Morgennebel. Das Frühstücksseminar

25 Years of the Literaturhaus – Floating. A Contrast in Difficult Times
Completely Detached
with Lothar Müller
Completely detached from Earth, Major Tom’s spaceship floated into space in 1982. He had overcome Earth’s gravitational pull. Liberation from the pull of gravity is one of the sources of the euphoric, utopian themes in the mythology of floating. Yet even in David Bowie’s 1969 song, Major Tom had unsettling aspects. The fact that he withdrew from “Ground Control” did not have to be interpreted as a gesture of sovereignty, but could also be seen as a retreat into solitude. This event explores the ambivalence of floating by examining the constellation of danger hovering overhead. Birds of prey hover in the air before diving down on their prey. In today’s wars, drone technology is advancing at breakneck speed. What becomes of the Sword of Damocles—the ancient image of the hovering, deadly danger—in the modern world and its literature? And is it all the more threatening precisely because it denies the euphoric, utopian allure of hovering?

Supported by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation, Literature Summer 2026
Admission includes a croissant and coffee