Kafka’s favourite Music

Carl Loewe: Graf Eberstein. (Text: Ludwig Uhland.) Interpreted by Hermann Prey. (Youtube – Sound only)

This ballade was Kafkas favourite piece of music (according to his friend Max Brod and this overview article).

The text of the ballade is quite fresh in the end – fresher than it sounds in the  english translation (which translates “Schön Jungfräulein” with “My dearest wife” instead of “beautiful little virgin”)

Kafka-Gedenkraum Kierling

Don’t expect much when you go there. It’s improvised, poorly presented and you don’t see any personal belongings of Kafka – only a few copied documents, pictures and books. The room, where Kafka died, is not accessable; when I went there the last time, it was let to an elderly lady, who just lived there.

The key to the commemorative room is in the house; another elderly lady, who lives in the ground floor, hands it out. Look up the opening hours and details.

In 2011 it was not clear if the Kafka Gesellschaft can further on afford the rent for the Kafka Gedenkraum or not and if it gets closed. (Article about the situation in Der Standard)