Ausstellungseröffnung mit Lesung: „Kritik und Engagement. Schriftstellerinnen in Hamburg und Altona um 1900“

The Ottensen District Archive, Christiansen Bookstore, and Wachholtz Publishing cordially invite you to the opening of the exhibition “Criticism and Commitment: Women Writers in Hamburg and Altona around 1900.”

The exhibition, curated by Dr. Dirk Hempel and Wachholtz Verlag, honors courageous female authors such as Ilse Frapan, Helene Höhnk, Anna Klapp, and Ida Dehmel, who broke with the conventions of their time around 1900. They lived self-determined lives, advocated for education, professional opportunities, and equal rights for women, and critically examined patriarchal oppression and social subjugation in their works.

At the opening, actress Ute Hannig will read excerpts from *Wir haben kein Vaterland* by Ilse Frapan. Following the reading, editor Dr. Dirk Hempel will contextualize Ilse Frapan and other female writers from both historical and literary perspectives: What role did these women play in Hamburg and Altona? Why were they forgotten? And why is it worthwhile to rediscover them today?

• Opening Reception: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
• Start: 6:00 p.m.
• Location: Kesselhaus, Ottensen District Archive – Geschichtswerkstatt für Altona e.V., Zeißstraße 28, 22765 Hamburg
• Free admission

The book *Wir haben kein Vaterland* by Ilse Frapan, edited by Dirk Hempel, will be released on the day of the event and will also be available for purchase on site.

Exhibition dates: September 2 through October 15, 2026