Surrealism in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) operated in the margins, resisting the constraints of Socialist Realism. Poets like Elke Erb (1938–2024) embraced Surrealist techniques to navigate her life and writing, which was expounded on in a translation workshop dedicated to Erb’s work in March 2025. Her engagement with Surrealism was shaped in part by the work of Carlfriedrich Claus and Franz Fühmann, whose experimental practices opened alternative aesthetic and political pathways within the GDR’s cultural landscape.

As part of the Surreal Continuum festival, this event presents the results of the workshop, led by poet and translator Christian Filips, which brought together writers to translate and respond to Erb’s poetry in Arabic, English, and Spanish. Erb’s poetry, variously described as stubbornly authentic and radically open, challenges linear logic, blurring the boundaries between reality and hallucinatory metamorphosis. Her playful yet rigorous use of language and striking imagery demands inventive approaches to translation. Participants also explored how her work evolved within the restrictive atmosphere of the GDR, where Surrealist expression served as a quiet form of dissent. 

This panel presents the translated works alongside the original texts in a joint reading and discussion. Participants reflect on the interpretive challenges of Erb’s linguistic playfulness and how her poetry resonates across languages and cultural contexts.