"Traum aus Feuer" - Florian Illies reads at Mainz Cathedral

Name: "Traum aus Feuer" - Florian Illies reads at Mainz Cathedral
Start: 2026-09-09T19:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-09-09T21:00:00+02:00
Location: Mainzer Dom

Wed, 9 Sep 2026 · 19:00

Mainzer Dom, Germany

9.25 €

lecture date culture

"Traum aus Feuer" - Florian Illies reads at Mainz Cathedral — Mainzer Dom, Mainz

Foto: Spotify

Buy ticket

On 9 September 2026 at 7 p.m., Florian Illies will read from his latest book "Träume aus Feuer" at Mainz Cathedral. The event is organised by the Episcopal Chapter and the literary agency Literaturfreunde.

"Träume aus Feuer" tells the story of Johannes Kunckel, arguably the most celebrated alchemist of his era. The Great Elector in Potsdam dreams that Kunckel can make gold - but instead Kunckel grinds up gold ducats and draws from them a glass that glows a deeper red than anything seen before. In doing so, right in the heart of the Baroque age, he takes the decisive step from magic to chemistry.

Florian Illies - described by the Süddeutsche Zeitung as a "great storyteller" - lets the Kunckel story heat up as slowly as ruby glass in a furnace, before letting everything burst into flames in a spectacular finale.

About: Florian Illies

Florian Illies is a German writer, art historian and journalist. He became widely known with his book 1913: Der Sommer des Jahrhunderts, a portrait of European cultural life on the eve of World War I. His writing blends historical research with vivid storytelling, making the past feel immediate.

About the venue: Mainzer Dom

The Mainzer Dom - formally the Cathedral of St. Martin - is one of the largest Romanesque cathedrals in Germany, its origins dating back to the late 10th century. The sandstone building dominates the old town skyline with its six towers and has served as the burial site of the Archbishops of Mainz for centuries. Today it hosts religious services, organ concerts, and major ecclesiastical events.

Mainzer Dom, Mainz Get directions

"Traum aus Feuer" - Florian Illies reads at Mainz Cathedral

Events · Mainz 59 in the next 30 days →