Yes it's happening again: Frankfurt reads a book. The thoughtful "Zeit" from Hamburg boasted about it: "Germany's most wonderful and meaningful reading festival". Who can resist that? According to the organizers, the whole city will be involved when reading takes place again from April 11. And the book really is a cracker: with historical references to the city, a story worth reading about Jewish fates in the Nazi era, and a map that makes you want to search for locations. The focus is the novel Frankfurt verboten by Dieter David Seuthe.
But how can a city read a book together? When I first heard about it, I imagined that a certain number of people would find a book with a bookmark in the mailbox one morning, read it and send it on to a friend to be nominated the next day: But everyone else would have nothing of that. It probably couldn't work that way. I'm online too much :-)
How does a city read a book together?
Naturally, it's all public: from readings accompanied by the music of the 20s and 30s, to discussion groups, literary city walks, exhibitions, to museum, theatre and opera evenings - all around a book that couldn't fit Frankfurt better or more charmingly: <link http: www.frankfurt-liest-ein-buch.de programm programm.html _blank>All about the program.
At the famous Hoch'sche Conservatory in Frankfurt, young Elise Hermann is trained as a pianist. Her great talent promises a bright future, and in Max von Hochem she finds the love of her life. But then everything changes when Hitler comes to power. Elise's debut concert in March 1933 is banned, just as public appearances by Jewish artists are generally prohibited. The young woman must fight for her professional and soon her personal survival.
Set against the backdrop of historic Frankfurt am Main, this novel tells of the happy and sorrowful journey of a young Jewish woman between 1929 and 1936. To give you a taste, I've picked out five of my favorite settings from this historical novel:
NASSAUER HOF, HEUTE APFELWEINKNEIPE SOLZER
Where Elise and Max meet for the second time
EHEM. ROHRBACH'S JAZZ!KELLER
vaulted cellar»with the best acoustics« at Rohrbachstraße 33 right next to the tram stop. Josh makes his living there as a jazz pianist after his parents lose their fortune on Black Friday in October 1929.
FRANKFURTER HAUPTBAHNHOF
In 1929, Elise and her grandmother Louise arrive in Frankfurt. Elise moves from Frankfurt to Schloss Rauischholzhausen (Ebsdorfergrund) in 1933, then to Berlin in 1936.
FRANKFURTER HOF, SOMMERTERRASSE, AM KAISERPLATZ
In July 1933, Elise slaps the aide of Gauleiter Sprenger, Wulf Sörger, here. He has tried to extort sexual favors from her for a concert permit. Subsequently, Elise is forced to go into hiding
EISERNER STEG
After slapping the Gauleiter's aide in the face, Elise flees arrest via the Eiserner Steg to Sachsenhausen.