08 April 2026

Saarbrücken Town Hall to host literary studies lecture series 'On Friendship and Literature'

'Being a Friend's Friend – On Friendship and Literature' is the title of the 15th Saarbrücken literary studies lecture series, which will be held this summer semester. The series explores friendship and the relationships between friends in literature across a wide range of periods and cultures. The public lectures will take place every Monday at 7 p.m. from 20 April in the Great Hall of the St Johann Town Hall in Saarbrücken. No registration is required.

In the opening lecture on 20 April, Professor of French Literature Patricia Oster-Stierle will discuss Flaubert's ironic reflection on friendship in his novel 'Bouvard and Pécuchet'.

The following text has been machine translated from the German with no human editing.

Friendship and friendships are among those themes that have been reflected upon in literature across all eras and cultures: they inspire poets, shape constellations of characters, and serve as a mirror of social values and individual longings. This multifaceted subject will be examined from various disciplinary perspectives; furthermore, both historical and modern conceptions of friendship in literary texts will be considered – from medieval literature through the Enlightenment to contemporary narrative forms.

However, the lectures aim not only to provide insights into the interplay between literary form and social practice, but also to raise questions about the moral, political and existential significance of friendship in different cultural contexts. Particular attention will be paid to how friendship is represented as an aesthetic, ethical and social concept in the ‘ ’ of literature, and what functions it fulfils in various literary genres.

In this sense, the 15th Saarbrücken Literary Studies Lecture Series is an invitation to explore and discuss the complex relationship between literature and friendship together. The lectures usually last one hour. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to ask questions and engage in conversation with the speakers.

The Saarbrücken Literary Studies Lecture Series is organised by Dr Hermann Gätje and Professor Dr Sikander Singh of Saarland University in collaboration with Dr Nils Daniel Peiler from the Department of Film and Science at the Cultural Office of the State Capital of Saarbrücken.

An overview of all lectures and the programme leaflet can be found at: 
https://www.uni-saarland.de/forschen/literaturarchiv/veranstaltungen/ringvorlesungen.html

Further information: 
Professor Dr Sikander Singh
Saar-Lor-Lux-Alsace Literature Archive | Saarland University
Tel.: 0681 302-3327
Email: s.singh@sulb.uni-saarland.de
https://www.uni-saarland.de/literaturarchiv