Name: Hamburg liest Lenz 2026
Start: 2026-03-01T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-31T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Verschiedene Spielorte in Hamburg

Hamburg liest Lenz

About Hamburg liest Lenz

In March 2026, Siegfried Lenz would have turned one hundred. The citywide festival "Hamburg liest Lenz" commemorates one of the most important German storytellers of the 20th century, who lived in Hamburg for a long time, for a month. Readings, discussions, book premieres, theater performances, exhibitions, and literary walks spread throughout the city — supported by a network of libraries, theaters, schools, and bookstores. A dense month for all who love German post-war literature.

Dates 01 Mar — 31 Mar 2026

Venue Hamburg (02000)

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Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Hamburg liest Lenz — edition 2026

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"Hamburg liest Lenz" 2026 runs throughout March — for Siegfried Lenz's 100th birthday. The opening is a matinee on March 1st at the Rolf Liebermann Studio of NDR. Highlights: Book premiere "Am Widerhaken hängt das Glück," world premiere "Der Überläufer" (Kammerspiele), special reading "Der Mann im Strom" with historical divers.

For four weeks, the festival will be spread across the entire city. Literaturhaus Hamburg, Schauspielhaus, Kammerspiele, bookstores, libraries, schools, and community cultural centers are participating. The program includes classic readings, productions, book premieres, exhibitions, literary walks, and a series of unusual formats.

A focus is placed on combining Lenz's texts with other arts — theater, yoga, diving, music. The festival aims to attract an audience beyond classic literature lovers and to bring back a writer into Hamburg's daily life whose books are firmly established in German school curricula.

Highlights Hamburg liest Lenz 2026

Opening matinee at NDR, world premiere "Der Überläufer," book premiere of the posthumous anthology, and the reading with historical divers for "Der Mann im Strom."

Programme Hamburg liest Lenz 2026

Opening

March 1, 2026: Matinee at the Rolf Liebermann Studio of NDR — festive festival opening

Book Highlights

Book Premiere "Am Widerhaken hängt das Glück" — Anthology with texts from Lenz's literary estate
Readings from "Deutschstunde," "Heimatmuseum," "Der Mann im Strom"

Theater

World Premiere "Der Überläufer" at the Hamburger Kammerspiele

Special Formats

Special reading "Der Mann im Strom" with divers demonstrating historical diving techniques
Yin Yoga Reading: Combining literature and bodywork
Literary city walks to Lenz's Hamburg locations

District Activities

Libraries, schools, and bookstores in all districts with their own readings and events

Prices Hamburg liest Lenz 2026

Many program items are free or have a small admission fee. Theater performances and some special events are ticketed.

Practical information

Practical information — Hamburg liest Lenz

Getting There

The events are spread across the entire city — the venues are most often reached by S-Bahn and U-Bahn. The Literaturhaus is located at Schwanenwik (Bus 6 or S Hauptbahnhof + Bus).

Tickets

Mostly free or with small entrance fees. Theater and reading tickets are available through the respective venues.

Program

Full program at hamburgliest.de.

A Writer, A City

Siegfried Lenz (1926–2014) lived in Hamburg from the late 1940s onwards. He was one of the most influential storytellers in the Federal Republic, and his novel "Deutschstunde" is among the most widely read works in German school literature. For his 100th birthday in March 2026, the Hanseatic city dedicates its own festival to him, literally transforming the city into a reading festival.

Program Throughout the City

Over four weeks, readings, book premieres, productions, and discussions will be held in all seven districts. The opening is a matinee on March 1st at the Rolf Liebermann Studio of NDR. During the month, the Kammerspiele will stage the world premiere "Der Überläufer," and the anthology "Am Widerhaken hängt das Glück" with posthumous texts from the Lenz archive will have its book premiere.

Lenz Up Close

The festival also includes unusual formats: a reading of "Der Mann im Strom" with divers demonstrating historical diving techniques; a Yin Yoga reading that combines literature and bodywork; literary city walks to Hamburg locations that shaped Lenz. Schools and libraries throughout the city are participating with their own programs.

Sponsorship and History

The festival is supported by the Siegfried Lenz Foundation together with the Literaturhaus Hamburg (in the district of Hamburg-Nord, Uhlenhorst neighborhood), the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, and the Ministry of Culture and Media. Previous editions focused on Wolfgang Borchert (2021), banned books (2023), and the Elbe River (2025). With Lenz, 2026 marks arguably the largest edition to date.