On November 23, we invite you to the next session of the Central European Book Club. Due to renovations at the ICC as part of the FEnIKS project, we will once again meet next door—at the Potocki Palace—to discuss a book by one of the most important German prose writers of the 20th and early 21st centuries, Walter Kempowski.
November 23, 2026 (Monday), 18.00
Location: Potocki Palace—Chamber Hall, Rynek Główny 20, Kraków.
During the November meeting of the Central European Book Club, we will once again delve into the story of people caught up in the machinery of so-called “grand history.” In his latest published novel, “All for Nothing”, Walter Kempowski depicts the collapse of the German world in East Prussia. He focuses on the character of Katharina von Globig, who, left behind without her husband – who is at the front – is bored, reads, receives a succession of unexpected guests, and reminisces about past trips to the Baltic Sea. The political situation shifts like a kaleidoscope: on the one hand, the “red flood” is approaching and Germans are fleeing the occupied territories; on the other, figures in striped uniforms are appearing along the road. The cool, irony-laced narrative reveals a world in which former victors become the vanquished and persecutors turn into fugitives.
The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Paulina Małochleb.
Walter Kempowski, “All for Nothing”, trans. Małgorzata Gralińska, ArtRage Publishing, Warsaw 2023.
The event is presented by the International Cultural Centre in Kraków, the Potocki Palace, and the Kraków Festival Office.
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The International Cultural Centre will expand its programme to include many interesting and innovative events thanks to the project “Modernisation and refurbishment of the ground floor of the Ravens House and renovation of the technical infrastructure at the headquarters of the International Cultural Centre in Kraków”, worth 13,541,096.08 PLN. This project has received a grant of PLN 8,744,388.51 from the European Union’s European Funds under the FEnIKS programme.
The project aims to create a space open to the public that will foster social interaction, education and participation in cultural life. In addition to the new facilities on the ground floor, the project includes the modernisation of the technical infrastructure of the ICC Gallery and conference rooms, the purchase of modern multimedia equipment, and the implementation of solutions to improve accessibility for people with special needs. We will be organising discussions and lectures, workshops incorporating sensory elements, city quests, comic-book and innovation workshops, as well as meetings of the ICC Youth Council – these are just some of the innovative events offered by the ICC thanks to the FEnIKS project! New cultural events will be available online or in a hybrid format (in-person and online).
