Markus Köhle reads from "Land der Zäune" (Land of Fences).

From Withdrawal to Political Vision

Hans Sagmeister has had enough of his fellow humans. The online retailer from Lower Austria retreats to his suburban home and begins to erect ever higher fences around his property. What starts as personal protection develops into an obsession – and ultimately into a political idea: Why not organize all of Austria with fences? Supported by a mysterious online counselor (or is it a chatbot?), Sagmeister founds a movement with a clear goal: to become the Fence Chancellor.

In his novel "Land der Zäune" (Land of Fences) (Sonderzahl, 2025), Markus Köhle processes the language of current daily politics into a satirical parable about demarcation, overwhelm, and retreat into the private sphere. With precise wordplay and literary sharpness, he illustrates how virtual approval and societal voyeurism intertwine.

Satirical Social Critique with Wit

The author, born in 1975 in Nassereith, studied German and Romance languages and has been active as a writer, literary critic, and poetry slammer for over two decades. In 2007, he was the city writer in Vöcklabruck – a special connection for this reading. Iris Gassenbauer writes in the Literary Courses: "It is the (exaggerated?) rhetoric of some political contemporaries that is almost oppressively compelling in Hans Sagmeister."

The press reviews are unanimous: Katharina Tiwald praises in Die Presse the "elegant logic" with which Köhle takes the fence rhetoric to task. Elias Hirschl describes the book as "stuffed with wordplay" and sees "Fortress Europe relocated to the front gardens of Lower Austria." Lyrical interludes such as a rewritten national anthem or the fence confession of faith provide roaring laughter – while simultaneously provoking reflection on the present.

The reading is curated by the volunteer program group 4840 Kulturakzente.

More about Markus Köhle: www.dum.at
Reading sample and reviews: Sonderzahl Verlag