News |Thomas Mann Fellows 2018 nominated
Thomas Mann Fellows 2018 nominated
The Board of Trustees of Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e.V., whose members include representatives of the Federal Foreign Office and the office of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, has nominated the first group of fellows for the Thomas Mann House Los Angeles: Prof. Dr. h. c. Jutta Allmendinger, Ph. D., Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Heinrich Detering, Burghart Klaußner, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Yiannos Manoli and Dr. Sylke Tempel are expected to live and work in Los Angeles for a period of several months.
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel stated in Berlin:
„In a conflict-laden world, we have to strive more than ever to create spaces outside of politics that facilitate exchange and communication. The United States is our most important partner outside of Europe and indispensable for the resolution of many global problems. This is why we are looking for avenues of communication on different levels while we expand our hubs for culture and education on the other side of the Atlantic, especially with a view to the Germany Year scheduled to take place in the U.S. in 2018. In difficult times, when there are many things separating us across the Atlantic, cultural exchange is essential to open societies and our common transatlantic values.“
Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media Monika Grütters announced: „The purchase of the Thomas Mann House is a stroke of luck as well as a major obligation in times of challenging transatlantic relationships: While living in exile during the last century, Thomas Mann raised his voice as one of the most important writers and intellectuals for freedom and a democratic and open society. With this residency program, we would like to propose discourse and debate able to bridge the gaps created by increased confrontation and polarization. Culture and the media have an indispensable role to play in this process. Where intellectual discourse is neglected and critical journalism is unwelcome, standing up for freedom of the arts and of the press with all its opportunities becomes the mission of exceptional personalities.“
The Federal Foreign Office acquired the Thomas Mann House, which is currently being restored, in November of 2016. The residency program is funded by the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
It will provide outstanding personalities from the fields of culture, the humanities and sciences, economy, politics, and the media with an opportunity to address the most pressing global questions of our time and to enter into a dialogue with individuals and institutions in the United States.
The fellows nominated today will inaugurate the Thomas Mann House in the coming year.
Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e.V. will be responsible for the residency program. The organization has been operating the artist residence Villa Aurora since 1995. Villa Aurora was the exile residence of Marta and Lion Feuchtwanger in Pacific Palisades and is able to provide the requisite infrastructure in Los Angeles.
The Federal Government attaches a particularly high importance to the dialogue with the United States. This applies to political exchanges with the current administration, but especially to the dialogue among societies as led by intellectuals, artists, scientists, and journalists. It is the Federal Government’s goal to make the German voice in the United States more perceptible with regards to the key issues of our time.
The Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media would like to thank the Berthold Leibinger Stiftung, the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung, and the Robert Bosch Stiftung for their generous support.
For additional information about the Thomas Mann House and the fellowships, please refer to the web site of Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e. V. (www.vatmh.org).
