The exhibition invites visitors to familiarise themselves with literature that is not on the usual reading lists and can only be found on a few shelves. On display are literary treasures that are on the shelves of the State Library but are not included in the history of literature. These include texts by women writing in the Middle Ages, works by Romantic women published under false names and Black German literature, which has not yet received much attention. Prof Dr Martina Wernli and Dr Esther König from the Institute for German Literature at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) have curated the exhibition. It will open on 12 February 2026 in the Kulturwerk of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Unter den Linden, with a welcoming address by Julia von Blumenthal, President of the HU.
"Questioning your own reading behaviour and choice of literature"
"The exhibition is aimed at anyone who enjoys reading and is open to less familiar texts," says Martina Wernli. "In addition to discovering authors and texts, the exhibition aims to encourage people to question their own reading behaviour and choice of literature. " The exhibition reflects on why which literature is read in schools and universities, which works are collected and why some books disappear from the market.
The work of the #breiterkanon project initiated by Martina Wernli will also be presented. Here, academics, authors, journalists and translators work together to observe the public debate on the literary canon, question existing canons and make forgotten, marginalised or unknown authors visible in research, literary criticism and teaching. "Since I took up the professorship at the HU in March 2025, the open network #breiterkanonhas found an ideal place to work," says Wernli. "I find the exchange with neighbouring institutions such as the Berlin State Library very enriching and it has already led to several collaborations and events."