The Erfurt school shooting – Kaleb Erdmann and Marcel Laskus weigh up the unspeakable
On the last day of exams in 2002, a shooting took place at Gutenberg High School in Erfurt that became etched into Germany’s collective memory. Kaleb Erdmann’s novel, The Emergency School (shortlisted for the German Book Prize 2025), is an impressive literary treatment of this event and a clever analysis of (autofictional) writing about private recollections and collective perception. “The saddest, funniest and best thing I’ve read in a long time” (Caroline Wahl).
Marcel Laskus, who also lived through the shooting as a 12-year-old student, embarked on a search for clues in his podcast for Süddeutsche Zeitung, 71 Schüsse [“71 Shots”]. With journalistic meticulousness, he read investigation reports, talked to witnesses and met with the bereaved. At this event, the two will discuss their work, reality in fiction (and vice versa), and the alarming voyeurism involved in examining acts of violence.
Contributors
Kaleb Erdmann
Born in 1991, Kaleb Erdmann studied literary writing at the German… This text was shortened for this overview. Follow the more-link to read the full text.
Marcel Laskus
Marcel Laskus has been a reporter and editor at Süddeutsche Zeitung … This text was shortened for this overview. Follow the more-link to read the full text.
Event data
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Date:
Sunday
15. March 2026
17:00 -
Pre Pre sale price (fees excluded) ab 18 €
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Accessibility
- Sign language Available
- Wheelchair friendly + toilets Available
- Assistance dogs welcome Available
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