5 September 2023
“Long Night of Exile” at the Akademie der Künste
Talks, presentations, readings
8 September 2023, starting at 6 pm, Hanseatenweg, free admission
with Jeanine Meerapfel, Lothar Dittmer, André Schmitz, Herta Müller, Parastou Forouhar, Bibiana Beglau, Peter Jordan and many others
The far-reaching consequences of exile and emigration for artists are the focus of the “Long Night of Exile” on 8 September 2023.
The welcome address by Akademie President Jeanine Meerapfel will be followed by an opening speech by Herta Müller, recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature and member of the Akademie der Künste. Talks, readings, presentations and music bridge the experiences of emigration during the National Socialist era to present day themes. The evening at the Akademie der Künste on Hanseatenweg marks the start of the event series “Days of Exile” that is taking place in Berlin for the first time.
As part of the extensive programme, an event beginning at 9:45 pm features the actress Bibiana Beglau, Akademie member since 2014, and the actor Peter Jordan as they read from letters, works and diaries written by artists in exile whose archives are located at the Akademie der Künste. These include Ralph Benatzky, Elisabeth Bergner, Bertolt Brecht, Georg Grosz, Alfred Kerr, Oskar Kokoschka, Heinrich Mann, Anna Seghers, Bruno Taut, Helene Weigel and Arnold Zweig.
With over 300 bequests and collections, the Akademie der Künste has one of the largest exile archives on art and literature in any German-speaking country. On the occasion of the “Days of Exile” taking place in Berlin on 28 September and
6 October 2023, additional tours, presentations and talks will take place at the various archive locations, providing insights into the bequests of exiled artists, from Ellen Auerbach to Arnold Zweig.
The “Long Night of Exile” is organised in cooperation with the Körber-Stiftung and the Stiftung Exilmuseum Berlin. Akademie President Jeanine Meerapfel welcomes the collaboration: “Art and exile is an integral theme for the Akademie der Künste. It has long shaped our programme and our educational work – the Akademie serves as place of memory, but also provides an open and protected space for artistic work and exchange. However, it is not just about creating a space where artists can come together and present their work. It is also about enabling concrete, direct assistance for those whose artistic freedom is currently being curtailed or threatened by the social and political situation in their home countries.”
Event information
Long Night of Exile
Talks, presentations, readings
Friday, 8 September 2023, 6 pm
Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg 10, 10557 Berlin
In German
Free admission
Full programme: hier
Guided tours & literary salon
Days of Exile
Guided tours and readings
Thursday, 28 September 2023, 7 pm
Anna-Seghers-Museum
Anna-Seghers-Str. 81
12489 Berlin
In German
Tours offered every hour from 10 am to 4 pm
Admission €6/4
Limited number of participants
Registration: annaseghersmuseum@adk.de
Further information is available at hier
Art and Exile. The Archives of the Akademie der Künste Days of Exile
Guided tours, presentations, talks
Friday, 6 October 2023, 1 pm to 5 pm
Various Akademie der Künste Archive locations
In German
Free admission, limited number of participants
Further information is available at hier
Additional information on the full programme: www.tagedesexils.de