In July, the Mönchengladbach Stadtbibliothek, under the leadership of Yilmaz Holtz-Ersahin, hosted the Sommer Lese Club based on the Pre-Texts methodology. Over five weeks, families, children, and participants of all ages explored literature in English and German and discovered new ways to read and learn together. The program was directed by Harvard College student Paul Palmer, visual artist Daniela Flörsheim, and musician Roland Wolff. They invited participants, including immigrants from a range of languages and cultures, to approach texts in German with creativity and imagination. From George Orwell’s Animal Farm to Heinrich Heine’s Die Lore-Ley, the workshops showed the power of Pre-Texts to strengthen language skills, nurture artistic expression, and build bridges across generations and cultures.
