Author Steffen Schroeder receives Gotha Library Scholarship 2025

Between manuscripts, natural history studies and theatre-historical documents, Schroeder searches for traces of two extraordinary personalities: Butterfly researchers, stage artists, contemporary witnesses of the Goethe era. Their work, long forgotten, is to be revitalised in literary form. "As with my last two historical novels, this project also requires a lot of research," says the Potsdam-based author, who is currently causing a stir with his novel "Der ewige Tanz". "I've already been to major archives, the Austrian National Library and the Berlin State Library. When I discovered that the Gotha Research Library also has relevant holdings on my topic, I immediately applied."

His approach is precise, his curiosity boundless. In Gotha, Schroeder wants to study old illustrations of butterflies, historical actor biographies and contemporary journals – sources from which history that has come to life can unfold. He is particularly fascinated by the idea of penetrating the boundaries between natural history, theatre art and the intellectual currents of Goethe's time. Schroeder is known for his close connection between literature and research. Whether in his work on the physicist Max Planck or the dancer Anita Berber – chance discoveries often led him down new, unexpected paths. "Sometimes the novel takes a completely different course than originally planned," he explains. "It's precisely this dynamic that arises from the research that I find so exciting."

But it's not just the scientific work that draws him to Thuringia:

I really like Thuringia. Now experiencing Gotha for myself – and being able to work in the historical collections every day – will be a great privilege for me." Steffen Schroeder

On 26 November 2025 at 6 p.m. , Steffen Schroeder will read from his previous work and provide initial insights into his new project in the Wunderkammer of the Friedenstein Stiftung Gotha (Jüdenstraße 1).