Literature Club on Monday – Gottfried Benn

Gottfried Benn (1886–1956) is one of the most prominent figures in 20th-century German-language literature. Born in the late German Empire, his work—like that of his contemporaries—was strongly influenced by the epochal upheavals of his time.

Benn moved in intellectual circles dominated by a host of prominent contemporaries. Alongside figures such as Theodor Heuss (1884–1963), who would later become the first Federal President of the newly founded Federal Republic of Germany, Theodor Heuss (1884–1963) and the Expressionist painter August Macke (1887–1914), authors such as Thomas Mann (1875–1955), Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), and the popular storyteller Karl May (1842–1912) shaped the literary climate.

Benn’s work reflects the ambivalence and decadence of the interwar period, featuring existentialist themes and an unmistakable artistic radicalism. His writings are imbued with a hermetic density and are characterized by extraordinary linguistic virtuosity. At the same time, they reflect the fragility of modernity—an era marked by rapid social, political, and cultural changes.

Benn’s lifetime spans the period from imperial Germany to postwar, divided Germany.

His biography and literary work are thus not only a reflection of an entire generation, but also a key to understanding the cultural conflicts and processes of change that took place between the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, the Nazi era, and the postwar period.

The event invites literature enthusiasts to take a closer look at Benn and his culturally and historically significant life on the occasion of the author’s 140th birthday.

By combining historical contexts with literary analyses, the aim is to provide a comprehensive picture of this fascinating era.