Else Lasker-Schüler Society

The Else Lasker-Schüler-Gesellschaft e.V. (ELSG) is a German voluntary literary association founded in 1990 in Wuppertal by Hajo Jahn. It is dedicated to the life and work of the poet and artist Else Lasker-Schüler (1869–1945), who was born in Elberfeld (now part of Wuppertal) and persecuted during the Nazi era. The society describes itself as a politically engaged literary society committed to a contemporary culture of remembrance. Its headquarters are at Herzogstr. 42 in Wuppertal, a house where Else Lasker-Schüler lived before moving to Berlin. With around 1,200 members worldwide, it is one of the largest literary associations in Germany. The ELSG organizes the Else-Lasker-Schüler-Forum every one to two years, as well as exhibitions, readings, lectures, concerts, discussions, and school visits by contemporary witnesses. It also awards the Else-Lasker-Schüler-Lyrikpreis (poetry prize) and a sponsorship prize. The society is the initiator of the "Zentrum für verfolgte Künste" (Center for Persecuted Arts) in Solingen, realized at the Kunstmuseum Solingen. It maintains the virtual center at www.exil-archiv.de and the educational platform www.exil-club.de. The society's work includes supporting research on Else Lasker-Schüler and the publication of a critical complete edition of her works.

The Else Lasker-Schüler-Gesellschaft (ELSG) was founded in 1990 in Wuppertal by Hajo Jahn. Its first chairman was Friedhelm Beiner; Hajo Jahn, a former WDR journalist, served as second chairman and honorary managing director, and has been first chairman since 1997. The society is headquartered at Herzogstr. 42 in Wuppertal, a house where Else Lasker-Schüler lived before moving to Berlin. The ELSG is a politically engaged literary society dedicated to the memory of the poet and artist Else Lasker-Schüler (1869–1945), who was born in Elberfeld (now part of Wuppertal), persecuted during the Nazi era, and died in Israel in 1945. The society aims to keep her literary and artistic work alive as an important contribution to German-Jewish culture. It supports research on Else Lasker-Schüler and the publication of a critical complete edition of her works. A central goal is the establishment of the "Else-Lasker-Schüler-Zentrum der verfolgten Künste" (Center for Persecuted Arts) as a national institution against the "universality of forgetting". This was realized at the Kunstmuseum Solingen with the Gerhard Schneider collection of visual art and the exile literature "Sammlung Jürgen Serke", including original drawings by Else Lasker-Schüler that were confiscated in 1937 as "degenerate" from the Berlin Nationalgalerie, and original letters from Thomas Mann to the Deutsche Exilblätter in Santiago de Chile. The virtual center exists online at www.exil-archiv.de, and the educational platform www.exil-club.de has been "frozen" due to lack of funds. The society organizes the Else-Lasker-Schüler-Forum every one to two years, as well as exhibitions, readings, lectures, concerts, discussions, and school visits by contemporary witnesses. Some forums have been held in Wrocław, Prague, Zurich, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv. The Else-Lasker-Schüler-Lyrikpreis was first awarded in 1994 to Thomas Kling, with Barbara Köhler receiving the sponsorship prize that year. The second winner was Friederike Mayröcker in 1996. After a long pause due to lack of sponsors, the prize was revived in 2016, awarded to Safiye Can (€3,000). Subsequent winners include The Poetry Project Berlin (2018), Nora Gomringer (2022), and Dinçer Güçyeter (2024, €5,000), with Sarah Kiyanrad receiving the sponsorship prize (€2,000) in 2024. The society has around 1,200 members worldwide (as of October 2020), making it one of the largest literary associations in Germany. Prominent members have included Nobel laureates Elfriede Jelinek and Herta Müller, actors Corinna Harfouch, Hannelore Hoger, and Nina Hoger, writers Sarah Kirsch, Reiner Kunze, Hans Joachim Schädlich, Jürgen Fuchs, Erich Loest, and Otto Sander, as well as politicians such as former German President Johannes Rau, Rita Süssmuth, and Claudia Roth. Honorary members include Paul Avraham Alsberg, Hans Sahl, Adolf Burger, George Dreyfus, Ingrid Bachér, and Ulla Hahn.

• 2026

  Else-Lasker-Schüler-Lyrikpreis awarded to Wolf Biermann and Sirka Elspaß (sponsorship prize) on April 17, 2026.

• 2024

  Dinçer Güçyeter awarded the Else-Lasker-Schüler-Lyrikpreis (€5,000); Sarah Kiyanrad receives sponsorship prize (€2,000).

• 2022

  Nora Gomringer awarded the Else-Lasker-Schüler-Lyrikpreis.

• 2018

  The Poetry Project Berlin awarded the Else-Lasker-Schüler-Lyrikpreis.

• 2016

  Else-Lasker-Schüler-Lyrikpreis revived after long pause; Safiye Can awarded (€3,000).

• 2001

  First ELS forum abroad: "Die Reise nach Jerusalem" in Israel.

• 1997

  Hajo Jahn becomes first chairman of the society.

• 1996

  Friederike Mayröcker receives the Else-Lasker-Schüler-Lyrikpreis.

• 1994

  Else-Lasker-Schüler-Lyrikpreis awarded for the first time to Thomas Kling; Barbara Köhler receives sponsorship prize.

• 1993

  First Else-Lasker-Schüler-Forum: "Der blaue Jaguar" in Wuppertal.

• 1990

  Else Lasker-Schüler-Gesellschaft founded in Wuppertal by Hajo Jahn.

A politically engaged literary society dedicated to remembrance culture and the legacy of Else Lasker-Schüler, opposing the "universality of forgetting".

• Else-Lasker-Schüler-Forum

  A recurring literary forum held every 1–2 years, often in cities connected to German-Jewish history.

• Else-Lasker-Schüler-Lyrikpreis

  A poetry prize awarded since 1994, with a sponsorship prize for emerging poets.

• Zentrum für verfolgte Künste

  A center for persecuted arts realized at the Kunstmuseum Solingen, initiated by the ELSG.

• Exil-Archiv

  Virtual archive at www.exil-archiv.de documenting exile literature and art.

• Exil-Club

  Educational platform at www.exil-club.de, currently frozen due to lack of funds.

1. 1Official websiteelse-lasker-schueler-gesellschaft.de
2. 2Impressumelse-lasker-schueler-gesellschaft.de
3. 3Wikidata entrywikidata.org
4. 4German Wikipedia articlede.wikipedia.org