Lectures
I give lectures on topics that interest or inspire me. My topics come from these areas:
- History has shaped the society we were born into and live in.
- Politics shapes it.
- Literature describes, explains and questions society and life.
My focus is on English cultural history and classical modernism.
As far as possible, I incorporate multimedia sources into my lectures, which last between 30 and 90 minutes, depending on the topic, and are accompanied by a Power Point presentation. The lectures are aimed at a general audience and require no prior knowledge.
If desired, the lectures can also be given in English.
If you are interested in a lecture, please write to info@dirk-weil.de
Overview
Katherine Mansfield - A child of the sun Details
New Diplomacy instead of militarism – Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik Details
Between the lines. Text as Adventure. Details
New The sense of reading. Details
Ireland after Brexit. Details
The Transformation of the World - The Story of Migration Details Details
New The Sound of the 20th Century - Part I: 1914 – 1945 Details
Sir Winston Spencer-Churchill - Never surrender Details
I am a freak user of words - An Evening with Dylan Thomas Details on the 70th year of his death
New Very British! A reflection on British culture and way of life Details
Katherine Mansfield - A child of the sun
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Katherine Mansfield was only just over 34 years old. Her few stories are
firmly part of the canon of classic modernism.
Originally from New Zealand, she moved to England alone as a young woman,
determined to become a writer. She became friends with D.H. Lawrence and
met Virginia and Leonard Woolf. She often talks about her childhood in
New Zealand. Again and again she searches for the moment when a gesture,
a thoughtless word, a small action reveals a deeper truth.
Again and again, she searched for the freedom of bohemia on the one
hand and the protection of a traditional relationship on the other,
especially in economic terms. She found both to some extent, but
never quite in the way she wanted. She tells of this in her numerous
letters and in her diaries.
Between the lines: Text as Adventure
Reading is an essential human cultural technique. Our society today is based on the ability of its members to read: From simple road signs to complex novels. But what happens in the mind when we read and why is reading fun? Why and how do we particularly enjoy reading stories that are not even true? How and where does a story develop and are there good and bad ways to read? Why do we love one story but not another? The lecture examines the connection between text and reader.
Neu The sense of reading
What is the point of stories that are not even true? Salman Rushdie's novel ‘Haroun and the Sea of Stories’ explores this question and its answer. On their adventurous journey, the characters discover a multitude of different answers. Why do people – in all cultures, at all times – tell stories? Why do we read novels or watch series? Apparently, there is a deep human need for stories – perhaps even more so when they are recognised as fiction from the outset. Based on Rushdie's story, supplemented by further literary examples, the lecture explores the question: What do stories mean to us – and is the initial question perhaps so difficult to answer because it is wrong from the outset?
Ireland after Brexit
After a long and bloody history, the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 largely brought an end to the killing and fighting in Northern Ireland: The borders were open between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; Northern Irish people were given the opportunity to hold a British and an Irish passport. This and much more will hardly be possible after Brexit, and the changes required as a result contradict the Good Friday Agreement. Observers believe that Northern Ireland leaving the United Kingdom and joining the Republic of Ireland has never been more likely. The lecture looks back at the bloody history of Ireland in the 20th century, the Good Friday Agreement and what was (and was not) achieved with it, what problems arise from Brexit and what future probabilities arise from this for Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Neu Diplomacy instead of militarism – Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik
The new Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul was quoted in the press even before his appointment as saying, “Russia will always remain an enemy for us.” But can the future really lie in ever more armament and military capability? There have been other approaches in the past. Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik not only eased relations between the FRG and the GDR, but also paved the way for the arms limitation agreements that were subsequently concluded. This lecture looks back at Brandt's Ostpolitik of the 1960s and 1970s and attempts to broaden the view from visions of a future dominated by weapons to the possibilities of diplomacy, negotiation and mutual recognition.
The Transformation of the World - The Story of Migration Details
According to the UN, an estimated 258 million people no longer live in their country of birth. And the trend is rising. But migration is not a phenomenon of the 21st century. The lecture explores the questions: What is migration anyway and what is not? What are the reasons? What migration movements have there been in the past? Is it a problem that needs political regulation? Why is emigration a human right, but not immigration?
Neu The Sound of the 20th Century - Part I: 1914 – 1945
The 20th century is the first from which sounds have been recorded: From speeches to music and street noise to the noise of war, everything has been handed down. Thus, the history of this century can be told in its sounds. In this lecture, we want to listen to the first half of the 20th century and recognise the familiar and discover the unknown.
Sir Winston Spencer-Churchill - Never surrender
Winston Churchill was one of the most influential politicians of the 20th century. He was British Prime Minister during the Second World War and played a decisive role in determining the post-war order. He was a talented painter and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Films such as Darkest Hour bear witness to the continuing interest in Churchill. Who was the man, what kind of person was hidden behind the often grumpy politician? How important were his decisions really?
I am a freak user of words - An Evening with Dylan Thomas
Today, Dylan Thomas is considered one of the most important English lyricists of the 20th century. With "Under Milkwood" he wrote one of the most famous radio plays in radio history. Nevertheless, Elke Heidenreich calls him the "world-famous great unknown". Always short of money and often drunk, he was always on the lookout for the right word, the successful rhyme and the most beautiful sound. In his stories he described the life of his childhood in Wales. He repeatedly appeared on BBC programmes and recited his poems. Many of these recordings have survived. The evening will recount his short life, partly in his own stories and poems, partly in short film and sound recordings performed by himself.
Neu Very british! A reflection on British culture and way of life
The decision to leave the European Union has left many things in flux. Reason enough to take a closer look at British culture. Great Britain is considered the home of eccentricity and cultivated spleens. What is typically British? What makes being British so special? An evening with well-known and unknown literary and journalistic texts about life between Full English Breakfast and ale in the pub, from Shakespeare to Brexit, about big politics and life in miniature. An evening for all Anglophiles and those who want to become one, supplemented by numerous film and sound recordings in English.