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"A Small Café?"
For some time now, we missed a platform on the web, a pleasant and inspiring small section on literature, philosophy, criticism, chronicles, and, hopefully, clever statements, discourse and debate.
In other words, a kind of old-style coffee house; not for the hoi polloi but for the discerning few. So we introduce you to life at our and your virtual Small Café, serving a little distraction from the daily grind, among other things.
A Small Café, some tables in a friendly atmosphere, corners and niches for quiet conversations or reading, engaging and likeable people. A bar and a fireplace for the cold months. No cellphones, no tablets. And, what's important on warmer days, some tables outside in the sun (or shade) of the day or in the candlelight of the evening and night.
New patrons are always welcome and the café's waiter will serve you with pleasure: "Enjoy." We hope this spot will become a relaxing surprise to spend a break, some minutes over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine — to meet old and new friends.
... and all guests are welcome to talk the language of their choice.
A Small Café is offered by The Round Table Foundation (TRTF).
A follow-up of the summer contribution of last year: Once again one recognizes the similarity of historical developments — back then and today. At the end the innocent suffer, back then and today. In Germany and elsewhere. Many culprits are unaffected and get away.
The Guest of the spring season 2022 has died slowly through terrible times: Wolfgang Borchert. The short story we present here was pinpointed at a conversation in the Small Café — you can read it in German and in English.
It's only when you look at it again: You recognize the similarity of historical developments — back then and today. And it's not only Jews who suffered, back then and today. In Germany and elsewhere. It can hit everybody.
The Guest of the summer season 2021 lived through terrible times: Professor Siegfried Ostrowski. His name came up in a discussion in the Small Café — and he tells here the story of his life as a physician in Nazi Germany, in German and in English.
The Guest of the winter season 2021 has lived a long time ago: Johann Peter Eckermann. His name came up in a discussion in the Small Café — and he tells here the story of his early life, in German and in English.
The Guest of the summer season 2020 is Peter de Chamier who despite the pandemic turmoil agreed to narrate some details about the "black" ship Odysseus and his companions used to return home from Troy: Odysseus' Schiff — sailing the seas at Ulysses' times.
He was interested in the details while writing his new novel Occident Express that does not deal with Ulysses, but with sailing the Greek Mediterranean in our times — the novel is written in English, his article for A Small Café is in German.
For those who don't read German, he proposes two books on the topic: Ernle Bradford: Ulysses Found. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1963; and — with less details about antique Greek shipbuilding and more travel descriptions — Göran Schildt: In the Wake of Ulysses. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1953.
The Guest of the winter season 2019/2020 Peter A. Rinck tells of Alexander von Humboldt's visit to Spain on his way to South America from autumn 1798 until June 1799: Research and Science: From Individuals to Societies — Alexander von Humboldt in Spain.
It's a small contribution to the 250th birthday of the great Prussian polymath — written in English.
As Guest of the spring/summer season 2018, Peter de Chamier talks about the history of the detective novel: Der Detektiv in der Literatur.
You can read it here in its entirety. The introduction and the book are in German; an English version is not available yet — but Peter de Chamier's novels are written in English.
As Guest of the spring season 2017, Paolo Bianco tells a story about Peristroika and business in Saint Petersburg: I cervelli di Deviatkino (The brains of Devyatkino).
You can read the introductory paragraphs in English or the entire story in Italian.
As Guest of the autumn season 2016, Peter A. Rinck talks about an excursion into medical history: A Short History of the Climatic Health Resorts in the Upper Italian Lake District (Kleine Geschichte der klimatischen Kurorte im Oberitalienischen Seengebiet).
You can read it here in its entirety. The introduction and the book are in German; it has not been translated (yet).
As Guest of the winter season 2015, we meet the recipient of the Pro Academia Prize 2015, Regine C. Schulz.
Her essay gives an impression of the religion of the ancient Egyptians, one of the most successful and long-lived religions of the ancient world. It is in English; a German version is available in your bookshop.
As Guest of the autumn/winter season 2014/2015, we present Alexander von Wyttenbach and his recent book on Reason Subjugated to the Unconscious (Die Vernunft als Untertan des Unbewussten) .
You can read it here in its entirety. The introduction and the book are in German; an English version is not available yet.
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