Tobias Lehmkuhl presents Irmgard Keun's Tumultuous Life in Cologne
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Irmgard Keun: A Literary Biography Between Fame, Exile, and Rediscovery
On Thursday, November 5, 2026, the Interim Central Library Cologne invites you to a book presentation about Irmgard Keun. Tobias Lehmkuhl presents his new biography None of Us: The Life of Irmgard Keun; Gisa Funck accompanies the evening as a literary critic and discussion partner.
A Writer with a Distinct Voice
Irmgard Keun's early novels Gilgi – One of Us and The Artificial Silk Girl made her famous overnight in the early 1930s. Her protagonists navigated the modern metropolis, balancing professional self-assertion, societal expectations, and the desire for a self-determined life. Keun's style combined linguistic directness, pace, and keen social observation.
Literature in the Shadow of History
With the rise of the Nazis, Keun's books were banned. The author emigrated to Amsterdam, where she had a relationship with Joseph Roth and fostered friendships with Heinrich Mann and Stefan Zweig. In 1940, she returned to Cologne. Lehmkuhl's biography traces these ruptures, as well as Keun's difficult post-war years and the later rediscovery of her work through the women's movement.
A Narrative Approach to a Tumultuous Life
Tobias Lehmkuhl unfolds Irmgard Keun's biography in its historical, personal, and literary complexity. The evening combines book presentation, reading, and literary critical contextualization. The focus is on an author whose work spans from the Weimar Republic through the Nazi era to the Federal Republic and continues to raise questions about female self-determination, publicity, and cultural memory.
Literary Competence on Stage
Tobias Lehmkuhl works as a freelance journalist and writes, among others, for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Deutschlandfunk Kultur. In 2017, he received the Berlin Prize for Literary Criticism. Gisa Funck works as a literary critic and author for Deutschlandfunk and WDR and lives in Cologne. Together, both promise a knowledgeable author encounter with historical depth and literary precision.
Conclusion: An Evening for the Rediscovery of a Great Voice
The reading atmosphere in the Interim Central Library opens an immediate access to Irmgard Keun's life and work. Visitors experience a literary biography that connects linguistic artistry, contemporary history, and personal tragedy. Those familiar with Keun's novels or seeking to discover her significance for German-language literature will find a concentrated literary experience here.
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