A small city in the middle of Germany and yet an incomparable reflection of German history with all its ups and downs and a starting point for determining the location of our country in Europe

Europe currently seems to be in more than just a superficial crisis. It is sometimes forgotten that the idea of a united Europe is still something great and fascinating from a historical perspective. Looking forward into the future of our continent is once again made easier by looking back – at the highs and lows of German history, which can be portrayed particularly impressively through the lens of the city of Weimar and its literary adaptation by the great German Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann. Weimar is an ‘ambivalent German place of destiny’ that has experienced the sublime and the barbaric, splendor and the abysmal, greatness of spirit and horror. The lecture – with many literary references – is a journey through time to a fascinating city, which ends with an emphatic commitment to Europe.