Institute of Jewish Studies

Karl Kraus

Citing Violence, Inciting Critique: Karl Kraus, 1933

22-24 november 2017
Universiteit Antwerpen, Hof van Liere
Prinsstraat 13b, 2000 Antwerpen

Conference organized in cooperation with Dr. Gal Hertz (Zfl Berlin and Tel Aviv University)

“To me, nothing comes to mind about Hitler” (Mir fällt zu Hitler nichts ein) is the famous opening line of Karl Kraus’s analysis of the first months of National Socialism. This 300-page fragment was written between May and September 1933, and first published only in 1952 as Third Walpurgis Night.

The conference will seek to read this text by Kraus, paying attention to the political, historical and cultural conflicts of this decisive year of Hitler’s rise to power. We will discuss this topic in a transnational perspective that also takes into account developments in Austria, Italy, and other countries. Additionally, the conference seeks to place Kraus’s writings in dialog with a broader spectrum of voices, including literary, theatrical, philosophical, historical, or others (e.g. Brecht, Benjamin, Arendt).

Conference organized with the support of the Österreichisches Kulturforum Brüssel.

Program

Wednesday 22 November 2017

  • 12.30-13.15 Registration
  • 13.15-13.30 Welcome by Vivian Liska
  • 13.30-14.30 Introduction to Karl Kraus’ Dritte Walpurgisnacht
                           Chair: Vivian Liska
                           Gerald Krieghofer, Gal Hertz (German and English)
  • 14.30-15.00 Coffee break
  • 15.00-16.30 Karl Kraus and the Political Crisis – die Sozial Demokraten und
                           Dollfuss
                           Chair: Daniel Weidner
                           Lucile Dreidemy, Florian Wenninger (German)
  • 16.30-16.45 Coffee break
  • 16.45-17.45 Images of Violence
                           Chair: Gal Hertz
                           Bernd Witte, Theresa Walter (German)

Thursday 23 November 2017

  • 09.30-11.00 Kraus’s Poetics of Quotation in Times of Despair
                           Chair: Annelies Augustyns
                           Keynote lecture by António Ribeiro (English)
  • 11.00-11.15 Coffee break
  • 11.15-12.45 Citing Violence: Kraus, Adorno and Arendt
                           Chair: Sebastian Müngersdorff
                           Björn Quiring, Ariel L. Linden (German and English)
  • 12.45-14.00  Lunch break (speakers only)
  • 14.00-15.00 Kressmann Taylor’s Address Unknown
                           Chair: Gal Hertz
                           Bernd Witte, Vivian Liska (English)
  • 15.00-16.30 Words and Deeds: Critique of Language in Nazi Times
                           Chair: Gerald Krieghofer
                           Daniel Weidner, Ron Mieczkowski (German)
  • 20.00             “Er ist Doch ä Jud” – He Is Still A Jew: Karl Kraus and Jewish Identity
                           Chair: Vivian Liska
                           Gerald Krieghofer, Katharina Prager, Galili Shahar (English)
                           Followed by a reception

Friday 24 November 2017

  • 09.30-11.00 1933, Why was the Fackel not published?
                          Chair: Arvi Sepp
                          Katharina Prager, Brigitte Stocker (German)
  • 11.00-11.15 Coffee break
  • 11.15-12.30 Concluding remarks by Gal Hertz, followed by a discussion

Registration

Click here to register for the conference.

Call for papers (closed)

CALL FOR PAPERS

Citing Violence, Inciting Critique: Karl Kraus, 1933
22-24/11/2017, University of Antwerp

“To me, nothing comes to mind about Hitler” (Mir fällt zu Hitler nichts ein) is the famous opening line of Karl Kraus’s analysis of the first months of National Socialism. This 300-page fragment was written between May and September 1933, and first published only in 1952 as Third Walpurgis Night.

The conference CITING VIOLENCE, INCITING CRITIQUE will seek to read this text by Kraus, paying attention to the political, historical and cultural conflicts of this decisive year of Hitler’s rise to power. We will discuss this topic in a transnational perspective that also takes into account developments in Austria, Italy, and other countries. Additionally, the conference seeks to place Kraus’s writings in dialog with a broader spectrum of voices, including literary, theatrical, philosophical, historical, or others (e.g. Brecht, Benjamin, Arendt).

We propose the following questions and themes:

  • What possible position – other than defeatism - can one take once political violence shapes a state and demolishes the rule of law?
  • What can a critic of language, discourse and media possibly have to say when confronted with such a comprehensive, totalized form of state-evil as the Third Reich?
  • What lies behind Kraus' silence during this time and how was it perceived?
  • How to come to terms with Kraus's support of Austrian fascism ("als kleineres Übel") and his critique of the social democrats?
  • "Die Weltdummheit macht jede Arbeit – außer an Shakespeare – unmöglich." In what way we can think about poetical work (translations, adaptation, citations etc.) as a response or as a way of dealing with such historical moments?

Please send abstracts in English or German (500 words), or suggestions for panels which directly relate to these themes in the context of Kraus’ Third Walpurgis Night. We will provide funding for travel and accommodation to a limited number of young scholars whose abstracts have been accepted to the conference.

Please send your proposals along with a short bio no later than 30.4.17 to hertz@zfl-berlin.org.