus River, Sanaga rive, Rio Magdalena, etc.


At the end of 1999 the print publications were discontinued and since the beginning of 2000, the reporting was carried out via an Internet website.

Since this method was not flexible enough, a blog THATTA KEDONA was set up in 2004.

It is said, that everything can be found on the internet. During research however, it was discovered: That's probably not the case! Important reports and representations were lost. As a countermeasure and also in order to minimize the loss of texts and images, the ForZat-RCAT data was transferred from digital back into the analogue.

THATTA KEDONA Blog

Pakistan Project

2004 – 2022

DIN A 4 format

372 pages

HAATC Blog

Cameroon Project

2010 – 2022

DIN A 4 format

148 pages

ELCAMPOMIRANDO blog

Colombia Project

2012 – 2022

DIN A 4 format

58 pages

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:57 AM, ,

Poster Legend BookLets

Overall and individual representations


The design and format of the catalogs about Senta Siller are based on the the catalogs of the former gallery EYLAU'5-Berlin - see www.DGFK-archive.de

The cover photo is a cut-out from a family photo titled Before the Big Trip by D. Eckardt from 1978.

Catalog with an overall overview

35 pages of work examples and 11 pages of photos (At Work – While Inspiring – At Leisure)

2015 first printing

Heikus

Visual implementation of Japanese short poems

60 pages

2020

Compilation

Work highlights of 75 years as a poster

60 pages

2021

AphroMics

A mixture of contemplative texts and minimal sketches

48 pages

2023/24

Material

Nature sketches and material alterations

48 pages

2023/24

Private Moments

Selected documents from the Siller archive

48 pages

2023/24

SSi 88 2022

66 words of greetings from all over the world on Senta Siller's 88th birthday.

Categorized according to 7 decades of creativity (1946-2021) as per SSA.

108 pages

2023

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:52 AM, ,

Poster-Legend PUBL

1980-2023

The poster project was created by the circle of Friends of the SSDC in Lahore under the leadership of Prof Aamir Rafique and the SSDC in Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka under the leadership of Amjad Ali, - in close collaboration with the SSA / LGS-Nauen and the ForZat / HVK-Berlin.


For this purpose, around 1000 different tasks from the SSA were recorded in advance and categorized in seven classes. Due to large number of handwritten documents and research material, the reader of the publications would be missing the context without this classification.

A total of five brochures were created:

In the case of Garden dwarfs the documentation is unfortunately missing; The company that produced the garden dwarf has closed its archives and no specific articles were found in the press.

In the case of Al Andalus, appropriate sections from recovered letters were able to be compared with the sketches.

In the case of SSi 88, suitable sequences from friends, employees or clients who had already expired were included from a private collection and linked to current contributions, using the order from the SSA with 7 decades.

In the Marienleben case, water-damaged sketches from the SSA were restored and prepared for publication.

In the case of Three Little Dragons, a private collection was found and text and illustration were combined.

Gnomis Berlin garden guide 1985 on the occasion of the BUGA Federal Garden Show Berlin 1985 In Memoriam Werner Stephan, screenwriter The title character was designed as a basic model by Senta Siller, who also made the illustrations.

Al Andalus 1954

Notes and sketches by Senta Siller

SSi 88 2022

66 greetings from all over the world on Senta Siller's 88th birthday. Assigned towards 7 decades of creativity (1946-2021) according to SSA.

Marienleben 1970

Mirka Yemendzakis performs Hindemith-Rilke

In Memoriam Mirka Dzakis, voice trainer and soprano

sketched by Senta Siller

Three Little Dragons 1968

as told and drawn by Senta Siller

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:45 AM, ,

Report from Thatta Kedona
Sunday, February 28, 2021

The pandemic is making itself felt everywhere and is also having an impact on NGOs.

The NGO was very pleased to be able to welcome journalists of the BBC in the village recently, a nice report by the journalists pleased the NGO and all our interested friends. Even a small exhibition of Heiku paintings by Dr. Senta Siller was made possible although the opening had to be postponed due to the pandemic.


Visitors and guests can still not come. The hot season of the year will be beginning soon, so that the desire for keeping cool will be of paramount importance.

Between March and September, doctors and staff from OPWA (Okara Patients Welfare Association) are expected to come to the village and examine the residents for hepatitis. The tests as well as the medication will be totally free.

Later on, OPWA will also organize further camps in future in which eyes and teeth of the villagers will be examined. The village dispensary needs urgent repairs and possibly it can be repaired and refurbished in the summer.

The sale of village products in traditional bazaars is also currently not possible due to the pandemic, so that they are being sold only in small numbers over the Internet.

From our partners in Germany we are aware about the extensive work of sorting, editing and archiving, which is being done, so that the archive there continues to grow.

There is great hope that we will be able to inaugurate the exhibition next autumn, maybe also lay the foundation stone with the SHE - for which a piece of land for this purpose has already been organized by the President and General Secretary of the NGO and for which further support of the Friends of the SSDC is sincerely hoped for.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:01 AM, ,

Visit of Students to Okara district
Tuesday, December 10, 2019


Once again, students from Punjab University, Lahore led byP rof Aamir Rafique, recently visited the village project of the NGO Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama at Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka.


The students enjoyed experiencing the authentic rural lifestyle in the Okara district and also to be inspired to undertake self-determined, unselfish activities.


The project has existed since 1993 and was initiated by Dr Senta S. from Vienna by way of training and educating village women in the field of arts and crafts.


The dolls produced by the village women in dresses of the various provinces and minorities were the result of field research by the designer Dr Senta. She lived in the village for five years and also inspired other volunteers to join in, creating a holistic project that led also to founding of daughter projects in Cameroon, Colombia, etc.


Dr Senta Siller has been a close friend of Prof Dr Annemarie Schimmel and Dr Ruth Pfau and is one of the three big women who worked in and for Pakistan.


The NGO in Okara has honored her work in the village by naming the handicraft training center as Senta Siller Design Center.


The Friends of the SSDC appreciated the work of the NGO by giving a donation for the preservation of the village mud houses and Senta Siller Design Centre.


Prof Norbert Pintsch, who is currently in Pakistan and has accompanied the project from the beginning, was also present on the occasion.


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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3:14 PM, ,

Visit of Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch
Wednesday, March 13, 2019

By Omar M. Ali

Spring visit of Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch, in Pakistan for the purpose of keeping in touch with people (Prof Dr Noor, S A J Shirazi, Prof Aamir Rafique, Arch Ghayyoor Obaid, Calligraphy and artist Anees Yaqub, Prof Dr Amir H. Malik, Prof Dr Rubeena, a.o.) and Institutions (PU, LSE, AFA, FPAC a.o.) always beings the plathora of activities in the Dolls Village and also in Lahore. Here are glimpses of some  of the activities:

Visit to the AFA project in TGD


Students of the Punjab University visited the village under the supervision of Prof Aamir Rafique.
Read more »

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:36 AM, ,

In Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka
Saturday, December 2, 2017


Prof Aamir Rafiq with with the Secretary General of the AFA, Mr Farooq Ahmad and Mrs Farzana, in Thatta Ghulanka Dhiroka talking about future plans concerning one SSDC (Foundation for the Preservation of Buildings).

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:24 AM, ,

A study tour - BNU students in Thatta Ghulamka
Friday, October 27, 2017

A large group of students from BNU (Beaconhouse National University) visited the village Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka in district Okara on 24 October 2017. This study tour was headed by the Associate Professor Aarish Ali Sardar, who is currently teaching in the Dept. of Visual Communication Design at School of Visual Art & Design of Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan.


These students wanted to closely study the handicrafts project “Thatta Kedona”, which was initiated back in 1993 by the German designer Dr. Senta Siller and her husband Dr. Norbert Pintsch.
Read more »

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:15 AM, ,

Exhibition in the WAC of the AFA (NGO) in TGD
Thursday, April 13, 2017


After last year's successful exhibition of the photo exhibition TGD 1994 at the Alhamra Art Gallery in Lahore, students of the PU were able to admire together with the local villagers the work of the photographer R. Borowka as guests in the village. For the guests from the city, it was also an immersion in the traditions of a Punjabi village culture, for the villagers it was remembrance about many local elders in the pictures, who are not alive any more.

The exhibition was a successful event for the organizers.

Pres AA (journalist of the DW) and GenSecr AR (outstanding German language teacher in universities in Lahore, also GenSecr of the FPAC) and as guest of honor the NGO consultant Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch from Germany, who opened the event by cutting the tape.

In a lecture, the project initiated by SSi and the cooperating foreign and local Volunteers was explained and insight was given into old techniques, such as weaving and pottery making as well as -very interestingly- how the village drumming tradition is used as a form of communication. The boy as well as girl students gladly danced along the rhythms of the drummer.

In the event, the NGO also used the opportunity to exhibit handicraft products and a video film about the project was also presented.

The eventful and inspiring day of the visit ended with the guests visiting a traditional clay architecture house and then going back to Lahore.

The students, mostly from German class, said goodbye and practiced at the same time their German skills with the help of AA, AR and NP.

The highlights of the project are: It is a local, Pakistani village NGO with special relations to Germany. The NGO has launched a holistic, altruistic project with a large number of volunteers and have actively pursued visions of the future. The NGO is called AFA and it is the mother project with Offshoots in Cameroon, Colombia, etc. Thus there are unique opportunities that are on the side of young scientists with FPAC on its side and networking with other organizations like DGFK, IPC, etc.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5:33 PM, ,

Senta Siller Art Center {WAC}
Saturday, December 3, 2016

Women Art Center at the village Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka, district Okara in Punjab has been renamed as Senta Siller Art Center (SSAC) to honour the German lady Dr. Senta Siller, who had initiated this center back in 1993. This decision was agreed made and announced at a meeting in the Center, which was attended by a number of village girls and women, who have worked with Dr. Senta Siller, the honourable Mother of Dolls over the decades.


Mr. Amjad Ali, the newly elected president of the local NGO “Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama” told the enthralled gathering that by renaming the center the people of the village are honouring Dr. Siller’s hard work and commitment with the village over a quarter of a century.


Dr. Siller activated the village women and resumed the tradition of making dolls. This was the beginning of a successful attempt to generate income for women living in rural areas. Initially the hand-crafted dolls and dozens of other handicrafts were offered and sold in the local market at different bazaars. Later these products were also sent abroad. She also initiated a number of health, awareness and education projects in the village.


Although Dr. Senta Maria Anna Siller celebrated her 81st birthday this November, she is still active in assisting the project “Thatta Kedona” and selling its handicrafts at different bazaars in Germany. An artist and designer by profession, she was born in Vienna and now lives in Berlin, Germany.


She has been awarded Bundesverdienstkreuz (highest civil order of merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) and many other honours from different countries. All friends of Thatta Kedona project are wishing and hoping that Pakistan’s President will soon be announcing the Pride of Performance Award for Dr. Senta Siller’s exemplary and untiring efforts for the cause.


Given age, she is not able to fly frequently and visit the Project that she had once initiated but the people of Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka will always remember her fondly and pray for her health and happiness.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:48 AM, ,

University Students Come to TGD
Monday, April 14, 2014

Once again students from the University of the Punjab University visited the village TGD in order to obtain an impression about the life in rural area. They spent time in the building of the NGO as well as traditional mud houses.


As usual, the FPAC sponsored the purchase of books and pencils for school children at the start of the school year in the village school. The FPAC promotes education in the rural areas with emphasis on TGD as well a project for students of civil engineering, who should not only learn theoretically about mud architecture but also work actively with mud in given structures. Here are some of the images of the event:
Read more »

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:01 AM, ,

50 Jahre
Tuesday, October 2, 2012


Published punctually on the day of founding of the German-Pakistan Forum, the speciality of this publication is to see the various possibilities of cooperation described in it not only between Pakistan and Germany but also between Pakistan and Austria or Switzerland; This is justified through events and lectures by experts on Pakistan, who are active in these three countries.

A novelty is the difference between the printed copy with a foreword by the honorary consul of Germany in Pakistan as well and the internet edition with some difference as well as Lahore being the place of issue. Publisher is Omar M. Ali, who already worked on the pages of the DGFK for the edition of 50 years Pakistan, Bonn and 60 years Pakistan, Berlin.
Download 50 Jahre - free eBook


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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:00 AM, ,


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