Poster for the Bayreuth City Talks

Bayreuther Stadtgespräche: City Talks

Bayreuther Stadtgespräche (Bayreuth City Talks) have been taking place regularly at Iwalewahaus since July 2014. On the first Wednesday of each month from 6 to about 7.30 p.m., changing speakers offer insights into exciting and current topics. The lectures are open to all interested parties without registration – admission is free.

The basic idea of Bayreuther Stadtgespräche is to strengthen the connection between the City and the University. That is why the series of events is aimed at all Bayreuth citizens.

The venue is the Iwalewahaus (Wölfelstraße) in the heart of Bayreuth – right next to the Margravial Opera House. The speakers come from the University of Bayreuth, other universities or research institutes, or from (university) politics. (Higher education) policy issues are taken up and questions are discussed that are currently of concern to academia or citizens. This is done in an understandable way for people who are not familiar with the subject, and for non-academics.

The lectures are organised by the University of Bayreuth together with Universitätsverein Bayreuth e. V. and with the support of Universitäts-Forum Bayreuth – Kollegium Bayreuther Univ.-Professoren i. R.

Bayreuth City Talks: Upcoming events

Attention: Change of date! The April Stadtgespräch will take place on the 2nd instead of the 1st Wednesday of the month!

10. April 2024: "Do you know how it was?" - Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung in historically informed performance practice

© fimt, Uni Bayreuth

Speaker: Dr. Dominik Frank, Faculty of Linguistics and Literature
Research Institute for Music Theatre (fimt), University of Bayreuth

Vocals: Sophia Feulner
Piano:
Lluc Solés Carbó

 


Artistic research means research in and through art and at the same time making academic research tangible through artistic practice. This is a rather new field in the German-speaking university landscape. The Research Institute for Music Theatre (fimt) is therefore all the prouder to have acquired the DFG knowledge transfer project "Wagner singing in the 21st century - historically informed" together with the world-famous conductor Kent Nagano and the renowned original sound orchestra Concerto Köln. A historically informed performance of Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen will explore how this work might have sounded in Wagner's time.  The Wagner singers of today approach the ideal of that time by using historical singing, exposition and acting techniques. Dr Dominik Frank will give an overview of the rehearsal practice, the artistic and political implications of the project, the scientific results and planned further research projects. The lecture will be enriched with live music examples.

Website of the project: https://www.wagnergesang.uni-bayreuth.de/de/index.html

08. May 2024: World export champion Germany - the past and future of our prosperity

Speaker: Professor Dr. Jan Otmar Hesse, Economic and Social History, University of Bayreuth

 


How can the rise of Germany as an export nation be proven and justified by history? What self-reinforcing effect has this had at a national and international level? Is the goal of export leadership still worth striving for given the current situation of empty shelves and pandemics, which have brought global trade to an impressive standstill in recent years? How will the German economy be affected by a reduction in consumption and further sustainability efforts? Can we also learn from history in this respect?

Professor Dr. Jan Otmar Hesse (Economic and Social History, University of Bayreuth) has been working intensively on the book "Export World Champion. Geschichte einer deutschen Obsession", published by Suhrkamp in October 2023, he has intensively examined these and other questions surrounding this emotionally charged topic. In his lecture, he will vividly explain the complex background to Germany's former rise as a trading power. He wants this contribution to be understood as a "suggested interpretation of German economic history" and thus provide food for thought.

Past highlights of the event series (partly in German language)

For further information, please contact

Angela Danner

Angela Danner

Head of Press, Marketing & Communications Office
University of Bayreuth 

Phone: +49 (0) 921 / 55-5323
E-mail: angela.danner@uni-bayreuth.de