Lotte in Weimar

June 6, 2025, marks the 150th birthday of Thomas Mann, one of the most influential German-language writers of all time. His works continue to resonate today and have inspired numerous film adaptations, both in Germany and internationally. Among the most frequently adapted are his novels Buddenbrooks (1901), which has been filmed four times, and Confessions of Felix Krull (1954), which has seen two adaptations. Many of these films have been critically acclaimed, including Luchino Visconti’s classic Death in Venice (1971) and Heinrich Breloer’s TV docudrama Die Manns – Ein Jahrhundertroman (2001), starring Armin Mueller-Stahl and Monica Bleibtreu. These adaptations have offered fresh and sometimes unconventional perspectives on Mann’s literary world and characters.

In the 1970s, East German director Egon Günther brought Mann’s 1939 novelLotte in Weimarto the screen. His 1975 DEFA feature film of the same name tells the story of Charlotte Kestner, who travels to Weimar in hopes of reconnecting with her first love, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. However, her visit and attempts to meet Goethe end in disappointment. Lilli Palmer stars as Charlotte Kestner, with Martin Hellberg portraying Goethe.Lotte in Weimarwas notably the first GDR film to compete at the Cannes Film Festival. The prestigious Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra contributed to the film’s atmosphere by performing excerpts from Gustav Mahler’s Sixth Symphony.

As part of its thematic focus on Thomas Mann, the Goethe-Institut Korea will screen Lotte in Weimar (in German with English subtitles). The event will include an introduction to both the film and Thomas Mann by Sung-kuen Yoon, antiquarian bookseller and author.