Leipzig's literary scene: 30 years of the German Literary Institute Magic!

Leipzig's literary scene: 30 years of the German Literary Institute Magic!

The German Literature Institute Leipzig is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and looks back on a long tradition that dates back to 1955. Founded as the first literary institute in Leipzig, it was originally known as the “Institute for Literature 'Johannes R. Becher'” and achieved university status in 1958. From the beginning, the focus was on teaching creative writing in the areas of poetry, prose and drama. Georg Maurer, one of the institute's formative teachers, led the creative seminar for poetry until 1970 and had a profound influence on an entire generation of poets, earning him a reputation as one of the institute's most important teachers. Among his famous students are well-known writers such as Sarah Kirsch, Uwe Kolbe and Rainer Kirsch.

However, the functioning of the institute changed with the political change in 1990, when it was dissolved because the courses offered were said to be of socialist ideology. The associated student protest led to the founding of the German Literature Institute in Leipzig in 1995. Bernd Jentzsch became the first director of this new foundation. Josef Haslinger, a graduate of the famous “Creative Writing Program” in Iowa, took on a professorship at the institute just one year later.

A place of creativity

The German Literature Institute Leipzig today offers courses in prose, poetry and dramatic writing. The teachers see themselves as encouragers who help students find their individual voices. Isabelle Lehn, a former student, describes the institute as a place where an awareness of one's own writing can be developed. The theoretical seminars and writing workshops that students use every day remain important aspects of the course.

Since 2006, students have received a bachelor's degree, while a master's degree with a focus on novel projects was introduced in 2009. These further developments reflect the institute's efforts to continually focus on the needs of students and the requirements of the literary market.

Diversity and change

In 2018, Ulrike Draesner became the first woman to hold the chair at the German Literature Institute in Leipzig. This marks a further step in changing the gender balance and cultural diversity at the institution. To this day, the institute has developed into a place of inspiration where a wide variety of talents come together and realize literary projects.

The history of the German Literature Institute Leipzig shows how resistance and intellectual exchange gave rise to an important educational center for literary professionals that will continue to shape generations of future writers. How MDR reports, the institute's path through the decades is an impressive testimony to the importance of literature and creative education in a changing society. Also the pages of the institute itself, dll.spielplatz.robostein.de, provide a comprehensive insight into its eventful history.