Charitable Organization, Catholic Women's Social Services, expresses satisfaction over received contributions
Mascha Kaléko, a significant voice of the Weimar-era literary scene and a contributor to the New Objectivity movement, was the focus of a recent event in Koblenz. The event, titled "No Time Like the Present," was organised by the Friends of Reading and Books Association and the Zonta Club of Koblenz and took place at the Koblenz City Library.
The event raised a total of 900€ in donations, which were presented to the Social Service of Catholic Women in Koblenz. Representatives of the organisation, Petra Assenmacher and Stefanie Coopmeiners, were present at the event and expressed their gratitude for the contribution.
Kaléko, a German-language poet and prose writer, was known for her sharp and everyday-life-inspired poetry that belonged to the New Objectivity literary movement. Born in Galicia in 1907 into a Jewish family of Russian descent, she grew up in Marburg and Berlin and began publishing poems in Berlin newspapers in the late 1920s.
Her first poetry collection, Das lyrische Stenogrammheft, was published in 1933, coinciding with the Nazis' rise to power in Germany, and was well received. However, due to her Jewish heritage, she was banned from publishing in 1938 and fled Germany with her husband Chemjo Vinaver, a musicologist, and their child, initially emigrating to New York, then later settling in Jerusalem in 1966.
Despite exile, Berlin remained a central reference in her work, especially in her reflections on loss and displacement, as seen in poems like "Bleibtreu heißt die Straße," where she mourns what was lost due to Nazism and exile. Kaléko died in Zurich in 1975 during a return trip from Germany.
Kaléko's poetry, often marked by wit, melancholy, and a keen social observation, continues to be performed and set to music, as evidenced by contemporary artists like Dota singing her poems. Her work remains recognised for its sharp, clear-eyed poetry capturing both humor and hardship in tumultuous times.
The donation received will be utilised for various projects undertaken by the Social Service of Catholic Women in Koblenz. The organisation offers a wide range of services, including counselling, education, and support for women and children in need. The funds raised at the event will help them continue their important work in the community.
The event "No Time Like the Present" was a fitting tribute to Mascha Kaléko's legacy, bringing together literature and community service in a meaningful way. The organisers expressed their hope that the event would inspire others to support local organisations and continue to celebrate the work of important artists like Kaléko.
The organisers of the event, inspired by Mascha Kaléko's legacy, expressed their hope that it would inspire others to support local organizations, specifically mentioning the utilization of funds raised for various projects undertaken by the Social Service of Catholic Women in Koblenz, thus contributing to a better home-and-garden life for those in need. The event, following the theme "No Time Like the Present," also symbolized a shift in lifestyle towards community service and charity, reflecting the sharp-eyed, yet compassionate, ethos found in Kaléko's poetry.
