A piece of literature by the most prominent slovenian novelist, playwright and essayist Drago Jančar.
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Under Tito, how did the intellectual class orient itself in world politics? Does there exist among writers a positive understanding of non-aligned Yugoslavia?
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A short history of the vision of “America”
Alexander Emanuely rolls out the history of the view of America once again, and follows the traces of former (European) visionaries.
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It began with the notion of waste separation. Plastic with plastic, paper with paper, the remaining rubbish with the remainder of the rubbish. Then came the separation of glass. Bottles are sorted according to colour: green glass with green glass, brown with brown, white with white. When I heard about bulky waste I was both shocked and delighted at one and the same time. What self-discipline these Europeans must have and what patience!...
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Ukraine seems to be a country where literature thrives. So far Ukrainian star authors such as Juri Andruchovych, Andrey Kurkov, Ljubko Deresch and Oksana Sabushko have celebrated major international successes. Recently a further young talent has become a focus of attention – especially in German-speaking Europe: Serhij Zhadan.
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The journalist, critic and writer Mykola Riabchuk is one of the best-known essayists and political commentators in his country. He founded the magazine "Krytyka" in Kiev and writes a weekly column in the newspaper “Gazeta po-ukrainsky".
Riabchuk was born 1953 in the town of Luck (north-western Ukraine). In 2006 Suhrkamp published his essay "Die reale und die imaginierte Ukraine" in a German translation.
In the interview with "Report" he hopes that the early parliamentary elections on 30 September 2007 will have a positive effect - and he wants to believe in Ukrainian politicians' ability to learn from their mistakes.
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Bert Rebhandl in conversation with sociologist Hartmut Kälble
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Statements:
One might believe that democracy is self-evident but a certain sullen discontent, not just as regards EU politics, is becoming increasingly evident. Individual states, whether old or new, have to battle with low voter turnouts in elections or with populist tendencies. How self-evident is, in fact, ...
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Recent developments in several new member states of the EU, namely the rise of both right wing and left wing populism, have drawn new attention to East-Central Europe. How to explain the current tide of populist movements in the region? And what implications can be drawn for the future of the European Union? Political scientist and historian Jacques Rupnik gives an analysis of the situation.
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First scene: 1980s, in a train travelling through the GDR.
In the compartment sits a young man, unusually well dressed for a second-class carriage: exclusive shirt, expensive shoes, brand name bag and elegant white jacket. He is reading a hardcover book in English. A young woman approaches along the corridor: a rocker, black leather jacket with studs, black boots, black leather miniskirt, black arm bands with silver studs, her face is heavily made up. She has a black rucksack on her back, a red sleeping bag peeps out of it. A passenger closes the door to prevent her entering his compartment. She sticks her chewing gum to the door. She looks at the compartments, taking a close look inside a number of them as though she were looking for them. When she arrives at the compartment where the young man is sitting she is obviously delighted. She pulls the door open.
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“Each of us can tell so many fateful stories that the only thing that makes sense is to tell and to continue telling”
(Željko Ivanković, Serbian writer 1968–1995)
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The “Revolver Revue” was first published illegally in “samizdat” (self-print) in Czechoslovakia in 1985. This magazine for literature and art that appears four times yearly has managed to survive to the present day. We talked to Michael Špirit, for many years a member of the editorial staff and co-founder of the “Critical Supplement to the Revolver Revue” and known for his precise and critical reviews, about censorship, the shock caused by the political changes in Eastern Europe and the situation of literary criticism in the Czech Republic today.
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And now listen carefully. The best part of a party is the moment when it's over. You go out, the clean air makes you a bit dizzy but you manage...
A short story by the young Czech author Jaroslav Rudiš.
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„Bis zu dem spannenden Ende, wo man sich entspannen kann,
lobt man ohne viel Umstände den blendenden Panenka“
(z autorovy kampaně při volbě nejlepšího fotbalisty Rakouska za rok 1983)
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A personal obituary by Mária Hlavajová
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Statements:
literature / philosophy | Walter Famler, Austria | Barbara Frischmuth, Austria | Boris Kovac, Serbia and Montenegro | Annemarie Türk, Austria
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The (borderline) publisher Lojze Wieser has championed small-scale and unknown literature from Austria's eastern neighbours for two decades and also founded the "Enzyklopädie des europäischen Ostens" (Encyclopedia of the European East). For Wieser communication in one's own native language is a human right that should be granted to everyone. In conversation with Antje Mayer.
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About fifteen years ago in the former Czechoslovakia the era of the Samizdat became history. Until 1989, in most of communist Europe the writing, printing and distribution of literature had been suppressed or outright banned by censors.
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Boris Buden, the author of the book "Der Schacht von Babel – Ist Kultur übersetzbar" (The Pit of Babel – is Culture Translatable?) , which appeared in autumn 2004, explains why he finds the belief in a new cultural identity naive and why society should not confuse politics with culture. Buden speaks of Europe as a translation community. An interview with Manuela Hötzl.
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Slovene translator Urška P. Černe believes that, so far, "the preservation of national and regional diversity" has remained just a slogan. A commentary.
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Every language has its own emotional code. Whoever can decipher the code of a foreign language can then understand the mentality and the culture of the people who use it. A literary essay.
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Birgit Langenberger and Manuela Hötzl in conversation with Marina Gržinić about her book “Fiction Reconstructed”, in which, starting from the contrast between East and West, she defines a new symbolic culture space.
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I would like to rethink some methodologies in terms of organizing exhibitions in the context of globalization.
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observer
The history from the beginnings to the present
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