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Claudia Roth at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial: »Expressing the diversity of society«
Photo: Ilia Yefimovich / dpa
Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) held extensive cultural-political talks during her first visit to Israel.
The meeting with her counterpart Hili Tropper was an "intensive encounter," said Roth on Tuesday in Tel Aviv.
Israel is of "special importance" for Germany and they want to intensify cooperation.
You have invited Tropper to a return visit.
"He's never been to Germany."
During the visit, the Israeli National Library in Jerusalem and the German Literature Archive in Marbach signed a declaration of intent for closer cooperation.
Among other things, this involves exhibitions of letters by the writer Franz Kafka (1883-1924) in Marbach and Jerusalem in 2024. In addition, a virtual Kafka archive is to be set up to which the institutions can upload their holdings.
Legal dispute over the Kafka estate
A legal dispute over documents by the Jewish-Czech writer Franz Kafka raged until 2016 between the Israeli National Library and the German Literature Archive in Marbach.
The disputed letters, manuscripts and drawings came from Max Brod's estate and after his death some were stolen and offered for sale in Germany, including the Marbach Literature Archive.
In 2016, Israel's Supreme Court ruled that the entire Brod estate belonged to the National Library.
In 2019, the original documents finally arrived in Jerusalem.
Art and culture could help "to express the diversity of society," said Minister of State for Culture Roth.
This also applies to the Arab minority in Israel.
"Culture can build bridges where others build walls." During her visit, Roth met various Israeli artists, including the painter and concentration camp survivor Yehuda Bacon.
According to Roth, the Israeli writer David Grossman has agreed to serve as a mentor in promoting young writers in both countries.
At the start of her visit, Roth visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial on Sunday.
ime/dpa
