Name: Jana Hensel reads in Potsdam from Once Upon a Time There Was a Country
Start: 2026-09-29T21:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-09-29T23:00:00+02:00
Location: Brandenburg Museum, Gewölbehalle

Jana Hensel brings the political present into literary light in Potsdam

With Once Upon a Time There Was a Country, Jana Hensel invites you to a reading and a conversation that goes far beyond a classic book presentation. In the Brandenburg Museum, Vault Hall, journalistic precision meets the excitement of an evening that poses questions about present-day Germany and simultaneously opens them narratively.

A reading as a diagnosis of the times

Jana Hensel is one of the defining voices in German-language essay and contemporary literature. Since Zonenkinder, her work has represented a sharp, personal, and cultural-critical engagement with East German experiences. In Potsdam, she will read from her new book, which describes political and social alienation in the East with analytical clarity and literary density.

Between essay, memory, and political discourse

It is precisely this mix that makes the evening appealing: Hensel's style combines journalistic observation with a language that takes nuances seriously. Those who appreciate readings where not only is there reading, but also argument, questioning, and contextualization, will find here a literary experience with substance. The conversation opens up space for context, friction, and reflection on democracy, identity, and memory.

The location: Brandenburg Museum, Vault Hall

The Vault Hall in the Brandenburg Museum lends a special atmosphere to the evening. The location at Neuen Markt is centrally located in Potsdam's historical center, with tram and bus stops within short distance and parking available at the nearby Werner-Seelenbinder-Straße parking garage. This creates a framework that combines cultural enjoyment with good accessibility.

Why attending is worthwhile

This reading is aimed at anyone who wants to not only consume contemporary literature but experience it as an intellectual event. Hensel's author encounter promises linguistic precision, social depth, and an evening that resonates long after. Anyone interested in literature, political essays, and East German perspectives should experience this conversation live.