Celan / Heidegger: Evocation of the July 25, 1967 Encounter

Abstract

The text recalls the meeting between Paul Celan and Martin Heidegger that took place on July 25, 1967, which, despite their mutual admiration for poetry, especially that of Hölderlin, was marked by unresolved tensions. Following the interpretations of Georg Steiner, Rüdiger Safranski, Ezra Pound, Walter Otto, and John Banville, among others, this essay brings together, based on what can be inferred from that meeting in the Black Forest cabin, Heidegger's relationship with his Nazi past, the experience of the Holocaust in Celan's life, the role of language and nomination, and the concept and importance of silence.