FERIEN AM WALDSEE

Carl Laszlo und die Kunst zu überleben

Carl Laszlo auf dem Messestand der Art Basel

To mark the 80th anniversary of the Haus am Waldsee, Boris Aljinovic reads from Carl Laszlo’s book Ferien am Waldsee. The Schlachtensee concert choir, conducted by Thomas Henning, accompanies the reading with songs from the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. The evening is presented and directed by Kaspar von Erffa.

In Ferien am Waldsee, the Hungarian-Swiss art collector, art dealer and co-founder of Art Basel, Carl Laszlo, processed his experiences in various concentration camps. Although the author tried to provide a deliberately factual account of everyday life in the camps, the text nevertheless offers deep insights into his inner world. As a survivor, Laszlo purposely chose a radically hedonistic, ecstatic lifestyle after the war, full of excess, pleasure and visual art.

The Waldsee referenced in the book’s title, was a cruel invention of the Waffen-SS. Jews deported from Budapest were forced in Auschwitz to write postcards to their relatives back home. These stated that the senders had arrived safely at the supposed Waldsee. The fictitious Waldsee served solely to appease the public and pave the way for further deportations.

The artificially created Waldsee lake in Berlin-Zehlendorf was also intended to attract buyers from Berlin. In 1922, what is known as Haus am Waldsee today, was built as a residence for the Jewish Knobloch family, who were eventually forced to flee Nazi persecution. During the Nazi era, the house was occupied by perpetrators, before being repurposed as an institution for contemporary art shortly after the end of the war.

Price info: Exhibition ticket included

Price: €9.00

Reduced price: €6.00

Next date:

• Date Sunday, 23/August/2026 18:30 bis 20:00
• Venue Haus am Waldsee
• Address Argentinische Allee 30, 14163 Berlin-Zehlendorf