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Zeitgeister - Cultural Magazine

The Goethe-Institut’s culture magazine. Four issues per year with contributions by international artists and authors: anecdotes, essays, podcasts, illustrations, videos, etc. 

two overlapping orange speech bubbles© Goethe-Institut e.V.
Which information is true, which is artificially generated? Spotting the difference is becoming ever more difficult as AI-augmented fake news and disinformation are spreading.Photo (detail): © Adobe

Artificial Intelligence and Elections It’s About Saving Democracy

Bogus audios imitating politicians’ voices, AI-augmented robo-calling or fictional TV anchors: artificial intelligence offers a magnitude of new ways to spread disinformation. In an era of global crises, it represents a genuine threat to democracy.
 

Being Kafka

To mark the centenary of Franz Kafka's death on June 3, 1924, Zeitgeister is devoting an issue to the writer.

Why does Franz Kafka’s spell remain unbroken a hundred years after his death? Why do we still perceive Kafka as so modern and contemporary? Because Kafka wrote such beautiful letters? Because we love drama queens? Because we feel that the world has never been more Kafkaesque than it is today? Join us as we step into Kafka’s world! Be Kafka!

Scene from “Letter to my Father” posed with Playmobil figures © Michael Sommer and Reclam Verlag

Playmobil
 Kafka on Youtube

Classics don’t have to be boring, thought Michael Sommer to himself, and started the Youtube channel “Sommer’s World Literature to go”. He presents a weekly work of world literature on his channel, posed with his Playmobil cast – including the works of Franz Kafka.

Was Kafka a drama queen? © Jared Subia / Unsplash

Exaggerations
 Was Kafka a drama queen?

Be it his weight, health, father complex or doubting his own literary talent: Kafka had numerous “issues”. Could he be described as a “drama queen” in today’s vocabulary?

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.

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