Thursday June 4, 2026, 7pm
The AAIA Hostel, Promachou 2, 11742 Makriyanni, 4th floor
Please, register by sending an email to aaia@otenet.gr
European modernism extended the boundaries of earlier thinking in relation to many areas of life, not least the understanding of the individual self. The period from 1880 until 1939 was one of radical experimentation in Germany with the possibilities of a male homosexual life. The reasons for Germany’s prominence in this sphere of modern sexual liberation are complex, but differentiate that country from the rest of Europe, where religious, cultural and social mores remained strongly prohibitive. Nevertheless, the influence of German writers and intellectuals spread broadly, albeit clandestinely throughout Europe. None more so than reactionary modernist poet, Stefan George (1868-1933).
This presentation explores a case of cultural encounter through the life and work of Greek poet, essayist, and intellectual Demetrios Kapetanakis (1912-1944). Traveling from Smyrna to Athens, Heidelberg, and London, Kapetanakis came to terms with his own homosexuality through the figure of George. Although he died at the age of 32, his intellectual contribution was remarkable.
AAIA Honorary Visiting Fellow 2026
Professor Peter Morgan, FAHA Department of European Studies, University of Sydney
Peter id Professor of German and European Studies and Director of the European Studies program at the University of Sydney. He works broadly on the historical sociology of literary cultures, focussing on authoritarian political systems. As AAIA Honorary Visiting Fellow, he will be progressing his research on the work of the young homosexual poet and intellectual Dimitrios Kapetanakis duting the 1920s and 30s.
