Literature Days "125 Years of Maria Müller-Gögler"

With a lecture series by Peter Dunkl, readings, and a writing workshop, the literary network of Upper Swabia honors the work of Maria Müller-Gögler, born in 1900, over four compact days. A reading and writing festival for all those interested in regional literature will take place during the autumn holidays at the cultural center Schloss Meßkirch. Peter Dunkl, who was the VHS director in Ehingen for many years, will introduce the Upper Swabian author Maria Müller-Gögler. Her life and work will be the focus of a four-part reading series, accompanied by a writing course over two days. It is also a great opportunity for three contemporary regional authors to present their new books. Gabriele Loges from Sigmaringen will read from "Mädchen, Mutter, Mensch" (Gmeiner-Verlag), Dietlinde Ellsässer from Tübingen will present "Mach nur so weiter" (8Grad-Verlag), and Ursula Gabele from Sauldorf will read from "Mensch Mädle!" (Gmeiner-Verlag). Maria Müller-Gögler, born in 1900, was the oldest of the three Upper Swabian Marias, as Martin Walser calls them, who described the societal changes in the eventful 20th century. Alongside Maria Beig, who describes changes in rural environments, and the texts of Maria Menz, which have a religious, even mystical quality, Maria Müller-Gögler operates within the bourgeois context of Upper Swabia. She predominantly writes from a consistently female perspective. Whether it is the lady-in-waiting who asserts herself against the powerful man Georg III, Count of Waldburg, the mother who navigates her family through the turmoil of National Socialism in the novel "Sieben Schwerter," or the women in a senior home reflecting on their lives between 1900 and the last decades of the 20th century (Der Pavillon); all represent a worldview that believes women are capable of leading independent lives. Her self-assertion represents a societal utopia that has yet to be fully realized. Maria Müller-Gögler's characters are not "lighthouse figures." They are women whose life paths do not follow a straight line, who know more questions and uncertainties than unshakeable truths. They certainly entice readers, even though Müller-Gögler's books are now only available in second-hand bookstores and well-stocked libraries in the region. The four-part reading series for the 125th birthday of the writer will take place as follows: Monday, October 27 at 5 PM (opening from 4 PM), Tuesday, October 28 at 11 AM, Wednesday, October 29 at 5 PM, and Thursday, October 30 at 11 AM. Each session lasts about 75 minutes, and admission is free. For information and registration, contact the Tourist Information in Meßkirch at Tel. 07575 2061422 or tourismus@messkirch.de.