Derivation of the Latin word littera, the “letter”

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The word literature is a derivation of the Latin word littera, the “letter,” which only became fashionable in the early modern period. The plural litterae acquired its own meanings as early as antiquity as “written material,” “documents,” “letters,” “learning,” “science(s).” In French and English, this meaning was retained in the terms lettres and letters as a synonym for “science”.

Doğan Akhanlı and the indivisibility of human rights

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Doğan Akhanlı and the indivisibility of human rights

The writer Doğan Akhanlı, born in 1957 in Şavşat in the province of Artvin, is regarded in the western hemisphere as a true advocate of human rights, which he emphatically demands from the political rulers, probably also because of his own life experience in Turkey.

Sebastian Fitzek - The very special reading show

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Sebastian Fitzek - The very special reading show

As one of the most successful German thriller authors of modern times, Sebastian Fitzek can look back on a great career in the field of thriller and crime literature, especially in recent years.

Carnival Cologne 2013 viewed from above – Werner Koschan

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Carnival Cologne 2013 viewed from above – Werner Koschan

"I want to go to the parade," says my wife Rita. She means the carnival procession in our district. This is one of the small clubs that decorate their floats and parade through the streets of their district of Cologne with little money but all the more attention to detail.

Imagine it's war time and nobody goes

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Imagine it's war time and nobody goes

It was this quote, which is commonly and often attributed to Berthold Brecht, that we found among other graffiti under a car bridge in Weil and thus obliged us to do a little research.

Allan Huglstad - research about Greek and Romans

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Allan Huglstad

Allan Huglstad is a retired officer from the Royal Danish Defense College. He has been educated in general staff (Denmark), humanitarian law (Italy), logistics (Denmark), intelligence (UK) and pedagogy (Denmark).

The Three Knights – taken from gallery Gernot Rammer

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The Three Knights – taken from the gallery Gernot Rammer

Once upon a time there lived three grand and of course very famous knights. The knight Heinz with the long sword, the knight Bert with the long beard and the knight Fritz with the spear at the Spitz.

Shakespeare’s - playwright, actor and businessman

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Shakespeare’s - playwright, actor and businessman

Understandably, we also wanted to use our stay in England near the medieval town of Stratford-upon-Avon to learn a little more about the author Shakespeare, because some of his works were still too good to remember in school and college.

Angelika Wesner - Watching, Writing and Traveling

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Angelika Wesner - Watching, Writing and Traveling

After some years of traveling, the author of the series SOKO Camper, cabaret artist "Renaade Stempfle" and Camper Angelika Wesner was able to turn her passion into a profession.

Namık Kuyumcu - Piya Publication & Public Relation

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Namık Kuyumcu

He was born in 15th September 1961 in Konya, Ereğli. He finished primary and high school where he was born. In 1980, he was arrested by the 12th September military court and underwent a trial for the 141-146 articles of the Turkish Criminal Code. He was forced to stay as a prisoner in different prisons in the country. He was banned. He could not continue his higher education.

The Pull of an Idyll as Years Pass By / By Vendela Vida

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The Pull of an Idyll as Years Pass

I discovered the Datca Peninsula, in the southwestern corner of Turkey, purely by accident. This was in 2005. I’d never been to Turkey and was trying to find a rental house somewhere — anywhere on any coast of the country — where my husband and I could spend the month of June. 

Yasar Kemal - The Wind from the Plain

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Yasar Kemal - The Wind from the Plain

Yaşar Kemal (born Kemal Sadık Gökçeli  1923) is one of Turkey's leading writers.  He has long been a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature, on the strength of Memed, My Hawk.

Simply Listen for Once … Björn Kern © Qantara.de 2010

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Simply Listen for Once … Björn Kern

The Yollarda project has invited 48 European authors to Turkey – and among them was the young Berlin author Björn Kern. He offers us his views on why Turks have such a negative view of Germans and what could be undertaken to turn things around.

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