»There is no memory without perception«: New Publication from Bauhaus-Universitätsverlag Honors Maurice Halbwachs’ Thinking and Work
In December 2024, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar held a ceremony to rename its auditorium maximum the »Maurice-Halbwachs-Auditorium« in honor of the French sociologist and philosopher. The ceremony on 4 December 2024 featured numerous speeches by prominent academics – these can now be read in the volume »Es gibt also keine Erinnerung ohne Wahrnehmung« / »Il n'y a donc pas de souvenir sans perception«, which has just been published by Bauhaus-Universitätsverlag.
The bilingual volume in German and French focuses on Maurice Halbwachs, after whom the lecture hall is named, and highlights the many connections Halbwachs had to Weimar and Germany. His work, his influence, and his death as a result of the inhumane conditions in Buchenwald concentration camp continue to shape academic and social memory to this day. The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar feels a special commitment to this important 20th-century thinker and founder of the concept of collective memory, and by renaming the Audimax, it has sent a clear signal against fascism and authoritarianism.
The contributions to the 84-page book come from renowned voices in cultural studies and sociology, including Aleida Assmann, Bertrand Müller, and Lise Halbwachs, the scholar's granddaughter. The book is supplemented by an academic contribution from two Weimar professors, Frank Eckardt and Henning Schmidgen, which highlights the relevance of Halbwachs' thinking for today's research and teaching at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. The bilingual volume is edited by University President Peter Benz and Library Director Frank Simon-Ritz.
The volume is aimed at readers seeking a well-founded introduction to the life and work of Maurice Halbwachs. The compendium invites readers to rediscover a European intellectual who still receives too little attention in German-speaking countries.
A public book presentation will take place on 7 January 2026 at 5.30 pm at Bauhaus.Atelier, Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 6a. Anyone interested is welcome to attend; admission is free.
The book is now available in bookshops for 14 euros.
Peter Benz / Frank Simon-Ritz (Hrsg.)
»Es gibt also keine Erinnerung ohne Wahrnehmung« / »Il n’y a donc pas de souvenir sans perception«
Vorträge anlässlich der Einweihung des Maurice-Halbwachs-Auditoriums an der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar am 4. Dezember 2024
Ilmtal-Weinstraße: Bauhaus-Universitätsverlag, 2025 (ISBN 978-3-95773-324-5)
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Frank Simon-Ritz, Director of the University Library, by phone at +49 3643 582800 or by email at frank.simon-ritz[at]uni-weimar.de.