On February 15, 2024, Uwe Wittstock presented his new book “Marseille 1940. Die große Flucht der Literatur” (Marseille 1940: The Great Escape of Literature). When Hitler's Wehrmacht defeated France in June 1940, the situation of the numerous writers and artists who had found asylum here since 1933 once again became life-threatening. Meanwhile, the American Varian Fry arrives in Marseille to rescue as many of them as possible. On this evening, Uwe Wittstock told the gripping story of their escape. It was accompanied by a reading by actress Anuschka Tochtermann. The event was a cooperation between the publishing house C.H.Beck and the DEA.