Book presentation and discussion
A journey through time 1961 - 1971 in texts and historical documents
The title "Berliner Sachen" contains a certain North German understatement, as this volume contains texts from the height of the Cold War from a divided city: "Berliner Sachen" brings together 13 essays written by Uwe Johnson between 1961 and 1971 and compiled into a book in 1975.
He wrote the earliest text before the Wall was built; when he was working on the latest text, telephone calls between the two parts of Berlin were at least possible again after an interruption of almost 20 years. In between, an international view of the realities of life in a divided city, a divided country, a divided world unfolds.
In the interplay of Johnson's alert political view and the rich, historically sound commentary by the editors, the volume offers very concrete, exciting insights into the time of the Cold War and also an extraordinary history of Berlin. At the same time, it documents an agitation in the culture of political debate that is more topical than one would sometimes wish: As several of the texts are written as daily political interventions, Johnson repeatedly found himself at the center of such debates, and his gaze, which strives for objectivity, was often perceived as a provocation.
On this evening, which - a rare stroke of luck given their places of influence - unites the international team of editors on stage, we will not only learn more about the texts, but also about working with original documents and embedding them in contemporary history.an event organized by the Uwe Johnson Society in cooperation with the Literaturhaus Rostock.
A discussion with the editors of the recently published Rostock edition: Dr. Katja Leuchtenberger (Rostock), Prof. Gary Lee Baker (Ohio), Prof. Robert Gillett (London)
An event organized by the Uwe Johnson Society in cooperation with the Literaturhaus Rostock.
The Literaturhaus Rostock is sponsored by the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock and the Ministry of Science, Culture and Federal and European Affairs.