Der lange Sommer der Theorie

Brilliantly and seductively written. Rene Aguigah, Deutschlandradio Kultur. Theory - since the 1960s, this word has radiated a magical glow. Theory was a claim to truth, a tenet of faith, and a lifestyle. But where did the fascination for dangerous thoughts come from? Why did they captivate legions of readers? In his brilliantly written book, Philipp Felsch recounts the utopias, experiments, and passions of a generation that ventured into the jungle of difficult texts. From the 1960s to the 1980s, the theory compendium was a must-have in every coat pocket. It was the era of apocalyptic master thinkers, glamorous incomprehensibility, and transformative reading experiences. In a world frozen in the Cold War, only great ideas could spark movement. The more challenging the texts, the more intense the reading; the more abstract the arguments, the more relevant to reality. In West Berlin, the Merve Verlag nourished minds with wild thinking - from the cadres of the student movement to spontaneous activists and punks, up to the avant-gardes of the art scene. Philipp Felsch writes the history of an intellectual revolt by confiding in the book makers and their readers. He follows their winding paths from class struggle to the white cube of galleries, resurrecting an era when thinking still mattered.