Residencia de Estudiantes Reflects on European Culture with New European Correspondences Lecture Series
The Residencia de Estudiantes wrapped up October and November with a busy program of over fifteen events across a range of disciplines, including philosophy, poetry, science, music, and literature. A key highlight was the latest edition of European Correspondences, a lecture series dedicated to exploring the legacy of influential 20th-century European figures. This year, the series marked the centenary of Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain, first published in 1924, with a program titled Thomas Mann: From the Mountain to the Abyss.
The series examined Mann’s novel, one of the most important works of 20th-century literature, which is set in a Swiss sanatorium and reflects on Europe’s uncertain future in the wake of historical change. The novel’s central themes of time, illness, and philosophical debate were explored in relation to the cultural and political climate of Europe at the time.
Coordinated by Francisco Jarauta, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Murcia, the program opened on October 17 with Art and Life, a lecture by philosopher Rafael Argullol, who explored the novel’s treatment of art and its connection to the human experience. On October 24, Isabel García Adánez, a German Philology professor, discussed Time, Pastimes, and Vital Discipline in The Magic Mountain, focusing on the novel’s portrayal of time and the struggles of its characters. The final lecture on November 6, The Worlds of The Magic Mountain and Their Fate, was delivered by Jarauta, who examined the novel’s broader implications for understanding Europe’s direction.
The series concluded with Music at the Summit, a concert on November 10 featuring works by Schubert, Wagner, and Mahler, performed by pianist Borja Mariño, soprano María Zapata, and baritone Gabriel Alonso.
This edition of European Correspondences, organized in partnership with the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Spain, provided a contemporary perspective on Mann’s work and its relevance to current European debates.
Residencia de Estudiantes was awarded the European Heritage Label in 2014.
