15 March 2021
Thinker, Poet, Democrat – Akademie der Künste honours Heinrich Mann on his 150th birthday
25 March: Livestream with video messages from Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Akademie President Jeanine Meerapfel
and readings by Matthias Brandt and Jenny Schily
25 March: Launch of Heinrich Mann DIGITAL
27 March: Heinrich Mann Prizes 2020 and 2021 to Eva Horn and Kathrin Passig
Heinrich Mann (1871–1950) was one of the outstanding authors of his time. His literary work is characterised by socially critical engagement. As chairman of the Poetry Section of the Prussian Academy of Arts, he stood up for democracy, human rights and freedom of the arts. Until his forced resignation and emigration in February 1933, his engagement played a decisive role in shaping the Academy. On the occasion of his 150th birthday, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Akademie President Jeanine Meerapfel pay tribute to the writer. Matthias Brandt and Jenny Schily will read from Heinrich Mann’s letters and unpublished texts. The pianist Matan Porat will play works by Debussy. Livestream on 25 March.
The anniversary also marks the launch of the international cooperation project Heinrich Mann DIGITAL, which is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Although much of the Heinrich Mann Archive is part of the original holdings of the Akademie der Künste’s Literature Archives, due to the ruptures and upheavals of the 20th century and the author’s biography, his literary estate is scattered throughout various archives around the world, including in Berlin, Lübeck, Marbach, Geneva, Zurich, Prague and Los Angeles. Now, for the first time ever, the project Heinrich Mann DIGITAL will create a virtual consolidation of all the parts of Heinrich Mann’s extensive literary estate. The portal creates an important foundation for taking the study of Heinrich Mann and his work into the 21st century. It will give impetus to further research into artistic exile, provenance and writing processes, and will be an essential tool in the future edition of his works. The virtual portal Heinrich Mann DIGITAL is being developed in cooperation between the Heinrich Mann-Gesellschaft Lübeck, the Feuchtwanger Memorial Library (University of Southern California, Los Angeles), the Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach, the Thomas-Mann-Archiv (ETH Zurich), the Heinrich-und-Thomas-Mann-Zentrum Lübeck (Buddenbrookhaus), the Czech Literary Archive Prague, the Martin Bodmer Foundation in Geneva and the Monacensia in Munich.
Using the places of the author’s activity as starting points, a virtual exhibition reconstructs the history of his literary estate and presents the major cooperation project. Online as of 25 March.
On 27 March, the Heinrich Mann Prizes for 2020 and 2021 will be awarded digitally to Eva Horn and Kathrin Passig. Due to the pandemic, it was not possible to hold last year’s award ceremony. In addition to the laudatory speeches by Anselm Haverkamp and Hanna Engelmeier, the focus of the event is on the conversation between the two award winners. Online as of 27 March.
LIVESTREAM / VIDEO ON DEMAND
Thinker, Poet, Democrat.Heinrich Mann on his 150th birthday
Livestream with video messages from Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Academy President Jeanine Meerapfel, readings by Matthias Brandt and Jenny Schily. Music by Matan Porat.
Thursday, 25 March 2021, 7 pm, livestream at https://youtu.be/fYWEw8jLW-0
Virtual Exhibition
Heinrich Mann DIGITAL
His life, his work, his legacy – A transnational reconstruction
Starting Thursday, 25 March 2021, online at www.heinrich-mann-digital.net/hmd
Award Ceremony
Heinrich Mann Prizes 2020 and 2021 to Eva Horn and Kathrin Passig
Saturday, 27 March 2021, 7 pm, online at www.adk.de
For press photos please contact: presse@adk.de
For questions about Heinrich Mann DIGITAL, please contact:
Dr. Gabriele Radecke, Head of Department, Literature Archives, T +49 (0)30 200 57-32 00, literaturarchiv@adk.de