Intersection of Influences

Students experience a rich panoply of culture, literature and history in Berlin

by Tony Moore

Dickinson students spending the year in Bremen, Germany, recently headed to Berlin on a five-day excursion, and the agenda included trips to the Brandenburg Gate, the Pergamon Museum, East Side Gallery and a former Stasi prison.

The heart of the trip, though, was the Transatlantic Conference on Heiner M眉ller, co-organized by , academic director of the William G. and Elke Durden Bremen Program, on behalf of the International Heiner M眉ller Society.

鈥淗einer M眉ller is arguably the most important German-speaking playwright of the second half of the 20th century,鈥� says Ludwig, who is the president of the International Heiner M眉ller Society. 鈥淗e was an extremely charismatic and iconic figure who attracted and still attracts great minds in all kinds of fields: academics, artists, directors of theatre and film, political thinkers, sociologists, philosophers and many more.鈥�

And many of those great minds鈥攕uch as a German parliamentary leader, the chief dramaturg of Berlin鈥檚 celebrated avant-garde theater Volksb眉hne, a molecular biologist/civil rights activist and the president of Germany鈥檚 most prominent acting school鈥攚ere in attendance.

鈥淚 was surprised by the wide variety and high caliber of the conference's guests,鈥� says Santiago Princ 鈥�16 (mathematics, German, computer science). 鈥淚 joined a conversation with B. K. Tragelehn, a renowned director, author, translator and former student of Bertolt Brecht and friend of M眉ller, [and it was] indeed an amazing experience.鈥�

What to carry first

鈥淗ow often can students see how culture and politics interact and at the same time speak with highly influential figures of both to discuss that interaction?鈥� says Sarah McGaughey, associate professor of German. 鈥淭his was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do so and to learn more about one of the major aspects of the late 20th century鈥攖he divided Germany.鈥�

That intersection of history, culture, politics and language is where students found themselves living during their five days in Berlin.

鈥淭he first conversation I watched included a philosopher, a cultural journalist and a dramatic advisor, each of whom had a personal connection with the playwright,鈥� says Ezra Sassaman 鈥�16 (German). 鈥淚t interested me that the work of a single man could carry so much meaning for three people of such differing professions.鈥�

鈥淭he entire trip was filled with poignant moments of history and cultural difference, especially for me, after being raised in a small town,鈥� says Rachel Schilling 鈥�16 (German, English). 鈥淎nd the conference was an academic experience in itself simply because it was held in German, and we weren't accustomed to hearing long academic conversations in German.鈥�

It sounds like just the sort of richly immersive event M眉ller himself would have loved.

鈥淢眉ller famously said about the theatergoers and readers that he wanted to 鈥榖urden the people with so much that they don鈥檛 know what to carry first,鈥� 鈥� Ludwig says. 鈥淗e believed that this concept of flooding or overwhelming the audience with images and thoughts would cause productive reactions.鈥�

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Published October 30, 2014

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