Writing Histori(es): WWII in Literature and Research
Like few other forms of expression, literature can expand historical imaginations. Compared to political or journalistic discourse, novels can treat topics more freely and thus open up new perspectives on historical processes. It is often literature that sets new accents and changes the way we talk about history. At the same time, however, literature also reflects the society in which it was created.
In this series of events, we focus on memories of the Second World War. Over three evenings, authors and translators read from their books and discuss the historical topics addressed in them with academics.
Utopia and Terror: Siberia (in German)
On this evening, we address the topics of morality, violence, and survival in a totalitarian system, focusing on individual fates in the context of the Gulag.
When: February 12, 2026, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Where: Museum Berlin-Karlshorst
Repression and Remembrance: Lapland (in English)
In our series with the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst, we look at an often-forgotten theater of World War II: Finland. Petra Rautiainen's novel “Land of Snow and Ashes” tells of the suffering of inmates in Nazi forced labor camps and questions repression and complicity.
When: March 26, 2026, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Where: Center for East European and International Studies (ZOiS)
Plurality in border regions: Bukovina (in German)
In our series with the Berlin-Karlshorst Museum, we explore northern Bukovina—a border region marked by cultural diversity and political upheaval—through Oleg Sebrian's novel “Tango in Czernowitz.” We discuss how literature makes complex historical spaces visible.
When: April 16, 2026, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Where: Museum Berlin-Karlshorst