Literature Week 2024 | "It bubbles and kafkat, it werfelt and kischt ..."

Event: "Es brodelt und kafkat, es werfelt und kischt ..." A foray through Prague's German-language literature

Time: 17:00

Place: Concert pavilion in the Rhododendron Park

Admission: free (limited number of seats)

Organizer: Tourismus- und Kur GmbH Graal-Müritz

About the event:

Franz Kafka has become something of a pop figure - and not just in the commemorative year 2024, which marks the 100th anniversary of his death. His serious face can be seen on T-shirts and coffee cups, and the Prague tourism industry profits from his fame. He has even become a star on TikTok. But his works, as unique as they are, were not created in a vacuum.

What is known about the tension between German, Czech and Jewish culture that produced a flourishing literary landscape in Prague between 1890 and 1939? Based on the well-known Karl Kraus quote, the lecture will first give an overview of Prague's literary circles. Then Gustav Meyrink, Rainer Maria Rilke, Max Brod, Franz Kafka, Franz Werfel and Egon Erwin Kisch are presented in short individual portraits. Each portrait is followed by a sample from a work by the respective author, which is particularly suitable as a stimulus for further reading.

The book ends with a tribute to the last German author from Prague, Lenka Reinerová. The presentation of the Prague House of Literature, which she initiated, opens up a view into the future.

In addition to animations and photographs, the lecture will also include original audio documents: the voices of Max Brod, Franz Werfel, Clara Westhoff, Egon Erwin Kisch and Lenka Reinerová will be heard.

About the speaker:

Dr. phil. Vera Schneider studied German and theater studies and wrote her doctoral thesis on Prague German literature. She works as a research assistant at the German Cultural Forum for Eastern Europe.