About this Event
On a soon to be decommissioned lightship anchored in the Baltic Sea a conflict breaks out between the small crew and a gang of criminals. The captain of the lightship, Johann Freytag, takes the criminals whose boat broke down during their escape on board, mistaking them for shipwrecked survivors. When the armed gang threatens the crew, the captain initially lets them have their way because he does not want to put anyone in danger. For the same reason, he also refuses to hand over the only lifeboat, on which the crew depends in an emergency. Because of his leniency, Freytag has to stand his ground against some members of his crew who want to take the armed men by surprise. In particular, his teenage son Fred accuses his father of cowardice.
Please join the Goethe-Institut’s free Reading Circle to explore Siegfried Lenz's 1960 Das Feuerschiff. This realistic narrative contains the typical characteristics of a novella and is often interpreted as a parable addressing the themes of violence, resistance, and individual responsibility. It is one of Siegfried Lenz’s best-known works and is included in the curricula of numerous schools. The story has been adapted for film three times.
Email us to receive a free copy of Das Feuerschiff to read in preparation of our in-person discussion: [email protected]
Picture sources: Book cover © Frederika Hoffmann / ullstein bild / All Over Press; Portrait © Maurizio Gambarini / dpa
Event venue & nearby stays
Goethe-Institut Toronto, 100 University Avenue, Toronto, Canada
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.