The author Johannes Urzidil's life journey between Prague and New York
"Ich bin hinternational" - The author Johannes Urzidil's life journey between Prague and New York
as part of the literature week in the Baltic health spa Graal-Müritz
Multimedia lecture with reading
Thursday, June 12, 2025, 4 p.m.
House of the guest Graal-Müritz
Rostocker Str. 3
18181 Baltic health spa Graal-Müritz
Johannes Urzidil (1896 - 1970) is considered the youngest member of the "Prague Circle" around Max Brod and Franz Kafka. Even as a child, the scion of a German-Czech-Jewish family felt "hinternational". As a so-called half-Jew, he emigrated to New York after his hometown was occupied by the National Socialists, where he stayed and wrote his most successful books. Building bridges between cultures, nations and religions became a leitmotif of his life and writing. His major works include Goethe in Bohemia, The Lost Lover, The Great Hallelujah and Prague Triptych.
Vera Schneider will take you on a multimedia journey through the eventful life of Johannes Urzidil - with historical sound recordings that bring the poet's warm Prague German to life, pictures from his estate and numerous excerpts from his texts.
About the speaker
Vera Schneider holds a doctorate in Prague German literature and, together with Klaus Johann, published the reader HinterNational - Johannes Urzidil with the German Cultural Forum for Eastern Europe. After many years as a freelance editor and journalist, including for Deutschlandfunk Kultur, she has been working as a research assistant at the German Cultural Forum for Eastern Europe since 2013.
Admission
Admission is free.
An event organized by the German Cultural Forum for Eastern Europe in cooperation with Tourismus- und Kur-GmbH Graal-Müritz and Bäderbibliothek Graal-Müritz as part of the Literature Week in the Baltic health spa Graal-Müritz.
Illustration: Cover graphic by HinterNational. Johannes Urzidil. Ein Lesebuch by Klaus Johann and Vera Schneider, © Deutsches Kulturforum östliches Europa, 2010 and Lower Manhattan (New York) 1941, photo: Jack Delano, via WikiMedia Commons, post-processing Deutsches Kulturforum östliches Europa.
Press contact
Dr. Vera Schneider
Phone +49 (0)331 20098-23
schneider@kulturforum.info
