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Kafka2024

Stanislav Jurík: Labyrint Franze Kafky (1988) © Stanislav Jurík

Franz Kafka is by no means “just a classic”. His social critiques and images of fundamental human experiences are highly topical even today. 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of Kafka's death and 2023 would have been the 140th birthday of the world-famous author. On the occasion of these anniversaries, the Goethe-Institut will take the opportunity to reflect on his work. You can expect a variety of formats that will show new ways to his texts and the author himself. From a German studies conference, literary readings and theatrical productions to a video game, we would like to offer you a variety of perspectives on Franz Kafka.

What's new?

Video game Playing Kafka © Goethe-Institut / Charles Games

Serious Game
 Playing Kafka

Together with the indie game studio Charles Games and thanks to the support of the Czech Ministry of Culture, the Goethe-Institut is developing a video game that brings Kafka's literary world to life in virtual space.

Zeitgeister

Zeitgeister, the cultural magazine of the Goethe-Institut, offers dozens of new articles on the life and work of Franz Kafka. In German and English.
Zine-Automat © Goethe-Institut / Adam Mráček

Installation
 Zine-Automat

Im Goethe-Institut gibt es nun einen Automaten mit Zines, selbstgestalteten Magazinen im Kleinformat. Anlässlich des 100. Todesjahres Kafkas werden drei ganz besondere Zines angeboten, die sich mit Werk und Leben des Schriftstellers auseinandersetzen. Worum es dabei geht und wie Sie sich ein kostenloses Zine abholen können, erfahren Sie hier!

Events

Franz Kafka lebt! Divadlo 3+KK

Theatervorstellung
Franz Kafka lebt!

21|03|2024 - Franz Kafka lebt! Nein, er ist tot - und er lädt Sie zu einem Familienessen ein. Sind traditionelle Familienfeiern nicht ein Albtraum? Das hier haben Sie noch nicht erlebt.
Fotoalbum Familie Kafka: Valli, Elli und Franz, etwa 1893 © Archiv Klaus Wagenbach

Ausstellung
 Das Fotoalbum der Familie Kafka

18|05—30|09|2024 - Zum 100. Todestag von Franz Kafka zeigen wir eine Ausstellung mit rund 100 Fotografien der Familie Kafka, erstmals in dieser Zusammenstellung, mit vielen bislang unveröffentlichten.

What do we know about Kafka?

Kafka at the age of 34 in July 1917 © Wagenbach Verlag (Art work: Tobias Schrank)

Reiner Stach
 Franz Kafka in the 21st century

Why do we continue to find Franz Kafka so compelling 100 years after his death? Why is Kafka still considered to be so modern and contemporary? What awaits us in Kafka’s anniversary year of 2024? Reiner Stach, Kafka’s most important biographer, provides us with some answers.
Kafka postcards Videostill; © Goethe-Institut Czech Republic

Video report from Prague
 A tourist trap called Kafka

Thousands of tourists come to Prague every year and the city has a lot to offer them. Including lots of Kafka kitsch. Find out in this video report what the Kafka knowledge of Prague tourists is like!
Franz Kafka about 34 years old. July 1917 © Verlag Klaus Wagenbach

Whom does Franz Kafka belong to?

The question of whom Franz Kafka belongs to occupies many minds more persistently than is perhaps necessary.

From the life of Franz Kafka

House at the Tower, Franz Kafka Square 3 Photo: Petr Machan; © Goethe-Institut Czech Republic

Photo Reportage
 Franz Kafka’s Prague

Exploring Prague in Kafka’s footsteps: where did Franz Kafka live and work, where did he spend his leisure time? A photo tour.
Kafka at the beach with his friend, the author Ernst Weiß, in Travemünde or Marielyst

Sport
 The great swimmer

Most people know Franz Kafka as that brilliant author who wrote The Metamorphosis, “The Judgment” or “The Trial”. However, what many Kafka buffs don’t know: Kafka was a thoroughly physical person, Kafka was not just sporty, he was an all-out sports enthusiast.
Staircase in the house at Zeltnergasse 3, Prague © Verlag Klaus Wagenbach

Humour
 The big laugher

Kafka is a writer of dark, nightmarish tales? – Perhaps, yes. But this is too superficial a view. Let us embark on a quest for the comical in Kafka.
Franz Kafka, generated with the Ideogram AI tool © Víctor Millán/Ideogram.ai

Sexuality
 In Bed with Kafka

Franz Kafka’s complicated relationship with his sexuality has been a topic of constant speculation and analysis. We have reviewed his letters and experts’ opinions to try to clarify things.
Model at the Roubíčková fashion salon in Prague © Museum of Decorative Arts Prague

Fahion
 Franz had style

What do Kafka and fashion have in common? A feeling of always arriving too late. We chase after fashion and can escape it only to a limited degree. In a way, we are at its mercy. Because no matter how we dress or don’t dress, our outward appearance always says something about us.
A sensation at the beginning of the 20th century: a visit to the cinema © Noom Peerapong / Unsplash

Early pop culture
 Kafka, the Cinephile

At the beginning of the 20th century, cinema was new and sensational – Franz Kafka was fascinated by it. There are numerous mentions of what Kafka had seen at the movies.

In the Sanatorium
 Kafka’s Final Days

Franz Kafka was only 40 years old in the spring of 1924 when he was admitted to a private clinic in Kierling, just outside of Vienna. The building has not changed, except for its relationship to world literature.

Kafka's cultural legacy

Moritz von Wolzogen: The Aeroplanes at Brescia © Moritz von Wolzogen, published by Nathalia Laue

Comics and graphic novels
 Kafka in the realm of comics

Franz Kafka was himself a good illustrator and would surely have enjoyed these comics and graphic novels that were created by comic book artists from different parts of the world and all have one thing in common: the subject of Kafka.
 
Nicolas Mahler: “Komplett Kafka” (Completely Kafka) © Nicolas Mahler, Suhrkamp Verlag

Nicolas Mahler
 Draw Kafka for me

Nicolas Mahler is a comic illustrator whose book “Komplett Kafka” (Completely Kafka) is published in Kafka’s centenary year, and it will tour as an exhibition. Ulrich Fügener spoke with Nicolas Mahler – about comics, Kafka, humour and melancholy.
 
Why is everyone so obsessed with Franz Kafka? © Danny Howe / Unsplash

Kafka and TikTok
 Why is everyone so obsessed with Franz Kafka?

The Czech writer died nearly a century ago, but is enjoying a renaissance on TikTok and X.
One of the first messages Kafka sent to Max Brod, who would later become his friend: “Greetings from Zuckmantel”, dated 24th August 1905. © Verlag Klaus Wagenbach

Digitised diaries
 The Kafka search engine

In a subsection of the University of Vienna website, all of Franz Kafka’s journals and letters are freely accessible and searchable. The person behind the website is Werner Haas, librarian at the University of Vienna. 
 
Kafka’s traces in the Czech language Collage: Tobias Schrank

Kafkaesque
 Kafka’s traces in the Czech language

Almost everyone knows the word “Kafkaesque”. In Czech, there is a whole range of other Kafka vocabulary – such as “not enough of Kafka”.
Kafka on the couch Collage by Tobias Schrank (Sunder Muthukumaran / Unsplash)

Interview with Wolfgang Hantel-Quitmann
 Kafka on the couch

In this interview therapist Prof. Dr. Hantel-Quitmann explains how literature can help us solve our problems, and why it is nevertheless good that Kafka did not undergo therapy at the time.
Literaturkanonen Foto: © artisteer/iStock

Literary canon
 Nobody can avoid Kafka

Debates in feuilletons, a pragmatic approach in schools: required reading and how is it justifie.
© Goethe-Institut

German in the context of multilingual Prague
 Franz Kafka’s Literary Language

For a long time, we were familiar with Franz Kafka’s German only because of Max Brod’s posthumous publication of Kafka’s works. However, in Kafka’s original texts, the spoken language clearly left its mark.
 

Test yourself

Drawings of Kafka's novel figures Illustration: © Beatrice Davies

Psychological test
 Which Kafka novel character are you?

Franz Kafka’s works are still relevant today, they are universal, full of grotesque and fascinating characters. Which of Kafka’s literary characters are you? Answer the questions in our psychological test to find out!

Reading Kafka

Digital Library
Reading Kafka...

Kafka was not only a prolific author himself. His literary legacy has inspired numerous academic and lyrical works. In our digital library “Onleihe”, more than 100 works written by, or about, Franz Kafka, are available to be borrowed for free.  

Digital Library
Reading Kafka...

Kafka was not only a prolific author himself. His literary legacy has inspired numerous academic and lyrical works. In our digital library “Onleihe”, more than 100 works written by, or about, Franz Kafka, are available to be borrowed for free.  

Contact us

In case of questions or suggestions, please contact:

Monika Loderova
monika.loderova@goethe.de
Goethe-Institut Tschechien

An overview of the events dedicated to Franz Kafka in the Czech Republic and Germany in 2024 can be found here.

Kafka & more ...
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