Feb. 19 – The First World War deeply influenced the political, social, economic and cultural life of Italy and other countries involved in the conflict: a series of events organized by the Italian Cultural Institute in Budapest seek to illustrate the events that led to the Great War, what it was, and how it affected the concerned populations. On Wednesday, February 25, the Hall Federico Fellini of the Italian Cultural Institute hosts an event dedicated to “Literature and the Great War.” At 6pm, József Pál (University of Szeged), Luigi Tassoni (University of Pécs) and Anikó Fázsy (translator and editor in chief of the Nagyvilág magazine) will come together to discuss the issue. The event is organized under the patronage of the Italian National Committee for the Celebration of the Centenary of the First World War, and the Hungarian Committee of the Commemorative Centenary of the First World War, in collaboration with the Institute of the Twentieth Century. “The tragic experience of the Great War – reads a statement by the Italian Cultural Institute – left a profound mark on the literature of the time: many were the poets and writers who participated in first person as soldiers. Many found themselves on the front lines: Scipio Slataper, Pietro Jahier, Soffici, Giuseppe Ungaretti, Gabriele D’Annunzio. Some – like Carlo Michelstaedter – also lost their lives. “The meeting will be preceded by a screening of the documentary “Nationalism and Violence” (of the “The Great War / The tragedy of modernity” series produced by RAI) that describes the causes that led to the outbreak of the conflict and, in particular, the role of nationalism.
