When does the event take place?

The multi-visual lecture will take place on November 4, 2026, at 7 PM.

Where is the evening taking place?

The venue is FFT Düsseldorf in Düsseldorf.

What is the event about?

Olaf Cless, Mirjam Wiesemann, and Ricarda Hinz are dedicating themselves to Karlheinz Deschner and his ten-volume Criminal History of Christianity.

Who was Karlheinz Deschner?

Karlheinz Deschner was a German writer, historian, and critic of religion and the church who received several awards for his literary and enlightening work.

Is a book signing announced?

A book signing is not announced in the available event information.

What is the entrance fee?

No confirmed ticket price could be determined for the event.

Karlheinz Deschner Reading Düsseldorf 2026

Name: Olaf Cless, Mirjam Wiesemann and Ricarda Hinz: Karlheinz Deschner and the Criminal History of Christianity
Start: 2026-11-04T19:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-04T19:00:00+01:00
Location: FFT Düsseldorf

Karlheinz Deschner's sharp gaze on the history of Christianity

On November 4, 2026, Olaf Cless, Mirjam Wiesemann, and Ricarda Hinz will dedicate themselves to the work of Karlheinz Deschner, especially his ten-volume Criminal History of Christianity, at FFT Düsseldorf. The multi-visual lecture combines literary memory, historical analysis, and critical enlightenment of religion.

A voice against forgetting

“Enlightenment is an annoyance,” Karlheinz Deschner knew, “those who illuminate the world make its dirt clearer.” This thought condenses the attitude of a writer, historian, and uncompromising critic of the church, whose language aimed at contradiction. Deschner examined the intertwining of spiritual and secular power and questioned conventional certainties in cultural discourse.

The Criminal History of Christianity

Deschner's major work appeared in ten volumes from 1986 to 2013. It examines the history of Christianity from a decidedly critical perspective and questions power, violence, institutions, and the political consequences of religious rule. The event thus places a work at the center that has polarized to this day through its historical argumentation, polemical power of language, and literary consistency.

Literary experience at FFT Düsseldorf

Olaf Cless, Mirjam Wiesemann, and Ricarda Hinz will guide an evening that combines reading, lecture, and visual communication. The atmosphere of the reading thrives on Deschner's concise language, his analytical style, and the tension between historical research and pointed polemics. The audience can expect an encounter with an author in the spirit of remembrance of an uncomfortable thinker.

Context in the literary scene

Karlheinz Deschner published not only historical works critical of religion and the church but also novels, aphorisms, and literary-critical essays. For his enlightening engagement and literary work, he received, among other awards, the Arno Schmidt Prize, the Alternative Büchner Prize, and the International Humanist Award. His literary quality lies in the combination of historical research, rhetorical sharpness, and a distinctive artistic language.

Conclusion: An evening for critical minds

The multi-visual lecture at FFT Düsseldorf invites you to rediscover Karlheinz Deschner and to consider the impact of his major work in the light of current debates. Visitors will experience an evening about literature, history, religion, and power – inspiring, contentious, and intellectually alert.