Sterben Üben English — annakirstinelinke

Sterben Üben
German for: Learning to Die

Sterben Üben is a collection of essays curated by Anna Gohmert with contributions by: Serena Ferrario, Anna-Elisabeth Frick, Anna Gohmert, Daniel Hopp, Sophie Hutter, Charlotte Klink, Valentin Leuschel, Anna Kirstine Linke, Katharina Pethke, Milosz Paul Rosinski, Anne Greta Weber ".

The publication is a many-voiced canon dedicated to the theme of finitude, which we humans ultimately cannot escape. The texts are both scholarly and poetic in nature, written by authors from different disciplines (art history, philosophy, fine arts, performing arts) with the gesture of their choice. The contributions oscillate between acceptance and non-acceptance of the impending death (whether near or far). The perspective varies, whether it is one's own death or that of another person. The reflections range from thoughts that refer to a biographical experience to essays, text contributions that expand the genre of (in)representability of dying in literature and the visual arts. The invited authors take up my thought-provoking impulse to deal with the thematic complex of dying and expand it independently in their contributions.

Anna Gohmert

Picture: Anna Gohmert

“I have seen a person die of natural causes □ yes □ no
I have seen a person die of other than natural causes □ yes □ no
I have seen a person die □ yes □ no
I wish I had ever seen a person dead □ yes □ no
I have cared for a person until his/her death □ yes □ no
I think everyone should care for one person in their life until their death □ yes □ no

I have saved the life of another person □ yes □ no
I have taken the life of another person □ yes □ no
I would like to die a natural death myself □ yes □ no
I would like to die a non-natural death □ yes □ no
The distinction between natural and non-natural death is bullshit □ yes □ no

I wish I would never die □ yes □ no
I have written a bucket list yes □ no
It is important to me to do everything on my bucket list before I die □ yes □ no
I have written my will □ yes □ no
I wish I had written my will □ yes □ no
How I will (not) be buried, is important to me □ yes □ no
I have already had contact with an undertaker □ yes □ no
I have an undertaker in my close environment □ yes □ no
I have had a near-death experience □ yes □ no
I do not believe in near-death experiences □ yes □ no

I have suicidal thoughts □ yes □ no
I have attempted suicide □ yes □ no
It is difficult for me to understand why people have suicidal thoughts □ yes □ no
It is important for me to separate the German words “Selbstmord” und “Suizid” □ yes □ no
I find people who think about death attractive □ yes □ no
I have had sex with a dead person □ yes □ no
The thought of sex with a dead person makes me feel disgusted □ yes □ no

I believe in life after death □ yes □ no
I believe in rebirth □ yes □ no
I believe in something else □ yes □ no
Only I can understand what exactly I believe in □ yes □ no

The topics of dying and death are an integral part of my life □ yes □ no
I would say of myself that I have often encountered death □ yes □ no
I consider my encounters with death to be extraordinary □ yes □ no
Death has a colour for me □ yes □ no
Death has a different colour for me than dying □ yes □ no
Thinking about dying and death stresses me out □ yes □ no
Thinking about dying and death makes me happy to live □ yes □ no.”

Anna Kirstine Linke (excerpt)