Lectures on Alexander von Humboldt and W. G. Sebald

The Auckland Goethe Society was very fortunate to host two guests from the University of Washington, Seattle in March. 

Internationally renowned specialist in German colonialism, Professor Sabine Wilke gave a very interesting lecture entitled “Von Humboldt: Mapping and Envisioning Geographic Spaces” on 18 March. The following week we heard from Professor Richard Gray, who is a world authority on nineteenth and twentieth century German literature. Richard gave a most informative address entitled “Fabulation and Metahistory: W.G. Sebald and Contemporary German Holocaust Fiction”.

We are grateful to Auckland Goethe Society member and former president Professor James Bade for inviting these two leading researchers and scholars to speak to us.  It is wonderful to have these opportunities to broaden our horizons and to meet such interesting people as Sabine and Richard. 

Wendy Thomson