An initiative of the
24.10.–25.10.2008
Liblice CastleKafka and Power. 1963 1968 2008
International Conference
The Kafka conference of 1963 held at Liblice Castle was one of the intellectual preconditions for the sense of new departure that resulted in the Prague Spring five years later. The field of tension between these two dates was explored in the conference of October 2008 which focused on Kafka’s relationship to power. Did Kafka, the “greatest expert of power” (Elias Canetti), actually serve as a crystallisation point for an emerging movement against the authoritarian regime? Details on the conference are available here.
Program:
Thurs, 23.10.2008, 8:00-9:00 pm
Readings of Kafka texts in Czech and German as introduction to the conference thematic
Fri, 24.10.2008, 9:00 am
Official welcome
I Contemporary Witness from the Inner and Outer Perspective
(Moderator Oldřich Tůma)
9:15-10:15 am
“All of the things we’ve gone through with Kafka”
Alexej Kusák
10:15-11:15 am
“Recollections and Reflections”
Kurt Krolop
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
“Kafka and Power – a theme with variations, with consideration given to my own personal experience”
Alena Wagnerová
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
“The Prague Spring, the SDS and the West German Student Movement”
KD Wolff
II Aspects of Literary Criticism and Philosophy
(Moderator: Roland Reuß)
2:30-3:30 pm
“The Song of Josephine”
Klaus Theweleit
3:30-4:30 pm
“Kafka – a Secular Prophet? Debates on politics and interpretation in the 1960s”
Veronika Tuckerová
5:30-6:30 pm
“Adorno’s ‘Notes on Kafka’”
Peter Staengle
6:30-8 pm
Reception
III Panel Discussion
(Moderator KD Wolff)
8-10 pm
Michal Reiman, Anson Rabinbach, Oldřich Tůma, Alena Wagnerová, Klaus Theweleit, Alexej Kusák
Sa, 25.10.2008
IV Aspects of Literary Criticism and Philosophy (II)
(Moderator: Peter Staengle)
10-11 am
“Arrest at Dawn. Literary Continuations of Kafka’s ‘The Trial’”
Michael Rohrwasser
11-12 am
“Words of Power, Writings of Power”
Roland Reuß
V Liblice in Historical Perspective (I)
(Moderatorin: Alena Wagnerová)
12-13 pm
“Liblice 63, Kafka and 68”
Oldřich Tůma
2-3 pm
“The Liblice Conference, Culture and the Party”
Jiří Pernes
VI Liblice in Historical Perspective (II)
(Moderator: Jiří Pernes)
3-4 pm
“The Rehabilitation of Comrade Kafka”
Anson Rabinbach
4-5 pm
“Liblice 1963 and the Repercussions. Kafka as code for a different socialism?”
Jürgen Danyel
Background materials
Conference program (pdf)
fanfold with all lectures and program events plus further information (in German/Czech)
Conference poster (pdf)
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