Whether touching on living a long and happy life, or the socio-political activism behind hashtags, Deutsches Haus at NYU presents an array of cultural conversations throughout October.
Beginning October 4, co-authors Klaus Brinkbäumer and Samiha Shafy discuss their new book, The Wisdom of Centenarians; on October 11, Andreas Bernard presents his new book Theory of the Hashtag; and on October 28, Sophie Duvernoy discusses her new translation of Gabriele Tergit’s famed 1931 novel Käsebier Takes Berlin.
All events are held at Deutsches Haus at NYU, 42 Washington Mews (between University Place and Fifth Avenue), and are free, open to the public and in English, unless otherwise noted. Seating for free events is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 212.998.8660 or visit Deutsches Haus’ website. [Subways: R, W (8th Street); 6 (Astor Place); A, B, C, D, E, F, M (West 4th Street).]
Friday, October 4, 6:00pm
The Wisdom of Centenarians: A Conversation among Klaus Brinkbäumer, Samiha Shafy & Ursula Staundinger
How do you live a long, happy life? That’s the question at the heart of a new book, How to Live Smartly, Joyfully, Healthily, Exuberantly, Happily – and very Long. The Wisdom of Centenarians: A World Tour. Co-authored by Klaus Brinkbäumer (former editor-in chief of Der Spiegel) and Samiha Shafy (foreign correspondent of Der Spiegel), the work traces their travels to Sardinia, Okinawa, and Loma Linda to find out why more people age well in those places than anywhere else in the world. The conversation will be moderated by psychologist and aging researcher Ursula M. Staudinger. This is a DAAD-supported event.
Friday, October 11, 6:00pm
Theory of the Hashtag: A Conversation between Andreas Bernard and Nicholas Mirzoeff
Andreas Bernard, DAAD Visiting Scholar and professor of cultural studies at Leuphana University, and Nicholas Mirzoeff, professor of media, culture, and communication at NYU, discuss “the most prominent sign of our times.” Centered around Bernard’s new book Theory of the Hashtag, which traces the history of the hashtag and its use in marketing and socio-political activism, this conversation examines how the mighty sign continues to play a role in shaping and transforming discursive culture. This is a DAAD-sponsored event.
Monday, October 21, 6:00pm
Objectivity and the Humanities – Prospects for a New Realism: A Lecture by Professor Markus Gabriel
Professor Markus Gabriel delivers a talk examining the humanities in light of New Realism, a term encompassing an array of current trends in philosophy. That framework may help our understanding of knowledge in general. Gabriel will touch on the growing criticism surrounding the humanities, especially its supposedly less-than-objective knowledge claims, and how New Realism suggests the scientific worldview is actually untenable. This is a DAAD-supported event, and is co-sponsored with the NYU Department of German.
Monday, October 28, 6:00pm
Käsebier Takes Berlin: The Weimar Republic and Satire in Times of Crises
Satire plays an important role during times of crisis, as evidenced by Gabriele Tergit’s famed 1931 novel Käsebier Takes Berlin, which has been reissued in a new translation by Sophie Duvernoy for New York Review Books. The evening features a conversation about the new translation with Duvernoy, Eric Jarosinski, the Germanist and mastermind behind @neinquarterly, and Eric Banks, director of the New York Institute for the Humanities. This is a DAAD-sponsored event.
About Deutsches Haus at NYU:
Deutsches Haus at NYU is New York’s leading institution for the culture and language of the German-speaking world. Located in the historic Greenwich Village district, Deutsches Haus is an integral part of New York University. Since 1977, it has provided New Yorkers with a unique forum for cultural, intellectual, and artistic exchange with Germany, Austria, and Switzerland through its three pillars: the language program, the cultural program, and the children's program.