Celebrating Mascha Kaleko: A Literary-Musical Evening on Oct 16
On October 16, 2025, Ibbenbüren City Library will host a literary-musical evening celebrating the life and work of Mascha Kaleko, fifty years after her passing. Titled 'My Life Was a Tightrope Walk', the event aims to preserve her poetry as a voice for simplicity, honesty, and humanity in today's world.
Ingeborg Grau will lead the evening with a biographical lyrical reading of Kaleko's poetry. She will be accompanied by Kai Dorenkamp on piano and Matthias Lahrmann on clarinet and saxophone, creating a rich and immersive atmosphere.
Kaleko, a prominent poet in the late 1920s and early 1930s, was known for her pointed, rhythmically clear verses that reflected the life feeling of an entire generation. Her career was cut short by rising nationalism in Germany, leading to her emigration to the USA in 1938. Her exile poems are marked by longing, alienation, and uprootedness, with themes of lost homeland and exile permeating her work.
Tickets for the event are 15 euros and can be purchased in advance at Ibbenbüren City Library or by phone at 05451 / 9314200. The event promises to be a poignant reminder of Kaleko's enduring influence and a celebration of her unique voice in literature.
