Helmut Lethen, Cultural Scholar and Author of 'Verhaltenslehren der Kälte,' Dies at 87

Helmut Lethen, a prominent German scholar in literature and culture, passed away at the age of 87 on August 13, 2023, in Vienna, as reported by his publisher Rowohlt Berlin. He was born in Mönchengladbach in 1939 and served as a professor at the University of Utrecht from 1977 to 1996, later holding the chair in Modern German Literature at the University of Rostock. Lethen also led the International Research Center for Cultural Studies in Vienna from 2007 to 2016. His significant publications include 'Der Sound der Väter' (2006) and 'Der Schatten des Fotografen' (2014), the latter earning the Leipzig Book Fair Prize. In 2020, he released his memoirs titled 'Denn für dieses Leben ist der Mensch nicht schlau genug.' His life story inspired the performance 'Three Times Left is Right,' directed by Julian Hetzel, set to premiere in 2025.