Readers reaction paramount to success of the Novel- Ingo Schulze

Goethe-Institut Max Mueller Bhavan Pune in association with the German Department of Savitribai Phule Pune University ( SPPU) organized a Scenic Reading and Discussion program on the acclaimed novel ‘Die Rechtschaffenen Morder’ written by well-known German author Ingo Schulze.This bilingual session (German–Marathi) reflected on the novel and explored themes of memory, morality, and social transformation in contemporary Europe.

This event was a part of the Goethe-Institut’s ongoing commitment to promoting German literature, literary translation, and intercultural exchange. Through readings and discussions such as this, the Goethe-Institut seeks to encourage engagement with contemporary voices from Germany while fostering meaningful conversations within local cultural contexts.

Author Ingo Schulze, Swati Acharya, former HoD German language Dept at SPPU, Mr.Markus Biechele, Director Goethe Institut Max Mueller Bhavan, Pune were present on the occasion. Vaishali Dabke and Pranav Bapat read the parts of the novel in Marathi, while Ingo Schulze did it in German. The book reading was followed by an interactive session with Ingo Schulze and Swati Acharya.

The program started with a Dance performance by Swarada Datar and Mitali presenting the gist of the Novel.

Ingo Schulze said that it is amazing how readers, especially youngsters, react to the novel. The novels have history, people try to relate with their own experiences and present context.

The students at the German Department of SPPU in a session had presented themselves in various characters of the novel and asked questions and interacted with the author while at Goethe- Institut, two youngsters expressed themselves in the form of dance. So how people react is paramount to the success of the book, added Schulze.

Ingo Schulze’s India visit included a similar program in Calicut. His novel has been translated into Malayalam. The translation into Marathi is in process and is being done by Swati Acharya who is also the first member from India at German Academy for language and poetry. Swati Acharya said that translation is also an autonomous work. So the book in original and the translated version belong to two different authors together. The book was first published in 1995, the Marathi version is expected to be out by May this year.

The book is set against the backdrop of reunification of east and west Germany in 1989. The apparent contradiction in this title is the central theme of this novel, showing how this paradox is experienced in all societies. The integrity of people who consider themselves intellectuals and book lovers appear to be merely superficial hypocrisy when faced with life’s challenging situations. Norman Polini, a man living in Dresden, a city in what was then East Germany, is the main character in the story. When East and West Germany were officially reunified, the citizens of the former East Germany had to face countless ideological, emotional, social, linguistic, and economic changes and challenges.

Ingo Schulze is a leading contemporary German author known for his novels, short stories, and essays that explore social transformation, memory, and everyday life in post-reunification Germany. His work is widely translated and internationally acclaimed for its precise style, subtle irony, and deep engagement with political and moral questions.

Die rechtschaffenen Mörder is among his most discussed recent works, offering a complex portrait of responsibility and ideological change.