On the 100th anniversary of her birth The Continuing Relevance of Ingeborg Bachmann

Sometimes a diagnosis comes as a relief; sometimes naming a disease only increases the burden. Simon Sahner takes a closer look at how the name of a disease impacts those affected.

Why do men with cancer tend to document their suffering for the public almost immediately, while women are more likely to turn to writing only after overcoming an illness? Simon Sahner examines this phenomenon and the social conditions that shape it.

Knowing how to talk appropriately to someone who is seriously ill is no easy matter. Drawing on his own experiences as a patient, Simon Sahner, explores the faux pas well-meaning family members and medical professionals can so easily make.

The Viennese comic artist Nicolas Mahler illustrates a selection of quotations by well-known writers that offer insights into their inner lives. It is a litany of complaints and lamentations about the hardships of their profession.

In his new book, readers can accompany Clemens J. Setz on his journey towards becoming a writer, gain insight into his thinking and learn very personal details about him. It is a document of remarkable openness.

The Venice Biennale is regarded as the most important international exhibition of contemporary art. In the German Pavilion in 2026, Henrike Naumann and Sung Tieu will make an aesthetic and political statement about Germany’s past and present with their exhibition “Ruin”. 

The Uckermark Lake District boasts gently rolling hills, glittering lakes and abundant wildlife. Historic towns such as Lychen and a lovingly restored church give visitors an opportunity to delve into cultural history while experiencing this beautiful natural environment.

“Go and fetch me a bottle of beer, otherwise I’ll go on strike here and won’t write another word,” once said former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. And he was by no means alone in feeling thirsty: Germans’ love of beer is world‑famous. Armed with this beer knowledge, you too will be able to join in the conversation on your next trip to the beer garden.

A world-famous landmark necessitated by traffic chaos in a narrow valley: Wuppertal’s suspended railway. How it all began, the Kaiser’s maiden trip and a daring elephant.