In this salon we will discuss the role of culture in society and the nature of multiculturalism in the 21st century. This general topic will be analyzed in relation to the more specific case study of Germany and the German obsession with culture. Our speaker, Dr. Martin Ruehl, Lecturer in the Department of German & Dutch, at the University of Cambridge,  will talk about  the peculiar esteem that Germans since the late 18th century have bestowed on culture; the idealized image of Germany as a nation of "poets and thinkers"; the juxtaposition of "Kultur" and "civilisation" in the Franco-German culture wars of the 19th century; the role that the idea of the "Kulturnation" played in the Anglo-German antagonism  in the 20th century; and what "Kultur" means in the multi-cultural Germany of the 21st century.

This salon will take place over dinner. A selection of chamber music of German composers will be played by our salon concert artists after dinner. 

RSVP to this event is required: justinek@publicspheresalons.com