The poet Elfriede Gerstl (1932-2009) is one of the most formative writers in Austria after 1945. The daughter of Jewish parents survived World War II in various hiding places in Vienna and began publishing her first poems, essays and prose pieces at an early age. In the course of her more than 50-year career, some of which she spent in Berlin, she created a solitary work full of linguistic wit and irony.
At the Austrian Cultural Forum Berlin, literary scholar Christa Gürtler and author Ruth Johanna Benrath had a conversation about the “language composer” in September 2020. Christa Gürtler is co-editor of the five-volume edition of the poet’s works. Ruth Johanna Benrath’s acoustic homage to Elfriede Gerstl, “Geh dicht dicht dichtig” was awarded “Radio Play of the Year 2019”.
The recording of the conversation is available for you in the media library of the Austrian Cultural Forum Berlin under Current Tips, on Facebook, Instagram and the YouTube channel of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.
