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Professor Helmut Lethen

Germanist and Cultural Scientist

Short Bio

Helmut Lethen, born in 1939, taught at the University of Utrecht from 1977 to 1996, after which he took over the chair of Modern German Literature in Rostock. From 2007 to 2016 he directed the International Research Center for Cultural Studies in Vienna. His book "Verhaltenslehren der Kälte" (Behavioral lessons of the cold, 1994) is considered a standard work, "Der Schatten des Fotografen" (The shadow of the photographer, 2014) was awarded the prize of the Leipzig Book Fair. Most recently, the much-acclaimed autobiography "Denn für dieses Leben ist der Mensch nicht schlau genug" (Because a human is not smart enough for this life, 2020) was published.

Events

Monday, 24. October 2022, 19:00 – 20:00 h

At Literaturhaus Zurich, Limmatquai 62, 8001 Zürich

Event Language: German

Moderation: Dr Martin Meyer

Der Sommer des Grossinquisitors – Über die Faszination des Bösen

Moderation: Dr Martin Meyer

In his essay on power and morality – a veritable ride through the literature, philosophy and history of the 20th century – Helmut Lethen follows the figure of the “Grand Inquisitor” as the incarnation of evil. Lethen thereby allows the reader to experience the cold, morality-free thinking and shows the historical fault lines and fractures behind it. The book was published by Rowohlt Berlin on 18 October 2022.

Event Details