{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"da.news","provider_url":"https:\/\/da.news\/en\/","title":"Darmstadt roundtable discussion with Judith Kautz - da.news","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"loNvwg248D\"><a href=\"https:\/\/da.news\/en\/darmstadt-table-talk-with-judith-kautz\/\">Darmstadt roundtable discussion with Judith Kautz<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/da.news\/en\/darmstadt-table-talk-with-judith-kautz\/embed\/#?secret=loNvwg248D\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#x201C;Darmstadt Roundtable Discussion with Judith Kautz&#x201D; &#x2013; da.news\" data-secret=\"loNvwg248D\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/da.news\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_width":1515,"thumbnail_height":998,"description":"It's so lovely right next door. By W. Christian Schmitt. Between 1950 and 1975, the legendary \"Darmstadt Conversations\" event series took place. In short, the aim was to bring culturally interested citizens closer to relevant topics and problems through public discussions. This is also the goal of the \"Darmstadt Table Talks,\" where those who contribute to the preservation and development of our society in various ways have their say. This time, journalist and publicist W. Christian Schmitt, along with cameraman Werner Wabnitz, are guests of Judith Kautz, owner of the Bessungen bookstore. Books can, should, and must be considered essential to life. They very often tell stories \"about life\" and are vital for many people. They not only inform and entertain, but can also provide guidance. Just think of the desire to be able to take at least one's favorite book to a desert island. Books allow us to share in the experiences of others. Books are often brimming with lived experiences. And booksellers are the ones who make it possible to acquire such literary treasures. Judith Kautz is a representative of this very special profession, which, however, has been undergoing a transformation for some time now \u2013 like so much in this country and in the retail sector in particular. That's why we arranged to meet her in her living room to learn firsthand how \"the book reaches the reader\" today, in times when Amazon & Co. are increasingly trying to dictate the \"rules of the game\" \u2013 and making it difficult for brick-and-mortar bookstores to survive. Sitting directly across from me is Judith Kautz, who, after graduating from high school, \"wasn't quite sure\" what to do next and initially wanted to become a landscape gardener. But it wasn't just her father, a respected architect, who advised against it. So she began studying in Hamburg and Frankfurt, ultimately graduating with a Master's degree. And now what? Earning money was the order of the day. First, as a secretary \"in a property development company.\" And on the side, a part-time job that brought her closer to what she does today. She helped out at Mechthild Steiger-K\u00fchn's, the then-owner of the Bessungen bookstore founded in 1978, and thus became a newcomer to the book trade. Much later, she was able to take over the bookstore from Eleonore and Alfred Hofmann (on January 1, 2019) and became the boss of around 4,000 books, which she can now offer her customers. We're in the middle of a conversation about worries, hardships, but also joys. About local culture, about what makes Darmstadt special and distinguishes it from other cities. This is about the role of booksellers yesterday, today, and tomorrow in this charming provincial capital, which has so much to offer: the German Academy for Language and Literature, the annual B\u00fcchner Prize, the Literary March, the Mathildenh\u00f6he and Rosenh\u00f6he parks, the Kellerklub (cellar club), and the Literaturhaus (House of Literature), etc., etc. The once-leading bookstores in the city center, such as Schlapp, Megede, Gutenberg, and Lichtenberg, as well as many others, are no longer there. In their place are the smaller shops that have loosely joined forces to organize various cultural events related to books. How does one stay informed about books, I ask Judith Kautz, \"when trade journals like Buchreport and Buchmarkt have ceased publication, and the B\u00f6rsenblatt f\u00fcr den Deutschen Buchhandel (the trade journal for the German book trade), which used to be published twice a week, now only arrives in bookstores every two weeks?\" The bookseller, who is well-connected in Darmstadt's cultural scene (formerly active in the Darmstadt Literature Initiative, and now a board member of the Kellerklub, a position she has held for over ten years), is anything but pessimistic despite numerous challenges: \"The book market as a whole has become more complex, but many small, niche, and neighborhood bookstores have a good chance of survival.\" This is because they remain closely attuned to the needs of their customers. And then, of course, we also discuss bestseller lists and how the publishers affected by them are dealing with them. Judith Kautz isn't a big fan of such \"sales aids\": \"I'm the first to remove those book stickers\u2014if they aren't already part of the book cover.\" Customers want advice, she says, and points to the focus of her bookstore, which ranges from children's and young adult books to fiction and crime novels (\"I enjoy reading those too\") and many regional titles. On their website, we also read: \u201cOur small but charming shop offers a wide selection\u2026 The strength of the Bessungen bookstore lies in its personal and individual service. It is considered a meeting place for young and old in the neighborhood\u2026\u201d. That's exactly how we experienced it too: small, charming, and right next door. About Judith Kautz: Born in Darmstadt in 1965, she graduated from the Bergstra\u00dfe school campus in 1984. She then studied English literature in Hamburg and Frankfurt am Main, earning a Master of Arts degree (major in English, minors in American Studies and Children's and Young Adult Literature). In January 2019, she took over the Bessungen bookstore as its owner. Our next interviewee is Barbara Zeizinger (author)."}