Lectures, readings & discussions
Raoul Schrott: Atlas der Sternenhimmel und Schöpfungsmythen der Menschheit - Opening reading of the 38th Freiburg Literature Talk
Thursday, 07/11/2024 / 07:30 PM / Historisches Kaufhaus (historical merchants‘ hall)
Welcome: Ulrich von Kirchbach, First Mayor of the City of Freiburg
Our Big Dipper was a divine parrot for the Maya, the one-legged god of thunderstorms for the Incas and a moose for the Inuit. Each culture represents itself in its own way in the starry sky. The constellations serve as a "picture book" of their gods, heroes, animals, plants and most important objects, the meaning of which is told in star legends; the starry skies are also closely linked to creation myths. After years of research, the Austrian poet, writer and literary scholar Raoul Schrott documents the knowledge of 17 cultures on all continents about the stars, the sun, the moon and the planets in his "Atlas der Sternenhimmel" (Hanser, 2024) - from the Ancient Egyptians to the Australian Aborigines.
The Peter Huchel and Joseph Breitbach Prize winner brings together the surviving star legends and myths and presents over 500 constellations in his opulent atlas, most of which have only been made visible for the first time in thousands of years. Welcome to the advance premiere of this work, which will not be published until November 18, a great journey around the world and through time, to stories full of poetic power and fantasy, which will culminate in a literary discussion with the audience.
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Photo: © Christoph Greussing
Sponsors: Cultural Office of the City of Freiburg, Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg, Sparkasse Freiburg-Nördlicher Breisgau, Guzzoni-Federer-Stiftung, kindly supported by jos fritz bookshop and Park Hotel Post
Date: 7.11.2024, 19:30
Venue: Historical merchants' hall, Münsterplatz 24
Admission: 16/8 euros
Literary discussion
Out of house