Friedrich Hölderlin: Hälfte des Lebens

Classics of literary history

with Ulrike Draesner and John von Düffel
Moderation: Anne-Dore Krohn
Prologue and epilogue: Timo Brunke

Friedrich Hölderlin, born in Lauffen am Neckar in 1770, is one of the most important poets in German literature. And yet for many, Hölderlin remains the great unknown among the classics, according to Rüdiger Safranski in his biography. Hölderlin's rediscovery only began in the 20th century, triggered by a change in the ideas of literary quality and aesthetic beauty. His best-known poems include "Half of Life" (1804) and "Remembrance" (1803). However, Hölderlin's work is diverse: in addition to odes, he wrote the drama "The Death of Empedocles", the novel "Hyperion", translations and philosophical texts. The fragment "Urtheil und Seyn" (1795) can be read as the central work of his poetology. The writer Ulrike Draesner and the dramaturge and author John von Düffel will talk to presenter Anne-Dore Krohn about Hölderlin's poetic work, his literary craft and its impact. How strange do Hölderlin's texts seem today? And what moved Hölderlin himself?

A series of events organized by LpZ Stuttgart and DerDiwan Hörbuchverlag, sponsored by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport