Deutschklub: Reading Circle Siegfried Lenz

Please join the Goethe-Institut’s free Reading Circle to explore Siegfried Lenz's 1960 Das Feuerschiff. This realistic narrative contains the typical characteristics of a novella and is often interpreted as a parable addressing the themes of violence, resistance, and individual responsibility.  Adapted for film three times, this story is one of Siegfried Lenz’s best-known works and is included in the curricula of numerous schools.

On a soon to be decommissioned lightship anchored in the Baltic Sea a conflict breaks out between the small crew and a gang of criminals. The captain of the lightship, Johann Freytag, takes the criminals whose boat broke down during their escape on board, mistaking them for shipwrecked survivors. When the armed gang threatens the crew, the captain initially lets them have their way because he does not want to put anyone in danger. For the same reason, he also refuses to hand over the only lifeboat, on which the crew depends in an emergency. Because of his leniency, Freytag has to stand his ground against some members of his crew who want to take the armed men by surprise. In particular, his teenage son Fred accuses his father of cowardice.

Email us to receive a free copy of the text to read in preparation of our in-person discussion: buchklub-toronto@goethe.de