On October 17, at 6 PM, Deutsches Haus at NYU presents “Civility and Its Opposites: The Empathies and Resentments of White Liberalism, 1767-1826,” a lecture by Frank Kelleter, Head of the Department of Culture at the Freie Universität Berlin, and a conversation with Herman Bennett, Professor of History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Can the Declaration of Independence be read as a media event? What does it mean when colonial elites speak in the name of wounded humanity? Which language games and which emotional performances are at play when enslavers rally against their own “enslavement”? These questions stand at the center of Frank Kelleter’s project, “A Literature of Civic Indignation, 1767-1826,” which argues that the historical meaning of the 18th-century Enlightenment resides not only in its political philosophy but also, if not more so, in its media rhetoric. In his lecture, Frank Kelleter will focus on Thomas Jefferson and the senses of “whiteness” in the early literature of American liberalism.

Attendance:

This event will take place at 42 Washington Mews. This semester, based on NYU's guidelines, in-person events will be open to members of the general public.

Attendance instructions for NYU faculty, students and staff: Please show your NYU Violet Go Pass at the door.

Attendance instructions for members of the general public:
• Members of the general public must show a valid government-issued photo ID
• Members of the general public must show proof of being up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccination, which includes the booster when eligible, with an FDA-authorized or WHO-listed vaccine. (Ideally, you would bring your CDC vaccination card or the details on Excelsior Pass Plus.)

Documentation for members of the general public will be checked at the door and must include: 
◦ Name
◦ Birthdate
◦ Dates of doses
◦ Vaccine manufacture for each dose
◦ Documentation is in English

Please note:
• Vaccine exemption requests are not accepted at the door.
• Test results are not accepted as an alternative to proof of vaccination and will not be accepted at the door.