In the Shadow of Renert

Show & Culture

When people today mention Michel Rodange, they think of Renert. His other texts are almost all forgotten—unfortunately. His "Léierchen," however, deserves to be rediscovered: a long poem about nature and rural life, which still raises more questions than it answers: When was it written? What is the original title? Do we know Rodange's definitive version? The text itself has caused confusion. The satirist Rodange shows here a different side of himself: poetic, sensitive, and nostalgic. Reading "Léierchen" today means looking back at a time when nature determined the daily life and rhythm of people, written in a language that now seems as foreign as the life it describes. Yet, in times of climate crisis, Fukushima, and species extinction, Rodange’s hymn to nature may be more modern and relevant than it first appears. This discovery of "Léierchen" in the context of the Anthropocene combines reading, music, and a conference.