Rally in Klütz: »Violence begins where talking ends«
»The decision to disinvite our founding member Michel Friedman from the Uwe Johnson Literature House in Klütz (Mecklenburg) has caused irritation – including for us. It is regrettable that the event planned for October 2026 has been cancelled. This event was to mark the 120th birthday of Hannah Arendt. This creates an impression that no one who cares about democracy, art, or civilised exchange would want. That is why we are calling for a rally on 29 September at 5 p.m. at the market square in Klütz. […] We cannot judge which of the publicly stated reasons led to Michel Friedman’s disinvitation and to what extent. That is why we are upholding four principles, which the rally in Klütz will also advocate.« MORE
Wolodymyr Jermolenko: »This is a culture of ›spite‹«
»Today, Europe is helping Ukraine, but Ukraine is also helping Europe. Ukraine is helping Europe to rediscover its purpose of resisting tyranny. This is the origin of the European Union. Europe itself was once imperialistic and knows what it means to be on the side of evil, and then to switch to the side of good. It knows what it means to be a tyrant and to overcome tyranny. A hero is someone who stands up to someone stronger than themselves. Their belief in the impossible carries them forward. For us, the word »hero« is no longer melodramatic. It has become pragmatic. We challenge that which seems stronger than us. We gain strength by achieving what was once thought impossible. That is why we say: Honour Ukraine. Honour the heroes.« WHOLE SPEECH
Deniz Yücel at the solidarity evening for Ukraine: »We are not neutral«
In the case of Borchert and most writers of his generation, one can understand from their biographies why their engagement with National Socialism revolved around the themes of war, dictatorship and resistance. However, I believe that the most significant literary references regarding the key lessons to be learned from the Nazi regime […] can be found primarily in the works of Paul Celan and Nelly Sachs rather than in those of Wolfgang Borchert, Siegfried Lenz or Günter Grass. The men from Smolensk or Kharkiv who liberated Auschwitz and the men from New York or Alabama who liberated Buchenwald did not follow Borchert’s call to say »no«. Instead, they closed the »ingeniously conceived dwellings of death« (Sachs) and, at great sacrifice, put an end to the work of the »master from Germany« (Celan) by force of arms. WHOLE SPEECH
On the anniversary of the protests in Iran: Mr. Dobrindt, would you reject the Dalai Lama?
Today marks the third anniversary of the start of the protest against the Islamist dictatorship in Iran. (…) In the initial period after the uprising was crushed, the German government issued visas to particularly vulnerable Iranian opposition figures without bureaucratic red tape; PEN Berlin was also able to bring several persecuted colleagues to safety in Germany with the support of the German authorities. However, in practice, entry permits under Section 22 of the Residence Act are no longer being issued – neither for Iranian citizens nor for others. MORE
Lahav Shani disinvited: The right to remain silent
PEN Berlin criticizes the decision to disinvite Israeli conductor Lahav Shani from the Flanders Festival Ghent, in particular the reasoning that he had not provided »sufficient clarity about his attitude to the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv«. Freedom of expression is not only the right to express oneself freely and without fear of reprisals, but also the right not to express oneself if one wishes. Forcing people to confess is a characteristic of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Demanding confessions from artists violates the fundamental right to freedom of expression and disregards the principle of separation between art and artists.« MORE
War in Gaza: PEN Berlin calls for greater protection for journalists
Press release: On Monday, twenty people, including five journalists working for international media were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Journalists are protected under international law. They are not a party to the conflict. Their job is to inform the public. PEN Berlin spokesperson Deniz Yücel said: »This protection only applies to the extent that they are actually acting as journalists. But it applies regardless of their political views. Freedom of the press is indivisible.« MORE
Interview: Volodymyr Yermolenko
WELT, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Philosopher and President of PEN Ukraine in conversation with Deniz Yücel, 21 August 2025: »rump will be disappointed by Putin again and then say: ›I rolled out the red carpet for you, and you betrayed me. So take these sanctions, you bloody bastard.‹ Then they’ll be friends again, then enemies again.« WHOLE INTERVIEW (in German)
On 19 September at 7.30pm, Volodymyr Yermolenko will deliver the keynote speech at our solidarity evening for Ukraine, organised in collaboration with the International Literature Festival Berlin. MORE about the program and the guests
On the gender-neutral language ban: Well done, Mr. Minister! But gender-inclusive language alone is not enough
Press release: About Wolfram Weimer’s recommendation to refrain from using gender-neutral language in publicly funded institutions: PEN Berlin recommends not focusing solely on language, but rather taking a closer look at the content presented in museums and theatres. »The best argument for gender-neutral language has always seemed to me to be the gasping for breath it triggers in its opponents«, said PEN Berlin spokesperson Deniz Yücel. »Rarely has this argument been so brilliantly confirmed as now by the Minister of State for Culture.« MORE
Georg Büchner Prize goes to: Ursula Krechel
We warmly congratulate Ursula Krechel, co-founder of PEN Berlin and honorary president of the hearts, on being awarded the Georg Büchner Prize. »And here we are: a bunch of volunteers with a profession our parents warned us against.« (From her speech at the PEN Berlin Congress 2023). FULL SPEECH (in German)
On the Federal »Action Day« by BKA: Yes, even hate can be a legitimate opinion
Press release: The Federal Criminal Police Office carried out its 12th »Action Day to Combat Criminal Hate Postings« on June 25, 2025. This resulted in over 180 »police measures«, including 65 house searches.
»The task of the investigating authorities is to prosecute crimes within the framework of the law and in accordance with the constitution. It is not their job to organise ›action days‹ or ›send a message‹. That is what the police do in authoritarian regimes: they send messages to intimidate and deter.« MORE
Algeria: Boualem Sansal’s five-year prison sentence confirmed
Press release: Today, the Court of Appeal in Algiers confirmed the five-year prison sentence without parole handed down to French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal. This upholds the sentence issued on 27 March 2025. PEN Berlin and the German Publishers and Booksellers Association once again condemn this sentence in the strongest possible terms. […] We call on Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to show a gesture of humanity and release Boualem Sansal as part of the pardons traditionally granted on Algeria’s national holiday on 5 July. MORE
Rights organizations call on Egypt: end repression against Basma Mostafa
We, the undersigned organizations, call on the Egyptian government to immediately end its campaign of transnational repression targeting exiled Egyptian journalists. We specifically urge the government to respond to the UN report detailing the harassment and surveillance of Egyptian investigative journalist Basma Mostafa, currently residing in Germany. We further urge German authorities to ensure her safety and uphold their international obligations to protect freedom of expression. READ MORE
Iran: concerns by arrest of Danial Moghaddam
Press release: PEN Berlin is deeply concerned about the re-arrest of rapper Daniel Moghaddam by the Islamic Republic of Iran. […] Moghaddam has repeatedly criticised the mullah regime in his songs and videos, and has spoken out in support of families whose relatives were killed in the »Woman, Life, Freedom« protests in 2022. »The regime is now cracking down even more brutally on its own people«, said Daniela Sepehri, PEN Berlin board member. MORE.
Turkey: protest against the arrest of Fatih Altayli
Press release: The Turkish regime has now targeted a journalist who has worked for major media outlets for a long time, as long as critical journalism was still possible. PEN Berlin spokesperson Deniz Yücel said: »The specific accusation is, at the very least, laughable. “Threatening” the president. The man who controls the entire state, including the judiciary, is accusing a journalist, who has spent his entire 43-year career with no means other than the power of his words at his disposal, of “threatening” him.« MORE.
PEN Berlin: Lucy Fricke, Ijoma Mangold and Daniela Sepehri join the board
Press release: At an extraordinary General Assembly on Sunday, PEN Berlin filled vacancies on its eleven-member board and admitted new members. Newly elected to the board are writer Lucy Fricke (»Töchter«), poetry slammer and human rights activist Daniela Sepehri, and journalist and author Ijoma Mangold, writer for Die Zeit.
Among the 35 new members are … MORE.
Major fundraising campaign for independent media in Turkey:
Journalism is not a crime. And not for nothing.
»Since Ekrem Imamoğlu’s arrest, independent media outlets have come under even greater pressure, facing fines, arrests and intimidation. To make matters worse, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, recently changed its algorithms so that critical, independent media no longer appear on Google News. This has resulted in a significant loss of income, further threatening the existence of independent media outlets (…) We would like to take this opportunity to contribute to the support of independent media in Turkey — providing tangible support that goes beyond the purely symbolic.«
Fundraising campaign by PEN Berlin to support independent media outlets in Turkey with the support of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers, the German Journalists’ Association, the German Journalists’ Union, the KulturForum TurkeyGermany, the Media Association of the Free Press, Reporters Without Borders, the taz Panter Foundation and the ver.di trade union. MORE | TÜRKÇE
Iran: Poet Peyman Farahavar sentenced to death
Press release: PEN Berlin is deeply shocked by the death sentence passed on the poet Peyman Farahavar from the province of Gilan in Iran. n his political poems, Peyman Farahavar campaigns for environmental protection and social justice. He criticises deforestation, illegal land sales, and the expulsion of local farmers from the province of Gilan by state measures. »The death sentence against a poet who has done nothing but denounce environmental destruction and corruption exposes the Iranian power apparatus for what it is: a system of organised barbarism«, said PEN Berlin spokesperson Deniz Yücel. MORE
taz: Death threats against journalist Nicholas Potter
Press release: Threats against taz journalist Nicholas Potter have reached a new level of escalation. […] »There are many things that can and must be discussed, and we are always in favour of interpreting the limits of freedom of expression as broadly as possible«, said Deniz Yücel. But when it comes to death threats, there is nothing to discuss. Criticism is not a crime, but incitement to murder is. We expect pro-Palestinian voices to draw the same line and condemn the vicious campaign against Nicholas Potter. And we expect the Berlin security authorities to continue to do everything in their power to ensure Nicholas Potter’s safety and to investigate the perpetrators. Our solidarity goes out to our colleague who has been the target of hostility. Nicholas, you are not alone. MORE
PEN International: 57th International Writers’ Meeting
We put our heads together at the PEN International Writers for Peace Committee Meeting in Bled. Four intense days with colleagues from all over the world discussing the role of literature in times of climate crisis and war.
Many thanks to the Slovenian PEN centre for their wonderful hospitality and to all the PEN centres for the exchange!
Thea Dorn on DLF: »A botched, undignified process«
Philosopher Omri Boehm was due to speak at the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Buchenwald concentration camp, but was then disinvited. Thea Dorn, spokesperson for PEN Berlin, sees this as a new quality of disinvitation: »Up to now, these cases of disinvitation have tended to take the form of groups – sometimes organised online, as in the case of Thilo Mischke – putting pressure on institutions, which then suddenly get cold feet and fall over. But of course it takes on a new quality when this pressure comes from governments that are democratically elected, as in Israel and the United States, but […] have autocratic tendencies. When these governments start to exert pressure, then of course it becomes much more tricky.« LINK
Omri Boehm’s speech at the Buchenwald Memorial: Disinvitationitis strikes again
Press release: »Ludicrous« is not the worst term to describe the whole process. From PEN Berlin’s point of view, Omri Boehm would have been an eminently suitable speaker for the commemoration. Now the Israeli ambassador to Germany is free to see things differently. But it shows a rather idiosyncratic understanding of his office if Ron Prosor sees himself as a kind of arbiter of German remembrance culture, who, as he announced via dpa, is »proud to show the red card« to forms of Holocaust remembrance that do not suit him or the Netanyahu government. MORE
Magazine release: »manuskripte« with texts by Mahtab Yaghma
Our scholarship holder, the Iranian poet Mahtab Yaghma, inaugurates a new collaboration for texts by writers in exile between the Graz literary magazine and PEN Berlin with her haunting poems in »manuskripte« no. 247. Mahtab Yaghma’s poems have been translated into German by the writer Ali Aliabdollahi. Special thanks go to Andreas Unterweger, the editor of manuskripte, for his unwavering commitment in shaping this cooperation. LINK
Coalition agreement: »Do not create a truth law if you do not want a Ministry of Truth«
Press release: The CDU/CSU and SPD are planning laws that would unduly restrict the fundamental right to freedom of speech. This applies to the passage in the coalition agreement which states that they want to ›combat hatred and agitation even more intensively‹ and to tighten up the criminal offence of ›incitement to hatred‹. It also refers to the planned creation of a new offence of »information manipulation«. […] But in an open society, truth is always subject to social debate, however painful. ›Do not create a truth law if you do not want a Ministry of Truth‹, said Deniz Yücel.« MORE
Algeria: »Writer Boualem Sansal sentenced to prison«
3Sat, Kulturzeit, report by Lotar Schüler, 27 March 2025: »The verdict is in. Five years in prison for the Algerian-French writer Boualem Sansal. Claudia Roth, Minister of State for Culture and the Media: “Our common demand must now be: the immediate and unconditional release of a great writer and intellectual.” Thea Dorn: “It is very important that we continue to make the public aware of the case […] Because the first thing that happens in such a system is that they tell the prisoner: ‘You have been forgotten, no one is interested in you anymore, you can rot here with us’.”« LINK
Algeria: Five years in prison for Boualem Sansal
Press release: The verdict in the swift trial of the Algerian-French writer Boualem Sansal was announced today by the criminal court in Dar El Beïda, near Algiers. Sansal was sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 500,000 Algerian dinars (around 3,500 euros). PEN Berlin strongly condemns the trial and sentence and calls for the immediate release of the 80-year-old writer. »According to the current coalition negotiations, Algeria is to be declared a safe third country«, said Deniz Yücel, spokesperson for PEN Berlin. »Algeria is not safe, least of all for people who dare to criticise those in power.« MORE
Algeria: Boualem Sansal faces ten years in prison
Press release: A swift trial against the Algerian-French writer Boualem Sansal began today at the criminal court in Dar El Beida near Algiers. The public prosecutor demanded a ten-year prison sentence for the 80-year-old writer, who has been awarded the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. Sansal had to be represented by a court-appointed defence lawyer. The verdict is expected on 27 March. Deniz Yücel, spokesperson for PEN Berlin, said: »What we are witnessing here is a judicial farce. We are concerned that the verdict has already been determined before this swift trial began. This is how rogue states act.«MORE
3sat Kulturzeit, report by Luis Babst, March 4, 2025: »Tuesday noon at the International Tourism Fair in Berlin. Members of the PEN Berlin writers’ association are preparing for a protest: Freedom for Boualem Sansal. “It is unacceptable that a gravely ill, 80-year-old man has now been imprisoned for four months without charge. His French lawyer is denied access to his case files, he is denied visits and entry to Algeria is blocked. This is the behaviour of rogue states. […] There’s a real danger that he might die in prison soon”, said PEN Berlin spokesperson Thea Dorn.« LINK
Israel: We Mourn the Loss of Oded Lifshitz
Although forensic confirmation is still awaited, it now seems tragically certain: The kidnapped Israeli journalist Oded Lifshitz is dead. On Thursday 20 February 2025, Hamas handed over his body along with those of three other hostages: Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir. Lifshitz was kidnapped along with his wife, Yocheved, during the Hamas attack on the 7th of October, 2023. Yocheved was released in October 2023. In our resolution of 8 December 2024 On the Fate of Journalist Oded Lifshitz, we had called for a sign of life: »Lifshitz was a journalist for the labor newspaper Al-HaMishmar. After the Six-Day War in 1967, he opposed the occupation of territories outside the 1949 armistice lines. Very often, Oded Lifshitz picked up Palestinians at the Gaza border to drive them to Israeli hospitals, including just two weeks before his abduction on October 7, 2023.« Our deepest condolences to the wife and family of Oded Lifshitz as well as to the Bibas family.
Iran: Saman Yasin arrived in Berlin
Press release: The rapper Saman Yasin, who comes from the Kurdish part of Iran, had been imprisoned since October 2022 for writing lyrics critical of the regime. In connection with the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests, Yasin was accused of ‘waging war against God’ and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in a show trial. […] Joachim Helfer, board member of PEN Berlin, said: »Saman Yasin is finally free, and our other Iranian honorary member Toomaj Salehi has been free since December 2024. This is probably a consequence of the critical situation in which the Islamic Republic of Iran currently finds itself. But it also shows that international solidarity and commitment to human rights can make a difference.« MORE
Uganda: Freedom for Eron Kiiza
Press release: On 7 January, the well-known Ugandan lawyer and poet Eron Kiiza was initially prevented from taking his seat in the military court in Kampala as the lawyer for Kizza Besigye, the opposition’s multiple presidential candidate. After protesting, he was forcibly arrested, taken away and shortly afterwards, now in the defendants’ cage, sentenced to nine months in prison for alleged contempt of court. […] Joachim Helfer, board member of PEN Berlin, said: “A corrupt regime like Uganda’s will try to suppress freedom of expression as well as an independent judiciary. The two go hand in hand and will ultimately prevail everywhere, including in Uganda.”« MORE
Thea Dorn on DLF: »Democracy is arduous«
Discussion with Korbinian Frenzel, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, 18 December 2024: »It sounds a little bit as if there were two extremist camps, and in fact that’s really not the case. This proposal, which I also felt was pro-Palestinian, was endorsed by colleagues including Eva Menasse, Daniel Kehlmann and Omri Boehm; It’s grotesque to make extremists out of them. […] I was talking about the project, we all have to see how we can awaken the citizen in ourselves, this is my attempt to do that. And yes, it’s arduous, but I don’t want to complain about it, because it’s a misconception to think that democracy is effortless or easy. But it’s about keeping your nerve, trying not to open up unnecessary fronts and believing that you can keep talking to each other. And here I am, even though it may not have sounded that way in the media, confident that this will continue to be possible at PEN Berlin.« LINK und AUDIO
Deniz Yücel in the SZ: »Maybe a clash had to happen«
Interview by Jens-Christian Rabe, Süddeutsche Zeitung, 13 December 2014: »To me, resolutions are not the main mission of PEN Berlin. As a board we thought: OK, now there are draft resolutions, even though everyone knows that no association resolution can influence the course of the world. But at least for the German discussion it could be a gain if we could manage to unite both sides on at least one issue. There is an opportunity here that no one in Germany except PEN Berlin has: […] the chance for a dialogue between people who are not yet in dialogue with each other. I know that sounds ambitious, but before the resolutions, the General Assembly and all that, we had a chance that we unfortunately missed – especially me, as one in charge. And maybe we still have that chance, in spite of everything. There is no alternative. And maybe a clash had to happen in order for things to move forward in a more constructive way.« WHOLE INTERVIEW (in English)
Open letter from PEN Berlin members: »We are here to stay«
»What is happening at PEN Berlin at the moment is a direct reflection of the turmoil in society. In their despair over the state of the world, reasonable and intelligent people are sinking into the ‘narcissism of small differences’ (Sigmund Freud) […] The public verbal sparring and opinion wars – which are at least questionable in view of the mass killing and dying in many parts of the world – are, however, likely to damage this young association, in which an incredible amount of voluntary work is being done. We would therefore like to remind you of the reasons for its creation: on the one hand, as a human rights organisation to protect persecuted colleagues and, on the other, as a platform that is as open as possible to the many debates that concern us all. A great deal has been achieved in just two and a half years, although of course, as everywhere, mistakes have been made.« WHOLE LETTER (in English)
Simone Buchholz on the work at PEN Berlin: »Got the power? Nah, come on«
taz, 11 December 2024: »It’s satisfying to be out at 2 a.m. with a colleague who, if she hadn’t been in Berlin with her two sons, would be in prison for eight years. But she isn’t. She is here, she has a flat, she has recently been accepted into the artists’ social security system and thus into the German health system (which is important if you have experience of fleeing and the powerful were not squeamish), and she can stand on a bench in a shabby Hamburg bar, smoking and drinking beer and singing if she wants to. That, and only that, is damaged when heads are bashed in because of resolutions, because of “spiritual and moral hygiene“.« LINK (in German)
For the protection of writers and journalists in the current Middle East conflict
Resolution of the General Assembly of PEN Berlin, 8 Dezember 2024: »We are deeply concerned about how many writers, journalists and intellectuals have been killed since the beginning of the war in Gaza, how many cultural institutions, educational centres and universities have been destroyed […]. We also condemn the murder of Israeli journalists in the Hamas terror attack. This war would not have started if Hamas had not attacked Israel on 7 October and carried out a terrorist massacre. […] We call on the German government to do everything in its power to bring about a ceasefire. We mourn for all the innocent victims of this conflict.« WHOLE RESOLUTION
On the fate of journalist Oded Lifshitz
Resolution of the General Assembly of PEN Berlin, 8 Dezember 2024: »PEN Berlin calls upon the kidnappers in Gaza to send a sign of life from Oded Lifshitz to his family and the public in Israel and the world, to provide him with the necessary medical care, and to release him immediately. Oded Lifshitz was attacked by terrorists on October 7, 2023, in Kibbutz Nir Oz, which he co-founded in 1955. He was injured by at least a gunshot to the hand and was unconscious when he was abducted to Gaza. His wife, Yocheved Lifshitz, was also taken to Gaza separately and was released on October 23. Oded Lifshitz was last seen alive by other hostages in November 2023, although in alarming health condition. Nothing has been known about him since then.« WHOLE RESOLUTION
Deniz Yücel on the cancellation of Benny Morris: »That’s cowardice«
On the cancellation of Israeli historian Benny Morris by the University of Leipzig: “To put it in a nutshell, this is cowardice. It is also an inability to deal with criticism. And it cannot be said often enough: this is a violation of academic freedom that the university has brought upon itself, because its role should not have been to enter into a discussion with Benny Morris or his critics, but to guarantee academic freedom, if necessary with the help of personnel trained to enforce the house rules even in a brawl. Interview with Hanno Griess, MDR Aktuell, 5 December 2024. LINK
Book Release: »Be Beside Me and See What Has Happened to Me«
Premiere in Berlin: The book »Be Beside Me and See What Has Happened to Me«, edited by The Poetry Project and PEN Berlin, is available for purchase from publisher Verbrecher Verlag and can be delivered anywhere as of today.
In it, 32 poets write about their experiences while fleeing, how their relationship to their old homeland has changed, and how they, each and every one of them, want to arrive in Germany. The book is available in German as well as in the original languages: Arabic, Kurdish, Farsi and Ukrainian.
In an interview, publisher Jörg Sundermeier said: ‘With volumes like this, it always sounds a bit like a charity project. (…) We were given the texts and they were amazing.’ LINK.
Book presentation: Friday, 13 December at 8 p.m. | Bookstore Buchkönigin | Hobrechtstraße 65 | Free admission | MORE
Toomaj Salehi: Free at last!
Excellent news: Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, an honorary member of PEN Berlin, has finally been released from prison after 753 days! The news channel Iran International reported.
At the ‘On we go’ congress in November 2024, Alexandru Bulucz said on behalf of PEN Berlin: ‘In April this year, a revolutionary court sentenced Toomaj Salehi to death for his social struggle. The charge was ‘corruption on earth’ – a capital crime under Islamic law. At least he had the chance to appeal to the Supreme Court. Last June, the death sentence was overturned, but Toomaj Salehi remained in custody and faces many years in prison. We appeal to the German authorities to use all possible diplomatic channels to get Toomaj Salehi out of the country, to a safe place where no one has to apologise for wishing a fundamentalist, unjust regime to hell. MORE
Algeria: Freedom for Boualem Sansal!
Press release of 24, November 2024: PEN Berlin calls for the immediate release of Boualem Sansal. Thea Dorn, spokesperson for PEN Berlin, said: »If it is true that in today’s Algeria a writer’s historical observations are interpreted as an attack on the sovereignty and national integrity of the state, this would not only be absurd, but a blatant attack on the human right to freedom of expression. Freedom of expression includes the right to express opinions that others may find provocative. The legitimacy of a state is not undermined by public criticism, but only by the actions of those in power. Algeria’s freedom is our colleague Boualem Sansal’s freedom!« MORE
PEN-Berlin-Congress on 2 November 2024 in Hamburg: »On we go«
Etgar Keret:»What to do now?«
Introduction by Daniel Dylan Böhmer: »When I met Etgar Keret for the first time, at the end of the 1990s, he was in his early 30s and was considered a threat to Israeli literature.« TEXT und AUDIO (both in German)
Keynote by Etgar Keret: »I remember that every year in our town they would come and ask my mother to take part in a memorial, a service for the Holocaust. And my mother would always say the same thing: ›I’m sorry, I’m afraid that there is some kind of mistake. I’ve been through the Holocaust. I don’t work in the Holocaust.‹ (…) For example, we would listen to Wagner in our home and when the neighbors would say to my mother: ›You know, that the Nazis loved Wagner?‹ And she said: ›Yeah. And Nazis also liked Apfelstrudel. You want me not to eat Apfelstrudel?‹ They say: ›Yeah, but you know, Wagner himself, he was an anti-Semite.‹ And my mother said: ›Oh, I know. And if he was in this living room, I would have poisoned him. But I think he’s a great composer, don’t you think? I like this part…‹ So, this idea of kind of owning your story, (…) that is something that is crucial for me these days.« KEYNOTE AS TEXT and AND AS AUDIO
Ivan Krastev and Fintan O’Toole: It’s the Mope-Syndrome
»Handbook to the end of the world«: The Bulgarian political scientist Ivan Krastev and the Irish commentator Fintan O’Toole in conversation with Eva Menasse:
O’Toole: »Particularly on the Snowflake side, about a kind of sadism, a kind of sense of, you know, sticking it to the people we really hate. That becomes the main driving force. And if you don’t stop it at a certain point, it can take on its own logic and its own momentum: They did this to us, we have to do it back to them. (…) So, the one thing we preserved in Ireland was a sense of humor. Somebody in Belfast came up with this idea of what they called ›Mope-Syndrome‹. To mope means to really feel very sorry for yourself. But mope in this case stands for M-O-P-E – Most Oppressed People Ever.
Krastev: »I was re-reading all the interesting stuff being written just after the end of the Cold War. And paradoxically, it was neither Huntington nor basically Fukuyama. The most interesting book came from a German writer: Enzensberger’s book ›Civil War‹. Written in 1993. If you re-read the book now, you’re going to be shocked.« AUDIO [ENGLISH]
Stella Nyanzi: »Uganda is an open jail«
Ugandan anthropologist and poet Stella Nyanzi in talk with Sophie Sumburane: »I think a lot of us have heard about the anti-homosexuality law in Uganda. We know about the death penalty, about life imprisonment, prison sentences, monetary fines ›healing of the mind‹. But what a lot of people do not know is perhaps what pertains to writers and authors and journalists, which is around freedom of expression: There is a section of the law against promotion of homosexuality, and one of the things that it penalizes for up to 20 years in prison is production of knowledge and information about homosexuality (…) That discrimination against same-sex loving people is terrible, to criminalize production of knowledge is unacceptable, because if homosexual people are deemed to be inhuman. (…) For me, in terms of having a contribution towards the third PEN Congress it’s important to highlight that there’s also the issue of criminalizing production of knowledge around a topic such as homosexuality.« AUDIO (ENGLISH)
Publikumsdebatte: AfD verbieten?
Impulsreferate des Autors Philipp Ruch und des Rechtsanwalts David Werdermann, anschließend Debatte im Publikum.
Ruch: »Die AfD hegt keine ›Gewaltfantasien‹. Was sie fordert und verspricht, sind Staatsverbrechen. (…) Obwohl Walter Lübcke von einem AfD-Wahlkampfhelfer erschossen wird. Obwohl in Thüringen das Haus eines Parteikollegen des Kanzlers brennt, empfiehlt Scholz, Olaf als Rezeptur gegen die AfD: ›Wählen gehen‹. Nun, es wurde gewählt. Und wie.« TEXT and AUDIO [GERMAN]
Werdermann: »Faschismus ist ein Verbrechen. Aber die Befürwortung des Faschismus ist eine Meinung. Und als solche darf sie nicht wegen ihres Inhalts verboten werden. (…) Verbote sind in vielen Fällen nicht nur demokratietheoretisch und rechtlich fragwürdig, sondern auch strategisch unklug. Die Lage ist ernst, aber kein Grund, demokratische Prinzipien über Bord zu werfen.« TEXT and AUDIO
Publikum: »Aus der Dialektik, dass wir durch die Beschwörung der offenen Debatte unter Umständen auch an ihrer Abschaffung arbeiten, kommen wir nicht raus. Trotzdem sehe ich als einzige Möglichkeit, so zu agieren wie Philipp Ruch und Höcke das Mahnmal als Modell vor die Tür zu stellen. Wenn es die AfD nicht mehr gibt, kann Ruch das nicht mehr machen. Darum bin ich gegen ein Verbot der AfD.« AUDIO
Kulturschaffende aus Ostdeutschland: »Das Kulturland Sachsen steht vor der Pleite«
Panel »Kultur im Osten unter Druck«: Daniel Ris,Daniel Morgenroth (Intendanten der Theater Senftenberg bzw. Görlitz) Iris Helbing (Leiterin Kulturamt Meiningen) und Juliana Socher (Lesebühne Pirna), Moderation Linn Penelope Rieger (Schriftstellerin)
Morgenroth: »Als Leiter eines kommunalen Theaters und Orchesters muss ich die traurige Botschaft bringen, dass das Kulturland Sachsen kurz vor dem Kollaps steht. Alle kommunal Theater und Orchester stehen Ende nächsten Jahres vor der Pleite.«
Socher: »Bei uns kommt der Druck aus einer anderen Ecke: Dass wir uns als ›Literarisches Komplott‹ dazu selbst verpflichtet haben, Kultur für alle zu machen – in einer Stadt, die schwarz-weiß auf verbrieft, dass sie nichts für alle machen will, mit einem Oberbürgermeister, der nicht Politik, für alle machen will.«
Helbing: »Das Klima hat sich verändert. (…) Jude ist wieder ein Schimpfwort, dass Jugendliche mit Hitlergruß auf dem Schulhof stehen, ist total normal, Freundinnen muslimischen Glaubens werden ständig angefeindet, wenn sie ein Kopftuch tragen (…). Das ist kein schönes Klima mehr und das macht mir natürlich Angst.«
Ris: »Wir laden auch die AfD-Wähler ein, wir laden niemanden aus. Aber genauso laut sagen wir, was wir auch an der Tür hängen haben: Kein Platz für Antisemitismus, Rassismus, Homofeindlichkeit. Das diskutiere ich dann mit unseren Zuschauerinnen und Zuschauern.« AUDIO [GERMAN]
Podiumsgespräch über innere Zensur: »Ich habe das Internet ausgeschaltet«
Die Schriftsteller:innen Simone Buchholz, Dana Grigorcea, Jovana Reisinger und Alain Claude Sulzer im Gespräch mit Jan Ehlert:
Reisinger: »Vielleicht ist manchmal eine bestimmte kleine Schere nicht so verkehrt, weil man viel bewegen kann, wenn man sich löst von Stereotypen und Klischees.«
Sulzer: »Eine belletristische Literatur, die mit Fußnoten arbeitet, sollte nicht sein. Die Leute, die das lesen, werden verstehen, warum ich dieses Wort verwende. Nicht ich, sondern dieser Ich-Erzähler.«
Grigorcea: »Die Menschen, die die Bereitschaft aufbringen, unterschiedliche Perspektiven anzunehmen beim Lesen, die reagieren nicht mit Empörung auf ein Buch. Leute vom Rande unserer Literaturblase reagieren mit Empörung vom Hörensagen.«
Buchholz: »Ich habe das Internet ausgeschaltet. Man kann mir keine E-Mails mehr schicken, wenn man Adresse nicht hat. Social Media habe ich auch abgeschaltet. Seitdem geht es mir sehr viel besser und seitdem ist es mir viel mehr egal.« AUDIO
Imprisoned writers: Free Pham Dong Trang, Alaa Abdel Fattah, Toomaj Salehi!
Alexandru Bulucz: »We appeal to the German authorities to use all possible diplomatic means to get Toomaj Salehi out of the country, to a safe place where no one will have to apologise for wishing a fundamentalist, unjust regime to hell.« At the congress, we presented not only the imprisoned Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, but also the prominent blogger and writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah (presentation: Sandra Hetzl), who has been imprisoned in Egypt for more than ten years, and Vietnamese writer and human rights activist Pham Dong Trang (presentation: Jayrôme Robinet). ALL PRESENTATIONS
Carsten Brosda: The public sphere is not a safe space
Welcome Speech by Hamburg Senator of Culture: »It is not possible to organise a public sphere as a safe space. It is inconceivable to believe that freedoms are harmless. It became dangerous the first time people – we are in the port city of Hamburg – set sail in a sailing boat and sailed out of their own bay. Because then I no longer knew where the stones were in the water. I could run aground. The freedom to do so put my life at risk. Of course, I could have stayed on land, where I couldn’t drown. But then I wouldn’t have seen the world. So I can’t take liberties without being aware of the dangers. So I can’t talk about the question ›Do I need something like a public sphere‹ in terms of pros and cons.« TEXT and AUDIO (both in German)
Eva Menasse: »On we go – the only way«
Opening and farewell speech by Eva Menasse: »Two and a half years ago, together with Deniz Yücel and many others, I threw myself into the crazy adventure of founding a new PEN, because that’s what I missed most in Germany: an active, vibrant writers’ association. A union of writers who are all individualists and often enough contrarians, but who nevertheless respect their lowest common denominator – we can write freely and without influence in this country – so much that they are willing to turn it into a strong platform. A platform that defends freedom of speech, art and science for everyone in every respect, and that organises the controversial, difficult and delicate discussions itself if necessary. A platform broad and secure enough to help at least some of those colleagues who have been persecuted, imprisoned, tortured or forced into exile in their own countries simply because of what they have written or said.« SPEECH AS TEXT and AS AUDIO (both in German)
Presseberichte zum Kongress: »Etgar Kerets unglaubliches Kunststück«
DLF Kultur: »Hochkarätige Gäste hatte der PEN Berlin für diesen Nachmittag eingeladen. (…) Dass der PEN Berlin jedwede Boykotte ablehnt und die Meinungsfreiheit konsequent hochhält, betonte die scheidende Sprecherin Eva Menasse in ihrer Eröffnungs- und Abschiedsrede. Nachdem den PEN Berlin soeben wieder eine Anfrage erreicht habe, sich an einem sehr vage formulierten Boykottaufruf gegen Israel zu beteiligen, sei es ihr wichtig, nochmals zu betonen.« LINK
NDR Kultur: »Die Debatte darüber, wie es um die Meinungsfreiheit im Osten bestellt ist, wurde auf einem Panel weitergeführt, das die Frage aufwarf, wie stark die Kulturszene im Osten unter Druck steht. Iris Helbig, Leiterin des Kulturamts Meiningen, bemerkt in Thüringen eine besorgniserregende Veränderung des gesellschaftlichen Klimas. (…) Daniel Morgenroth vom Theater Görlitz berichtete, dass seine Bühne nicht nur politisch, sondern auch finanziell in Bedrängnis gerät. ›Das Kulturland Sachsen steht kurz vor dem Kollaps‹, erklärt Morgenroth.« LINK
Süddeutsche Zeitung: »Das auffordernde Motto des Kongresses, ›So kommen wir weiter‹, nahm am Ende der Festredner noch einmal auf, der israelische Autor Etgar Keret, über den sich im Vorfeld trotz der unversöhnlichen Debatten zum Krieg in Nahost niemand aufgeregt hatte – im Gegensatz zur letztjährigen Rednerin A. L. Kennedy. (…) Keret vollbrachte das unglaubliche Kunststück, über das ›Weiterkommen‹ in Israel nach dem 7. Oktober eine Stehgreifrede zu halten, in der er die verzweifelte Lage zwischen Schock, Verteidigungsbereitschaft und Ablehnung der Gewaltmittel und der Regierung, die sie einsetzt, mit klugem Witz reflektierte. (…) Keret vollbrachte das unglaubliche Kunststück, über das ›Weiterkommen‹ in Israel nach dem 7. Oktober eine Stehgreifrede zu halten, in der er die verzweifelte Lage zwischen Schock, Verteidigungsbereitschaft und Ablehnung der Gewaltmittel und der Regierung, die sie einsetzt, mit klugem Witz reflektierte.« LINK [€]
New Spokesperson: Thea Dorn for Eva Menasse
Press release of 1, November 2024: »The PEN Berlin writers’ association held its third general meeting in person on Friday. At the regular elections, journalist Deniz Yücel was confirmed in the role of spokesperson. Thea Dorn, writer and presenter for ZDF, was elected as new spokesperson. The writers Dana Grigorcea, Sophie Sumburane and Joachim Helfer, the playwright Konstantin Küspert and the translator Sandra Hetzl were confirmed in the association’s board. The new members of the eleven-member board are the writer Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus, the publisher Birgit Schmitz, the poet Paul-Henri Campbell and the author and lawyer Andrea Landfried. (…) The General Assembly welcomed 99 new members from a variety of journalistic backgrounds (…) PEN Berlin now has around 730 members, making it the largest writers’ association in the German-speaking world. « MORE
Eva Menasse zum Boykottaufruf gegen Israel: »Wir lehnen Kulturboykott ab«
Berliner Zeitung, 30. Oktober 2024: »Bezüglich der Verantwortung von Schriftstellerinnen und Schriftstellern in der Gesellschaft haben wir beim PEN-Zentrum Deutschland nach einer Einschätzung des Offenen Briefs gefragt, aber bislang keine Antwort erhalten. Für den erst 2022 gegründeten PEN Berlin antwortete die Schriftstellerin Eva Menasse, die gemeinsam mit Deniz Yücel Sprecherin der Vereinigung ist: ›Wir lehnen Kulturboykott ab, in jeder Form, in jede Richtung. Wir freuen uns sehr auf den Festredner des diesjährigen PEN-Kongresses am Samstag in Hamburg: den israelischen Schriftsteller Etgar Keret. Und wir sind – das nur zur Erinnerung – auch letztes Jahr manchen Forderungen klar entgegengetreten, unsere Festrednerin A.L. Kennedy wieder auszuladen.‹ Beim Kongress 2023 wurde im Vorfeld diskutiert, wie man mit Künstlern umgehen soll, die die BDS-Kampagne unterstützen – ob als Unterzeichner Offener Briefe oder durch öffentliche Rede. ›Der PEN Berlin lehnt BDS ab‹, sagte Yücel damals zur Eröffnung.« LINK [€]
PEN Berlin’s programme at the Frankfurt Book Fair
Press coverage of The Other Italy: »We are like renegades at the fair«
»Giordano, Scurati and Francesca Melandri will speak on a concurrent panel organised by PEN Berlin called ›Rooted in the Present‹, while Saviano will speak on stage on Friday and Saturday. The anti-mafia author was sued in 2023 for calling Meloni ›a bastard‹ over her immigration policies and subsequently fined €1,000. ›Roberto Saviano is the most famous Italian writer in the world‹, the Austrian author and PEN Berlin spokesperson, Eva Menasse, said. ›By not inviting him to the Frankfurt book fair the Italian government has only managed to put a brighter spotlight on its illiberal practices.‹« (The Guardian)
»›We are practically like renegades at the book fair‹, said Paolo Giordano on Wednesday. Together with the writers’ association PEN Berlin, which is led by author Eva Menasse and journalist Deniz Yücel, Giordano and other authors organised several events focusing on the state of culture, freedom of expression and artistic freedom in Italy. ›For topics that are burning under the nails of Italian authors and that may not be fully covered by the official guest country appearance‹, author Menasse from PEN Berlin moderated the event.« Tagesschau
»While the Guest of Honour Pavilion opens with a praise of beauty under the motto ›Roots in the Future‹, PEN Berlin invites visitors to discuss ›Roots in the Present‹.(…) Basically, says Giordano, two years of government helped him to realise which side he was on.Media control and media that are compliant to the government, restrictions on freedom of expression, the disciplining of unpopular critics, campaigns aimed at the personal – all of this is addressed by these first critical authors. Meanwhile, in the guest of honour programme, Giordano Bruno Guerri, the director of the Vittoriale, Gabriele d’Annunzio’s megalomaniac residence on Lake Garda, which is extremely popular with right-wingers, and the author Giuseppe Culicchia chat to a sparse audience about ›Il Piacere‹ (1889), an early decadent novel by d’Annunzio. You have to look a long way for the roots of the future.« Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung [ €]
Talks about democracy and freedom of expression
37 x in Eastern Germany: »You Can’t Say Anything These Days«
PEN Berlin organised a series of talks in the East German states Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg in August and September under the title “You Can’t Say Anything These Days – talks about democracy and freedom of expression” in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg. All in all 37 events, from Annaberg to Perleberg, from Ilmenau to Zwickau. The series has now come to an end. We would like to thank the Stiftung Orte der deutschen Demokratiegeschichte, the Thüringer Programm Denk Bunt and the Programm Tolerantes Brandenburg, all our cooperation partners who allowed us to be their guests, the 118 writers, journalists, publicists and artists who took part, and especially all the citizens who came to discuss freedom of expression and democracy.
Here you can find shorter video and longer audio recordings of all events. And here an overview of interviews and reports.
Press reviews: »The series of talks organised by PEN Berlin before the state elections in the East is prominent, opinionated and top-class. It could deliver what was demanded in the autumn of 1989.«(Leipziger Volkszeitung) [in German]
»A lot of courage, little anger – that’s what the evening in Chemnitz offers. This is exactly what PEN Berlin, as the organiser of this series of events, is hoping for: to seek dialogue with people who fear that they can no longer express their opinions freely.« (DLF Kultur) [in German]
»With these events, the second German PEN not only takes up the cause of freedom of expression, but also organises on a larger scale what is being demanded everywhere: political debate among those who are supposed to be the sovereign in the country, but all too often do not feel so: the voters.« (Süddeutsche Zeitung)[in German].
»PEN Berlin has achieved something that works beyond the usual star appearances, where intellectual or political celebrities of whatever kind invade the provinces to spread a whiff of the big wide world.« (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) [in German].
»No opinion corridors, no language bans, no cancel culture. Genuine freedom of speech was demanded – by the very cultural institution that right-wing populists like to accuse of ›patronising opinions‹.« (ARD, Titel, Thesen, Temperamente) [in German]
»The writers’ association PEN Berlin is touring the East to promote the open debate that is vital to any democracy. [Eva Menasse:] ›If people feel they cannot speak freely, they lose faith in democracy.‹« (ZDF, heute journal)
Regarding the attack on Joe Chialo: There is nothing to discuss here
Press release of 24, September 2024: »PEN Berlin is appalled by the attack on the home of the Berlin Senator for Culture. Following the physical and verbal assault on Joe Chialo at the opening of a cultural festival last week, this violation of his privacy marks a further escalation. Not only are these assaults unacceptable, but so is the accusation sprayed on the wall of the house in blood-red paint that Chialo supports ‘genocide’. (…) We’re happy to have the debate with Joe Chialo on the most effective ways to fight anti-Semitism that align with German constitutional principles, artistic freedom and the ideals of a cosmopolitan approach. We can also discuss how to include moderate Palestinian voices in this discussion and avoid placing any criticism of the Netanyahu government under suspicion. But when Joe Chialo is physically attacked, when even his family is affected, there is nothing to discuss here. We stand by his side.« MORE
PEN Berlin protests: Seven years in jail for a novel?
Press release of 10, September 2024: »The award-winning Turkish-Kurdish author Yavuz Ekinci will have to stand trial once again on 18 September in Istanbul. His novel »Traumsplitter« was confiscated and banned in March 2023. According to the new charges, the book contains »terrorist propaganda«. Ekinci faces a seven-year jail term. (…) ›Receiving a court summons with the subject line ›Why did you write this book?‹ sets a dangerous precedent and will sooner or later threaten the freedom of all of us‹, said Yavuz Ekinci. Sandra Hetzl, board member of PEN Berlin, commented: ›This charge against one of Turkey’s best and most famous authors is a new, dramatic attempt to intimidate all those who wish to express themselves freely in Turkey, be they writers or journalists.‹« MORE
Interviews zur Reihe »Das wird man ja wohl noch sagen dürfen«
Freie Presse, Interview von Tim Hofmann mit Deniz Yücel, 1. August 2024: [Hofmann:] »Schließt der PEN Berlin (…) eine Mitgliedschaft von AfD-Mitgliedern nicht aus? Das PEN-Zentrum Deutschland hat neulich einen entsprechenden Unvereinbarkeitsbeschluss gefasst.« [Yücel:] »Im PEN Berlin hat dies bislang niemand angeregt – und falls die Idee aufkäme, wäre ich dagegen. Auch, weil sich die Zahl der AfD-Mitglieder, die bei uns eintreten will, sehr in Grenzen hält, und das dürfte beim Darmstädter PEN-Zentrum nicht anders sein. Insofern hat das was von Gratismut. Und ich denke, dass die Idee dahinter auf Strategien aus den Neunziger- und Nullerjahren beruht, wo wir es mit der NPD zutun hatten und mit militanten Kameradschaften. Strategien gegen solche Minderheiten auf den Umgang mit einer Partei zu übertragen, die regional bei 30 oder 40 Prozent steht und damit auf dem Weg zur Volkspartei ist, funktioniert nicht.« LINK [€]
Deutschlandfunk,Kulturfragen,Karin Fischer im Gespräch mit Daniel Morgenroth (Intendant des Gerhart-Hauptmann-Theaters Görlitz-Zittau), 4. August 2024: »Das hat uns sehr gefreut, dass der PEN Berlin auf uns zugekommen ist mit dieser Diskussionsreihe, die wir sofort großartig fanden. Wir hatten schon Diskussionsreihen, auch mit externen Partnern, die ein bisschen langweilig waren, weil man Angst hatte: Welches Publikum kommt da, wie wird das sein? Ich kann auch ein schönes Beispiel nennen: Kürzlich war zum ›Samuel W.‹ Bundespräsident Steinmeier bei uns. Und das Bundespräsidialamt hatte größte Angst, was da passieren könnte, weil es eine öffentliche Vorstellung war. Wenn da Menschen stören (…). Ich habe denen gesagt: Erstens wird da nichts passieren, unser Publikum ist sehr friedlich. Und selbst wenn: Wie schön wäre das! Stellen Sie sich vor, da ruft mal jemand dazwischen, und der Bundespräsident ist da. Wie reagiert man? Dann muss man sich mit dem auseinandersetzen oder was sagen.« LINK und AUDIO
Deniz Yücel zum »Compact«-Verbot: »Die Bundesregierung verwechselt Recht und Moral«
WDR 5,Sebastian Sonntag im Gespräch mit Deniz Yücel, 20. Juli 2024: »Ich finde es ärgerlich, dass einem rechtsradikalen Spinner wie Jürgen Elsässer die Möglichkeit zu geben, sich als Held der Pressefreiheit aufzuspielen. (…) Und das ist ein grundsätzliches Problem, das wir auch im Forschungsministerium sehen, wo eine Prüfung in Auftrag gegeben wurde, ob man Universitätsprofessoren, die einen offenen Brief unterzeichnet hatten gegen die Räumung eines propalästinensischen Camps an der FU Berlin, ob das strafrechtlich relevant war oder ob man ihnen Fördergelder entziehen könne (…) Beides sind für mich Zeichen dafür, dass man in der Bundesregierung dazu neigt, Moral und Recht zu verwechseln. (…)« [Sonntag:] »Man könnte argumentieren, dass dieses Verbot ein Zeichen einer einer wehrhaften Demokratie.« LINK und AUDIO
About us
PEN Berlin.
We stand by our word.
We want a new PEN.
A contemporary and diverse PEN, that brings together writers and translators of all literary and journalistic genres writing in German or living in the German-speaking countries.
A PEN by and for colleagues who stand up for freedom of expression and open discourse, without presidents and other titles, with a gender-equal board.
A PEN which, in the spirit of the Charter of PEN International, opposes all forms of hatred, whose members put themselves at the service of freedom of expression and work together for a better future.
In the spirit of our namesake Berlin, the multilingual city that today stands for openness and for the overcoming of borders, we call ourselves PEN Berlin: an NGO committed to the ideals of enlightenment, diversity of opinion, tolerance, and solidarity.
Freedom of speech is increasingly threatened worldwide. More and more authors and translators fear for their lives and physical integrity. Our focus will therefore be on the material and moral support of persecuted colleagues.
We need this new PEN to give literature, poetry, and any other text-based genre the space to unfold free from fear.
We need this new PEN to denounce grievances and effectively help those who are threatened in their freedom of expression, regardless of origin and attitude.
We welcome all those who work with the word and are willing to join us in this endeavor.
We stand by our word. PEN Berlin was founded on June 10, 2022, and currently (November 2024) has almost 730 members. PEN Berlin is member of PEN International and of the German Conference on Literature.