Elfriede Müller
“What might yet become history …” – Leftist memory, utopian history, and literature

The current disaster capitalism makes us quickly forget that the second decade of the 20th century was a time of explosive social upheaval. In more than 37 countries, mass protests took place. However, few achieved what they intended, and we have once again learned that failure is always possible. Yet many people expressed a deep desire for change and began searching for something that remains unfinished to this day. This sense of the unfinished in contemporary literature is the focus of my talk. Starting with the French noir after 1968, a new genre created by former activists of the uprising who search for its meaning in history in the aftermath of its failure. This extends to classic authors like Anna Seghers, as well as contemporary writers such as Santiago Gamboa, Leonardo Padura, and Regina Scheer. Literature can serve as a site or archive of memory for everything that could still happen, making clear that a better future is always possible.

This event is taking place online.

Link: https://uni-frankfurt.zoom-x.de/j/9439156190?pwd=U1BBVEpVSitoQy9QSS9EcGpmSzZpQT09&omn=66440150197 

The event is part of the series “The Future of History”, which will run throughout the year. Click here for the programme!