Literary quintet discusses fear in Chemnitz: An evening of words!

Literary quintet discusses fear in Chemnitz: An evening of words!

The 25th Literary Quintet will take place at Chemnitz University of Technology on October 22, 2025. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Chemnitz Art Collections, Theaterplatz 1. Five carefully selected books will be discussed under the theme “Fear,” which is closely linked to the Munch exhibition of the same name. Chemnitz University of Technology reports that the event offers a platform for in-depth literary discussions moderated by top-class experts.

The works of the following authors are under discussion: Isabelle Graw, Carsten Henn, Volker Weidermann, Reiner Maria Rilke and Stefan Zweig. Each of these books addresses different facets of fear in its own way. Graw's “Fear and Money” deals with fear of loss in a social context, while Henn's “The Book Walker” tells of a bookseller who overcomes his own loss through meeting a child.

Discussants and moderators

The discussion will be led by prominent personalities from the literary and academic world: Diana Kopka (Chemnitz Art Collections), Angela Malz (Director of the University Library at Chemnitz University of Technology), Ulrike Uhlig (Chairwoman of the International Stefan Heym Society), Prof. Dr. Bernadette Malinowski (Professor of Modern German and Comparative Literature) and the student Elisa Weißer. The moderation is shared by Angela Malz and Prof. Dr. Malinowski. Registration for the event is not required and entry is free.

The Literary Quintet was founded in 2008 and has since established itself in various locations around the city. It used to take place in buildings such as the lecture hall building and the old boiler house. The event is part of Chemnitz's Capital of Culture year, which will be enriched with further special events in October and November 2025. The Chemnitz bookstore “Universitas” supports the quintet.

Cultural context in Chemnitz

There is also an insight into the literary landscape of Chemnitz through the “Leselust” event, which will take place in March 2025. These literary days, which are celebrated in Chemnitz from March 7th to 26th, bring together authors from Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland and Ukraine and promote cultural networking in the European border area. The city of Chemnitz is well on its way to establishing itself as the center of these cultural interactions.

These literary days not only offer double readings with literary professionals, but also numerous workshops and creative offerings that actively involve urban society. The aim of the love of reading is to build bridges of mutual understanding through literature and to process the topics of (post-)socialism, war and flight through literature.