Society & Culture / Literary Studies & Writing / Comparative Literature & Translation

How the Berlin Wall Made Berlin a Global Literary Hub

Berliner Weltliteraturen

Jutta Müller-Tamm

Did the Berlin Wall kill culture? Think again. In this video, we dive into the paradox of the Berlin Wall's impact on literature and international relations. Based on Jutta Müller-Tamm's book 'Berliner Weltliteraturen,' we explore how the division of Berlin after 1961 unexpectedly turned the city into a catalyst for literary globalization. Learn how East and West Berlin engaged in a fierce cultural arms race, using literature as a weapon of soft power, and how institutions like the DAAD and the Berlin Literary Workshop were born. Discover the surprising role of the Ford Foundation, the battle over French 'Nouveau Roman,' and how radio and TV became tools to bridge the wall. This is the untold story of how a city divided became a world literary stage. Watch to understand how competition, not cooperation, drove cultural excellence.