What's on in March
February 26, 2013
Reading awakens the imagination. This is especially true at this year's Leipzig Book Fair from March 14 to 17, where colorfully costumed Manga Fans, young reading enthusiasts, renowned authors, literature fans and journalists collide.
The extravaganza is more than just a peek into the latest book releases: "There is a uniquely close bond between the city and the fair," says Oliver Zille, director of the Leipzig Book Fair.
Running parallel to the main event is the writer's festival "Leipzig reads" where more than 250 authors and literary experts take part in around 500 events all about books.
World literature in Cologne
The literary festival, lit.Cologne comes to the Cathedral city for the 13th time from March 6 to 16. Be sure to try one of the 206 events spread over 11 days.
Ursula Krechel author of "Landgericht" ("District Court") and winner of the German Book Prize, will also be making a star appearance. There are also a host of talks, readings and discussions with internationally bestselling authors including Amos Oz and Elizabeth George.
Two Nobel peace prize laureates, Mikhail Gorbachev and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, will introduce their autobiographies. And the grande dame of German theater, Senta Berger, the actor Bjarne Mädel and presenter Jörg Thadeusz will discuss the most notorious scandals in world literature.
Awakening the senses
Inspiration for artworks isn't just found in the atelier, but also in dialogue with the icons of art history hanging in galleries and museums.
With this in mind, why not head to the exciting new exhibition "Constable, Delacroix, Friedrich, Goya: The Awakening of the Senses," in Dresden's Galerie Neue Meister.
Masterpieces from the romantic are juxtaposed alongside paintings by artists such as Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), Mark Rothko (1903-1970) and Gerhard Richter (1932-).
Drama, baby!
From the March 16 to 24, Berlin's Schaubühne will host the International Festival of New Drama (F.I.N.D.) where producers from all over Europe will premiere their latest works.
This includes Hungarian Proton Theatre's "Frankenstein Project," exploring fatherhood and artificial and biological insemination.
It is hoped that the meeting of directors, actors and script writers at the festival will inspire new theater works for the Schaubühne.
Burning bright at Easter
Everything Easter comes to Germany in March with brightly colored eggs and bunnies. This year the Christian festival is early with Easter Sunday falling on March 31.
Countless traditions are celebrated around the clock on the Easter weekend including lighting Easter candles, painting Easter eggs and baking Osterlamm (sweet cakes in the shape of a lamb), though the Easter bonfires are a special highlight of the festivities. Huge fires are lit in many states like Bavaria or Westphalia on Easter Saturday or Sunday.
The majority of Easter bonfires are open to the public and in many villages the locals gather around the fire to celebrate. This tradition actually pre-dates Christianity when the bonfires marked a symbolic farewell to winter.