Name: Judith Hermann reads from 'I Want to Go Back in Time' in Göttingen
Start: 2026-09-14T22:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-09-15T00:00:00+02:00
Location: Literarisches Zentrum Göttingen e.V.

Judith Hermann in Göttingen: A reading about memory, guilt, and the silence of family

With I Want to Go Back in Time, Judith Hermann brings one of those texts to the center that begins quietly and resonates for a long time. In Göttingen, her precise, atmospheric linguistic artistry meets an audience that values literary condensation, autobiographical exploration, and intellectual tension.

An evening between family history and the present

The new text leads to a blind spot of origin: an SS membership card, a faded blood type tattoo, photographs, and the persistent gap that arises from it. Judith Hermann follows the traces of her grandfather to Radom in Poland and connects remembering with the mechanisms of repression. Thus, a literary experience emerges that intertwines personal history, social responsibility, and the question of the inheritance of generations.

Reading atmosphere at the Literature House Göttingen

The Literature House Göttingen provides the perfect setting for such an author encounter. The closeness between voice, text, and audience makes the subtle shifts in Hermann's prose particularly evident. Those familiar with her narrative style expect no loud pose, but concentrated linguistic artistry, rhythmic sentences, and that fragile intensity that opens up vast literary spaces from small observations.

Judith Hermann and the power of omission

Since Summerhouse, Later, Judith Hermann has been regarded as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary literature. Her books revolve around loneliness, memory, relationships, and the uncertainty of modern life designs. Even in I Want to Go Back in Time, she remains true to her method: she condenses rather than explains. She feels her way forward instead of concluding didactically. Precisely therein lies the literary quality of this evening.

Conversation with Torsten Hoffmann

In conversation with the literary scholar Torsten Hoffmann, the text opens up to the cultural discourse. It is about silence, family transmission, and the difficult relationship between memory and narratability. Thus, the reading turns not only into a literary event but into a reflective engagement with German history and its repercussions in the present.

Conclusion

Those who experience Judith Hermann live encounter an author who illuminates the dark interstices of family stories with great precision. This reading in Göttingen promises an evening full of linguistic density, contemplation, and quiet power. A visit is worthwhile for all who understand literature as a spiritual experience and a vibrant encounter.