"You have enriched my life. It blooms..." These lines were written by Thomas Mann around 1901. They remain unpublished. For the romantic words are dedicated to a young man, almost as old as Mann himself – and also an artist: Paul Ehrenberg, a student of animal painting, and during these months, the center of Thomas Mann's world.
But the situation is complicated: Thomas loves Paul – certainly. Yet Paul loves women above all, flirting with them in Munich's salons. And even if he is very fond of Thomas Mann – how could they become a couple in those years when same-sex relationships were stigmatized and forbidden under Paragraph 175 of the Criminal Code?
Oliver Fischer describes in his new book "Love Cannot Be Experienced More Strongly" (Rowohlt, 2024) for the first time and with many unknown details the entire story of the friendship between Mann and Ehrenberg. He tells of their beginnings in the artist's quarter of Schwabing, of Paul Ehrenberg's extensive summer travels as a plein air painter, of Thomas Mann's rise to world fame, and their very different attitudes towards National Socialism. In this way, not only does a fascinating double biography emerge, but also an impressive picture of an entire era.
Speakers: Oliver Fischer (Reading), Dr. Uwe Naumann (Moderator)
Admission: Free, no registration required
