Lie as a State Principle? Bruno Frank's Essay in a Literary Debate in Jena
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When Lies Become a Political Method
How does a political reality emerge in which blatant untruths, alternative facts, and the denial of historical facts have societal effects? The event at the Villa Rosenthal Jena revisits a compelling literary document and combines a reading, lecture, and panel discussion with a current question: What can history teach us about the power of lies?
Bruno Frank's Forgotten Essay as a Historical Archive Find
The focus is on Bruno Frank's essay Lie as a State Principle, which the author wrote in 1939 in exile in California at the request of Thomas Mann. The text serves as a merciless reckoning with the lies of National Socialism and, in light of present-day disinformation, gains a disturbing relevance. Tobias Roth, literary scholar, poet, translator, journalist, and co-editor of the new edition, presents the extraordinary archive find and reads selected passages.
Literature, History, and Political Theory in Dialogue
The reading opens a space for precise historical contextualization. Prof. Dr. Franka Maubach brings her research on European dictatorship comparisons, while Prof. Dr. Michael Dreyer adds perspectives from political theory and history of ideas. Together with Tobias Roth, an interdisciplinary conversation arises about authoritarianism, democratic public space, fake news, and the linguistic strategies of political manipulation.
A Reading Atmosphere with Open Discussion
The event combines the concentrated intimacy of a reading with the public energy of a panel discussion. Voice, text, and historical analysis relate to each other: Bruno Frank's linguistic art confronts the diagnosis of the present and makes visible how closely literary quality, political judgment, and memory culture are connected. Dr. Jörg Hebenstreit moderates, and Dr. Andreas Braune welcomes the guests.
Discuss Truth and Responsibility
After the lecture and reading, attention turns to the present. The central question is how democratic societies can become more resilient against authoritarian lies, disinformation, and the systematic undermining of truth. Visitors are invited to contribute their own suggestions and participate in the discussion.
Conclusion: A Literary Experience with Political Urgency
This author encounter makes literature as a form of knowledge tangible. Bruno Frank's essay provides historical depth, the reading gives the text an immediate voice, and the panel transitions literary analysis into the cultural discourse of the present. Experience an evening at the Villa Rosenthal Jena about the art of language, memory, and the defense of democratic truth.
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- Publisher: https://www.daskulturellegedaechtnis.de/
