Harald Martenstein reads from his new book „Being nice isn't the answer either“

Tickets €19 in advance

€24 at the box office

The new collection of columns by Harald Martenstein—cheeky, wicked,
full of biting humor

Harald Martenstein is considered by many to be Germany's most important columnist. He finds his topics in big politics as well as in the small impositions of everyday life. When everyone else is getting upset, he advocates calmness; when everyone else wants to be nice, he comes up with malicious remarks. Whether he is writing about public finances, beautiful Russian women, having children, or German cyclists, Martenstein is always opinionated, witty, and entertaining. His favorite tool is common sense, and his enemies are complainers, know-it-alls, and dogmatists. He is not afraid of hate speech or shitstorms.

5 questions for Harald Martenstein

1. Have you ever been to Havelberg before, and how did this reading evening come about?

I have never been to Havelberg. I am coming to Havelberg because I was invited, and because there is nothing against Havelberg. Isn't that great? When a place can claim:
In the eyes of an author with average education, is there nothing to be said against us? 

2. Who chose the cover image for your new book, and what is it supposed to convey to readers? (if they haven't read the book yet)

The cover of my latest book shows a man sitting in a movie theater. It contains stories about movies and cinema, and it is by a man. The penultimate book cover shows a cat with a Hitler moustache. It contains a story about cats with Hitler moustaches and their fate, which will be read aloud in Havelberg, so I won't reveal the punchline. 

3. In previous columns, your older son was sometimes the protagonist. Now it's the younger one. Does the older one miss his presence or is he happy about it?

Fortunately, my older son has never minded appearing in my columns. May the younger one follow his older brother's example in this regard. 

4. How does your private circle deal with the risk of being featured in your columns?

Anyone who writes texts of this kind has to accept that sometimes someone will be offended. That's part of the occupational hazard. Roofers and professional boxers live more dangerous lives. I could live without my social circle if I had to, but not without the freedom to write what I want.

5. You polarize your readership and are often attacked. For example, some say that Martenstein is the Mario Barth for ZEIT readers. Does that bother you, and how do you deal with it? 

See above. It is impossible to take any position without encountering hostility. The tone in this country is naturally becoming increasingly aggressive. Of course, I sometimes get annoyed, but annoyance is also good fuel for a columnist. The opposite—nobody caring what I write—would be much more unpleasant for me. Even Loriot was sometimes criticized in his early years for being lowbrow. Unfortunately, such a sophisticated accusation as „that's lowbrow“ is rarely heard these days.

Thank you very much for talking to us. The questions were asked by Renate Lewerken.

Harald Martenstein

Every Sunday, Harald Martenstein's (*1953) column appears in the Tagesspiegel newspaper.
As an editor and columnist, he writes about political, cultural, and social life in Germany.