Vortrag und Gespräch mit Kafka-Biograph Reiner Stach: Kafkas Aktualität. Unser Klassiker im 21. Jahrhundert

June 25, 2026 / 7 p.m. / City Library

Jewish Week 2026

During Franz Kafka's lifetime, almost none of his texts were published; in his will, Kafka had asked his friend Max Brod to destroy everything he had written. Was Brod allowed to disregard this? What did that mean? Precisely because the manuscripts first had to be deciphered, many texts remained fragments and had to be arranged (did they?), because within the fragments it had to be decided what were typos or errors to be corrected, Max Brod and also later editors were of eminent importance. Which texts form the basis? Who is allowed to keep them? Who is the rightful owner? Copyright holder?

Reiner Stach is THE Kafka expert, his three-volume biography of Kafka is internationally recognized as the standard. He does not present a German studies seminar on the questions roughly outlined above, but rather tells the story - using the novels "The Missing Man" and "The Castle" as examples - in a thrilling way, just like in a good detective novel.

Admission: 10,- / 7,- EUR ǀ Event organized by the Literaturhaus Leipzig in cooperation with the Leipzig Municipal Libraries ǀ Supported by the Cultural Office of the City of Leipzig

Discounts are available for disabled persons and their accompanying person (only if listed on the disability card), unemployed persons, schoolchildren and students (up to 35) as well as holders of the Leipzig Pass or a volunteer card, in each case only on presentation of the card).