Elizabeth Hoak-Doering’s groundbreaking research is represented in part by her find in 2017 of a uniquely annotated copy of Harper Lee’s classic American novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, at the former Stasi prison, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen.
In this German edition of the masterpiece, she found that prisoners had discreetly underlined passages about injustice and freedom, while the Stasi monitors pointed out that passages with pencil marks in the margins. She concludes that the way the novel’s celebrated central themes of prejudice and unfairness were played out on the pages by the inmates and wardens in an East German prison is inspiring from many angles, including how individuals can act in matters of personal resistance against unlawful regimes and oppression.
German philosopher, media theorist, and art critic Prof. Knut Ebeling will moderate, and both speakers will be introduced by DAI Sachsen Director Eric Fraunholz.