Poets' duel: Rilke versus Köppen - who gets the truth?

Poets' duel: Rilke versus Köppen - who gets the truth?

What do Rainer Maria Rilke and Edlef Köppen have in common? This question will be answered on October 15, 2025 at the fictional poetry competition in Cologne. The event is organized by Herbert Karl von Beesten, who promises a unique combination of reading, theater, film and discussion. Actors transform into the two important literary figures, and the audience has the opportunity to decide which perspective - Rilke's romanticized depiction of the war in "Cornet" or Köppen's unsparing depiction of the most brutal reality at the front in "Heeresbericht" - is the more convincing. Admission is free, but registration is required. The event is organized by the Jerichower Land Library Support Association. V. funded.

Edlef Köppen, born in Genthin in 1893, was not only a poet, but also had a fascinating CV. As the son of a doctor, he first attended the Progymnasium in Genthin and later the Viktoria-Gymnasium in Potsdam. After graduating from high school in 1913, he studied German, philosophy and art history at the universities of Kiel and Munich and continued his education under renowned teachers such as Heinrich Wölfflin. But fate called him into the army in September 1914, where he served as a volunteer in Field Artillery Regiment No. 40 and fought on numerous fronts until the end of the First World War in October 1918.

From soldier to writer

Köppen's experiences at the front left deep marks on his soul. From a war-loving soldier he developed into a pacifist. In 1918 he refused to continue fighting and was sent to a psychiatric clinic in Mainz. After the war he tried to gain a foothold as an author and, among other things, was an editor at Gustav Kiepenheuer Verlag. Despite his literary ambitions, Köppen had to struggle with health problems that were due to his war injuries and ultimately led to a stay in a sanatorium.

Although he was active in the literary scene, Köppen experienced setbacks, including when his novel “Heeresbericht” was banned in 1935. He continued to publish reviews and short stories under the pseudonym Joachim Felde, but fought against the shadows of National Socialism. His refusal to join the NSDAP and to work on an anti-Semitic film program led to his immediate dismissal as head of the literary department of the Funk-Stunde Berlin in 1933.

Köppen's legacy

Edlef Köppen died in a pulmonary sanatorium in Gießen in 1939, marked by the long-term effects of his war injuries. Today, parts of his estate are in the Potsdam Museum - Forum for Art and History, and Köppen's archive has been in the Jerichower Land District Museum in Genthin since 2003. His work and the reflections on his experiences during the war are part of the cultural heritage and go beyond the time when he entered into literary competition with Rilke.

Visit the poetry competition and experience how these two different approaches to depicting war come together in a gripping format. Because as the saying goes: When words come to life, no heart stays cold.