Marburg
On the day of his thirtieth birthday, Josef K., first assistant of a large bank, is arrested. Neither the crime he is accused of is mentioned, nor is he taken into custody. K. is to continue his profession and shape his daily life as before. Information that could explain this situation, which initially seems like a cruel joke, is denied to him. In search of answers, Josef K. is drawn deeper into the labyrinth of an opaque bureaucracy that acts seemingly arbitrarily and follows its own, incomprehensible rules. Soon, the unknown judicial system dictates his entire life. In the end, the death of Josef K. awaits, without a verdict being passed or his guilt being proven. Franz Kafka's (1883 – 1924) unfinished novel is a surreal nightmare, a crime story, and a linguistically dense work of art that eludes any definitive interpretation and proves to have new urgency in the face of every present moment. At a time when justice and legal systems worldwide are wobbling, being manipulated, and where law and justice are increasingly becoming matters of interpretation by those in power, Kafka's novel appears more relevant than ever. For all people aged 14 and up who want to engage with law and justice and wish to cultivate their critical perspective on our present. In a version by Bettina Rehm and Cornelius Edlefsen.
Author Alina Herbig, the 15th scholarship recipient of the association “Zwei Raben – Literature in Upper Hesse,” reads from her works and offers insight into her rural writing routine at the writers’ residence in the Otto Ubbelohde House in Goßfelden. An event organized by HLTM in cooperation with the association “Zwei Raben” and the “Kulturelle Aktion Marburger Strömungen e. V.” From the jury’s statement: Alina Herbing, born in 1984 in Lübeck, submitted with “Rome, New York, Berlin” a novel project that impressed the jury with its contemporaneity and literary sophistication. It tells the story of an international couple, Ben and Marie. He lives in New York, she in Berlin. In the summer of 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, the two decide to get married on a Caribbean island, but on the way there Marie ends up stranded in a 5-star resort. What reads on the surface like a lifestyle piece is in fact an elegant text about a world at a tipping point, about power relations, and about a woman whose formative experiences make her feel like a stranger everywhere. www.literaturinoberhessen.de Moderation: Erika Schellenberger, chair of the board of the literary association “Zwei Raben: Literature in Upper Hesse e. V.”
The big New Year's Eve party forms the grand finale of the calendar year 2026 at the Hessian State Theatre Marburg. Whether you want to walk the red carpet in the afternoon and kick off your New Year's Eve with sparkling wine or mineral water during our first gala performance, or enjoy the large program including a dinner menu from a special Marburg caterer in the evening and welcome the new year with a Viennese waltz precisely at midnight in front of the theatre: the choice is yours. - New Year's Eve performance in the afternoon at 4:00 p.m. – from 3:00 p.m. we will welcome you with sparkling wine and mineral water, lucky draw tickets, a photo booth, and a red carpet. - Evening performance at 8:00 p.m. – including a comprehensive celebration package. From 7:00 p.m. we will welcome you on the red carpet and toast with a glass of sparkling wine. Let us shred your old burdens, write a few lines to your loved ones, and try your luck with our lucky draw tickets – fantastic prizes are waiting for you. After the musical gala performance, a three-course menu awaits you in Kleinen Tasch, Mini Tasch, or in the canteen (drinks can be pre-ordered, reserved seating with ticket). And anyone who wishes to continue dancing after the traditional Viennese waltz at 12:00 a.m. is warmly invited to rock the dance floor with us in Kleinen Tasch. This is surely a great way to start the new year!
