Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk

Introductory words: Alfred Schmidt

Reading: Charlotte Aigner

When Franz Kafka (1883-1924), who had been suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis since 1917, was accompanied back to Vienna from Berlin by Max Brod on March 17, 1924, he was in a dramatically poor state of health. Much to Kafka's dissatisfaction, but unavoidably, the Berlin adventure had to be cut short. He stayed in his parents' apartment in Prague until April 5, the day he left for Austria. Shortly after his arrival on March 20, he noticed a slight burning sensation in his throat when speaking and drinking, which developed into a real sore throat within the next week. Nevertheless, he was able to write and completed the story „Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk“ during this last stay in Prague. „I started examining the animal squeak at the right time,“ Kafka mentioned to Robert Klopstock, alluding to the first signs of the health change in his throat.

A short time later, he was diagnosed with laryngeal tuberculosis at the Wienerwald sanatorium in Feichtenbach, the first stop on his trip to Austria, which was intended as a spa stay.

Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk is Kafka's last story. On a (previously unpublished) conversation note, Kafka wrote about the title that such „or-titles“ are not very pretty, but here it perhaps makes special sense, it has something of a balance. The story was first published in the Easter supplement of the Prague press on April 20, 1924, the day after Franz Kafka arrived in Kierling, at the instigation of Max Brod.

After the reading, we look forward to engaging in conversation with the audience.

Admission free!

Registration required at info@franzkafka.at or 0043 1 5338159.