“Deutsche Hörer!" The S. Fischer Thomas Mann evening
Book Fair
begin 29.03.2025, 20:00
end 29.03.2025, 21:30
location Leipzig
During World War II, Thomas Mann gave 58 radio broadcasts from his exile in America. Authors from the S. Fischer Verlag publishing company read from the new edition of the “Deutsche Hörer!” (German Listeners) collection and discuss it with Sebastian Guggolz.
“Deutsche Hörer!” (German Listeners!) was the title given to a series of broadcasts which the world-famous writer and Nobel Prize laureate Thomas Mann, who had been living in exile in America since 1938, gave from 1940 on at the BBC's invitation. In these pithy speeches, which lasted five to eight minutes each, Thomas Mann commented on current developments in the war, attacked Goebbels' false propaganda and enlightened listeners on the crimes committed by the Nazis. The BBC used adventurous means to transmit his radio addresses to Europe.
The publishing company S. Fischer Verlag is commemorating Thomas Mann's 150th birthday by releasing a new edition of the “Deutsche Hörer!” collection with an extensive foreword and afterword by Mely Kiyak. Authors from the S. Fischer Verlag will give readings from this new edition and discuss it with Sebastian Guggolz.
"I cannot help myself: it feels so good to call Hitler a senseless maniac right to his face." Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann, 1875–1955, was one of the 20th century's foremost writers. It is thanks to him that the modern German novel became a force to reckon with in world literature. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929 and the Goethe Prize of the City of Frankfurt am Main in 1949. Thomas Mann lived in exile from 1933 on, first in Switzerland and afterwards in the USA. He did not return to Europe until 1952, and died in Zurich in 1955.
Sebastian Guggolz is an editor with S. Fischer Verlag and the founder and director of Guggolz Verlag.
Event organised by S. Fischer Verlag and the German National Library as part of “Leipzig Reads”.
Information and contact
The event will be held in German.
Venue: Humanities Reading Room, German National Library in Leipzig
Costs: Free admission.
Duration: 90 minutes6 To ensure that everything runs smoothly, reservations can only be made up to 3 hours before the event. Remaining places available on site.
Cloakroom info: Please lock your bags, backpacks, jackets and coats in the lockers or leave them at the cloakroom.
Accessibility: The area in which the event will be taking place is barrier-free accessible.
Contact: veranstaltungen@dnb.de or by phone +49 341 2271-286
Address and getting here
German National Library
Deutscher Platz 1
04103 Leipzig
Getting here
We advise you to use public transport.
1 / By public transport
By rail
From the main railway station, take S-Bahn S1 in the direction of Riesa, S2 in the direction of Markkleeberg-Gaschwitz, S3 in the direction of Stötteritz or S5/S5X in the direction of Zwickau. Journey time approx. 7 minutes, get off at “Leipzig MDR”. Exit onto Semmelweisstraße, then turn right and continue for 400 m to the intersection at Straße des 18. Oktober.
Alternatively, take tram line 16 from platform 2 in front of the main railway station (in the direction of Lößnig) and get off at “Deutsche Nationalbibliothek”. Journey time approx. 11 minutes.
By air
From Leipzig/Halle airport, take S-Bahn S5/S5X in the direction of Zwickau. Journey time approx. 30 minutes, get off at “Leipzig MDR”. Exit onto Semmelweisstraße, then turn right and continue for 400 m to the intersection at Straße des 18. Oktober.
2 / By bike
The German National Library in Leipzig can easily be reached by bike. You can get to the DNB by taking the cycle paths on Straße des 18. Oktobers, Semmelweißstraße, and Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße. A cycle lane also runs past the DNB's main entrance. Numerous bicycle parking spaces are available along this lane and at the main entrance to the German Museum of Books and Writing. The bicycle racks in front of the museum are covered.
Besides taking the cycle lane, you can reach the bicycle parking spaces via a passageway from the junction of Semmelweißstraße/Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße through the DNB's tower courtyard.
3 / By car
Approaching from the north
Take the A9 to the Schkeuditzer Kreuz intersection, continue on the A14 towards Dresden and take the Leipzig-Mitte (city centre) exit; continue on the B2 towards Leipzig city centre as far as the intersection at Prager Straße/Semmelweisstraße (follow the signs for “Deutsche Nationalbibliothek”).
Approaching from the south and east
Take the A9 or A14, change to the A38 and continue to the Leipzig-Süd exit; change to the B2 and continue to the Südvorstadt exit; turn right into Kurt-Eisner-Straße and continue to the German National Library.
4 / Accessibility
The German National Library in Leipzig has disabled parking spaces right in front of the building. The entrance for disabled visitors is signposted. The reading rooms and cafeteria are accessible by lift.
Last changes:
29.03.2025
