© Jim Kroft
Weekend Tips: What to Do This Weekend in Berlin
June 26 to 28, 2026: Events, festivals, exhibitions and more things to do for your perfect weekend in Berlin. more
Verflochtene Gedichte. Materialität oraler Literatur und heutige Verantwortung
Date details
- Date Thursday, 02/July/2026 18:00 bis 19:30
- Venue Forschungscampus Dahlem
- Address Lansstraße 8, 14195 Berlin-Zehlendorf
Public transportation
-
Underground
-
Bus
-
U Dahlem-Dorf
- M11
- N3
- X83
-
Edwin-Redslob-Str.
- N3
- X83
-
Arnimallee/Fabeckstr.
- X83
-
Domäne Dahlem
- 110
- N3
- N10
-
Arnimallee
- N3
- X83
-
Hans-Söhnker-Platz
- 101
- X83
-
Löhleinstr.
- 110
- M11
- N3
-
Bachstelzenweg
- N10
- X83
-
Drosselweg
- 110
- N10
- N3
-
Altensteinstr./Fabeckstr.
- 101
-
Hittorfstr.
- M11
-
Königin-Luise-Platz/Botanischer Garten
- N3
- X83
- 101
-
U Dahlem-Dorf
Interwoven poems. The materiality of oral literature and contemporary responsibility
Gewebte Matte (mkeka) aus Lamu
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Ethnologisches Museum und Museum für Asiatische Kunst / Martin Franken
The rhythmic movement of skillful hands reveals an ancient craft: decorated and calligraphed mats from Lamu, an island on the East African Swahili coast in present-day Kenya, are called mikeka.
Since the end of the 19th century, the Ethnological Museum in Dahlem has kept a collection of twelve mikeka from the Lamu archipelago. These mats are special, not least because eight of them have poems in Kiswahili woven into them in Arabic script.
The mikeka tell more than just a story: they carry messages and bear witness to social relationships. They are closely interwoven with German colonial interests and presence in the Lamu Archipelago and the Witu region on the opposite mainland at the end of the 19th century. The reproduction of the Bwana Kisitavu mat kept in the collections exemplifies how the mats interweave past and present.
As archives of oral literature, the calligraphed mats from the East African Swahili coast are the starting point for a discussion between philosopher Prof. Dr. Anne Eusterschulte (Freie Universität Berlin/EXC 2020) and researchers from the Talking Mats group about aesthetic practices, the social functions of "material" communication and the need to enter into an inter-epistemic dialog.
Online registration recommended.
Since the end of the 19th century, the Ethnological Museum in Dahlem has kept a collection of twelve mikeka from the Lamu archipelago. These mats are special, not least because eight of them have poems in Kiswahili woven into them in Arabic script.
The mikeka tell more than just a story: they carry messages and bear witness to social relationships. They are closely interwoven with German colonial interests and presence in the Lamu Archipelago and the Witu region on the opposite mainland at the end of the 19th century. The reproduction of the Bwana Kisitavu mat kept in the collections exemplifies how the mats interweave past and present.
As archives of oral literature, the calligraphed mats from the East African Swahili coast are the starting point for a discussion between philosopher Prof. Dr. Anne Eusterschulte (Freie Universität Berlin/EXC 2020) and researchers from the Talking Mats group about aesthetic practices, the social functions of "material" communication and the need to enter into an inter-epistemic dialog.
Online registration recommended.
Price info: Free admission
Booking: booking/prior registration recommended
Booking: booking/prior registration recommended
Alternative events
© dpa
Sightrunning durch Berlin
Vom Brandenburger Tor bis zum Tiergarten: Sightrunning verbindet Sport und Sightseeing. moreabout: Sightrunning durch Berlin
- Next date:
- Running City Tours
- Date:
- Thursday, 02/July/2026 18:00 (30 more dates)
- Venue:
- Rathaus Schöneberg
- Address:
- John-F-Kennedy-Platz, 10825 Berlin-Schöneberg
- Price:
- from €49.39
© dpa
Kreuzberg Tour: Kriminell und kuschelig
Auf dieser Stadtführung der besonderen Art werfen Interessierte einen Blick hinter die Fassaden von Kreuzberg, dem internationalen Hotspot für den Berliner Lifestyle. moreabout: Kreuzberg Tour: Kriminell und kuschelig
- Next date:
- Kreuzberg Tour - kriminell & kuschelig
- Date:
- Thursday, 02/July/2026 19:00 (183 more dates)
- Venue:
- U-Bahn-Station Kottbusser Tor. Casino 36
- Address:
- Reichenberger Straße 174, 10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg
- Price:
- from €27.10
© Eventim
Mauer Tour - Schicksale & Helden
Fast 60 Jahre nach dem Bau der Mauer und 30 Jahre nach der Wiedervereinigung kommt so manch einem die Zweiteilung einer ganzen Nation vor wie ein schlechter Film. moreabout: Mauer Tour - Schicksale & Helden
- Date:
- Friday, 03/July/2026 11:00 (183 more dates)
- Venue:
- Berlin Nordbahnhof / An den Treppen.
- Address:
- Julie-Wolfthorn-Straße, 10115 Berlin-Mitte
- Price:
- from €27.10
© Eventim
Food Tour durch Berlin-Mitte
In familiärer Atmosphäre flanieren Sie bei dieser Tour durch den Stadtteil Mitte und begegnen an fast jeder Straßenecke zum Teil haarsträubenden Geschichten. Diese werden vom Guide in bekömmlichen Häppchen gereicht - und wenn der Hunger kommt, wird eingekehrt. moreabout: Food Tour durch Berlin-Mitte
- Next date:
- XFood Tour - Berlin Mitte
- Date:
- Friday, 03/July/2026 11:30 (183 more dates)
- Venue:
- Barachel Café
- Address:
- Rosenthaler Straße 51, 10178 Berlin-Mitte
- Price:
- from €59.61
© dpa
Food Tour: Kreuzberg culinary
On this tour, you will discover the most important places and the biggest scandals of Kreuzberg. Be part of a 3-hour guided tour with exciting insider stories and make five culinary stops, each with an international or local delicacy. moreabout: Food Tour: Kreuzberg culinary
- Next date:
- XFood Tour - Kreuzberg kulinarisch
- Date:
- Friday, 03/July/2026 15:30 (183 more dates)
- Venue:
- vor dem Casino 36, am U-Bahnhof Kottbusser Tor
- Address:
- Reichenberger Straße 174, 10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg
- Price:
- from €59.61
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