Judith Hermann in Bonn: Reading from I Want to Go Back in Time


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A literary evening of memory, silence, and family history
When Judith Hermann reads from I Want to Go Back in Time on May 5, 2026, at the House of History in Bonn, the evening promises more than a classic reading: it will be an author encounter with one of the most important voices in contemporary German literature. In her new book, Hermann follows the traces of her grandfather, whose past she explores with narrative precision and great linguistic sensitivity. This creates a literary experience that focuses on questions of origin, repression, and memory.
Judith Hermann and the art of precise observation
Judith Hermann was born in 1970 in Berlin and has been a significant figure in contemporary literature since her debut Summerhouse, Later. Her books are known for their reduced style, distinct sound, and poetic condensation of the everyday. The publisher describes how Hermann makes visible the repressed and the gaps in our society through subtext and undertones. This tension also arises from the balance between personal memory and historical burden in this new text.
The new book: Memory as a literary form
I Want to Go Back in Time revolves around the author's family history and the question of what is passed down from generation to generation. At the center is the grandfather, who was stationed in Radom, Poland, for the SS during World War II. Hermann connects this trace with travels to Poland and further to Naples, thus opening up a topic that remains of great importance in cultural discourse: How does one tell stories about guilt, silence, and the fragile archives of familial memory?
Reading in the special atmosphere of the House of History
The House of History provides a fitting setting for this evening. The location is well known far beyond Bonn as a space for historical self-reflection. Visitors can reach the museum at Museumsmeile, Willy-Brandt-Allee 14. The venue is barrier-free accessible, with elevators and largely wheelchair-friendly spaces. Public transport is recommended via the Heussallee/Museumsmeile stop; parking options are also available at Museumsmeile. The atmosphere combines cultural education, political history, and the intimate concentration of a reading.
Why this evening is worth it
This reading is aimed at readers who seek literary quality not only in content but also in language. Judith Hermann stands for prose with great psychological depth, for narratives that develop big questions from small observations. Those who listen to her experience not just a book presentation but a precise, calm, and simultaneously intense author encounter. The result is an evening that stimulates reflection and showcases contemporary literature in its finest form.
Conclusion: In Bonn, the audience can expect a demanding reading with historical depth, poetic language art, and great relevance to the present. Anyone who wants to experience Judith Hermann live should mark this date in May 2026 and not miss the literary evening at the House of History.
Official channels of Judith Hermann:
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- Website: http://www.judithhermann.de
- Publisher: https://www.fischerverlage.de/autor/judith-hermann-1000375










