The prologue: October – November 2026

The festival: April – November 2027

The Brandenburg State Foundation Kleist-Museum, in close cooperation with the city of Frankfurt (Oder), initiated the festival and serves as a coordinating platform for regional and supraregional institutions. It will also function as a production site and venue for a multi-layered, participatory, and accessible programme.

Under the title “Kreuzungen – Intersections. 250 – Kleist,” the festival will create spaces for encounter, spark and sustain dialogue, and trace intersecting decisions and modes of thought. What happens when literature meets the visual arts? What research has been conducted on Kleist? Which contemporary and historical-critical perspectives on his work are emerging? How is Kleist read today? And how might his writing inspire new ideas of open coexistence in an era marked by multiple crises, but also by new beginnings and creative efforts toward change?

The anniversary year will address these questions both conceptually and artistically, while honoring Kleist as an author.

In October 2026, the Kleist-Museum, together with international partners and artists, will present a thematic prologue leading into the anniversary year. A temporary Open Workshop will be established as a venue and meeting point.

The festival, taking place from April to November 2027, will include readings, performances, installations, the opening of a new permanent exhibition, and an extensive discourse and outreach programme.