Kurt Wolff – A Man of Letters and a Gentleman

Kurt Wolff (1887-1963) was one of the most outstanding publishers of the 20th century who discovered and promoted many German-speaking authors who later became well-known, including the practically unknown writer Franz Kafka. The Kurt Wolff Publishing Company was a forum for Expressionistic poetry and prose and included foreign writers in its programme early on. As a political exile in the United States, Wolff was devoted to translating German literature. This exhibition honoured Kurt Wolff as a prominent figure of German and international cultural history, as portrayed in books, letters, photos, drawings, graphic works, as well as written and audio documentation. It focused on his family history, his connections to the Expressionists in Germany and Austria, the crossover he endeavoured between literature and the fine arts, and his various activities while in exile in Italy, France and the US.

Artistic director: Barbara Weidle
Project team: Klara Drenker-Nagels, Brita Eckert, Sylvia Asmus, Heinz Lunzer, Ursula Seeber (A)

Venues:
August Macke Haus, Bonn: 10 May - 9 Sep. 2007
German National Library, Frankfurt am Main: 21 Sep. - 15 Dec. 2007
Literaturhaus Vienna: 8 Jan. - 5 Mar. 2008