100 Years of James Krüss: Narratives and Perspectives on the Work and Author in the Context of History, Language and the Arts

James Krüss (1926–1997) is one of the most important German children's authors of the 20th century. Between 1945 and his death in 1997, he created a very diverse and extensive body of work that goes far beyond the canonised texts of children's literature. It includes (children's) poetry, stories, novels (for children and adults), plays, radio broadcasts, radio plays, non-fiction texts on languages and cultures, illustrations and paintings, as well as radio play, film/TV and theatre adaptations. The author's entire estate is held by the International Youth Library.

The conference marking the 100th anniversary of James Krüss' birth aims to examine his entire oeuvre both from a children's literature perspective and in a broader context of humanities, arts and cultural studies. An attempt will be made to place Krüss' literary work within larger cultural patterns.

On the one hand, the biographical stages of Heligoland, Munich and Gran Canaria will be examined and questions about Krüss' authorship and engagement with different arts, languages and cultural areas will be addressed. On the other hand, the relevance of James Krüss' work for the present day will be discussed. In addition to academic lectures, a cultural programme for a wider audience is planned.

Conference chairs: Ada Bieber and Rasmus Cromme

With the kind support of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, the Waldemar Bonsels Foundation, and the Cultural Department of the City of Munich.