Birgit Poppe reads from her novel The Painter in the Birch Forest in Bochum
Date and Time
Location
About this Event
Mood
Venue Type
An evening between Birch Forest, artistic freedom and new beginnings
On November 25, 2026, the Bochum city library invites you to a reading with Bochum author and art historian Dr. Birgit Poppe. The focus is on her historical women's novel The Painter in the Birch Forest, which unfolds the artist colony of Worpswede around 1900 as a backdrop for a moving search for self-determination.
Worpswede as a literary resonance space
Birgit Poppe combines narrative tension with art historical context. Her protagonist Ella dreams of a life as an artist, but women are excluded from the Düsseldorf Art Academy. In Worpswede, she encounters influential artistic personalities such as Paula Modersohn-Becker, Clara Westhoff, Heinrich Vogeler, Fritz Mackensen, and Otto Modersohn.
Art or convention?
The novel places the reader right in the middle of a cultural upheaval. Ella faces the decision between social security and a free, creative life. An engagement, new encounters, and fascination with the Parisian art scene intensify her inner conflict. Poppe's narrative style makes visible how closely artistic freedom, gender roles, and personal life plans are interconnected.
Literary experience with an art historical perspective
The reading atmosphere gains special depth through Poppe's professional perspective. As a PhD art historian and cultural scientist, she has been working for many years on the art and culture of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism, and artist biographies. Her authorial voice combines literary clarity with historical accuracy and opens a differentiated approach to the art history of Worpswede.
Birgit Poppe and the history of female artists
In addition to novels, Poppe has published numerous art historical books, reviews, and catalog contributions. Her topics include female artists of the Blue Rider, August Macke, and modern painting. In The Painter in the Birch Forest, she highlights the life plans of women who asserted themselves against academic and societal boundaries.
The event promises an intimate author encounter, art historical insights, and an atmospheric look at Worpswede as a place of new beginnings. Those who want to connect literature, painting, and cultural history will experience an evening at the Bochum city library that transcends the novel's plot.
Official channels of Birgit Poppe:
- Instagram: no official profile found
- Facebook: no official profile found
- Website: https://www.birgit-poppe.de/
- Publisher: no official profile found
