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<p>Liebe Freunde,</p>
<p>vielleicht ist jemand in den nächsten Tagen in Berlin, oder
interessiert sich auch sonst dafür. Ich habe gerade auf Englisch
für die MCLC-Liste darüber geschrieben. Bitte seid mir nicht böse,
wenn ich es einfach hier anhänge. Es ist ein Link dabei, der zur
Ankündigung auf Deutsch führt.</p>
<p>Alles Gute,</p>
<p>Martin</p>
<p><font size="+1">Memorial Service for Liu Xiaobo in Berlin,
Gethsemane church, one year after his passing.</font><br>
</p>
<p>I wasn't surre if I should post this or not. Maybe Ian Johnson
would do it, or someone else more involved with the event. Anyway,
seems it's going to be a grand thing. A reminder there are some
things politics and the arts both can and should try to stand for.
In Berlin, in Germany, in Europe, anywhere. Solidarity, for once.</p>
<p>The announcement in English and in Chinese is on <a
href="https://chinachange.org/2018/06/26/global-announcement-of-the-memorial-on-the-first-anniversary-of-liu-xiaobos-passing/">China
Change</a>.<br>
I have done a German translation from the Chinese version and put
it on <a
href="https://banianerguotoukeyihe.com/gedenkgottesdienst-fur-liu-xiaobo-in-berlin-2018%e5%b9%b47%e6%9c%8813%e6%97%a5%ef%bc%8c%e6%9f%8f%e6%9e%97gethsemane%e6%95%99%e5%a0%82%ef%bc%88stargarder-str-77-10437-berlin%ef%bc%89%e8%88%89/">my
blog</a>
(<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://banianerguotoukeyihe.com/gedenkgottesdienst-fur-liu-xiaobo-in-berlin-2018%e5%b9%b47%e6%9c%8813%e6%97%a5%ef%bc%8c%e6%9f%8f%e6%9e%97gethsemane%e6%95%99%e5%a0%82%ef%bc%88stargarder-str-77-10437-berlin%ef%bc%89%e8%88%89/">http://banianerguotoukeyihe.com/gedenkgottesdienst-fur-liu-xiaobo-in-berlin-2018%e5%b9%b47%e6%9c%8813%e6%97%a5%ef%bc%8c%e6%9f%8f%e6%9e%97gethsemane%e6%95%99%e5%a0%82%ef%bc%88stargarder-str-77-10437-berlin%ef%bc%89%e8%88%89/</a>)<br>
</p>
<p>In 2010 I translated Bei Ling's biography of Liu Xiaobo into
German. It was a rush job, but I checked the facts. It's an
interesting book.<br>
I am mostly interested in poetry. Liu Xiaobo has written poignant
poems, he and his wife Liu Xia used to write each other poems from
and into prison. Liu Xia still writes, when she is not too
harrassed. She has great stuff. There is a video from 2013, also
in the SCMP article posted recently. <br>
Last summer, after Liu Xiaobo's death, I posted my translations of
Yi Sha's poems on Liu Xiaobo. There are more, mostly small asides,
hidden in Yi Sha's vast output. But <a
href="https://banianerguotoukeyihe.com/2017/07/22/yi-sha-%e4%bc%8a%e6%b2%99-liu-xiaobo-%e5%8a%89%e6%9b%89%e6%b3%a2/">these
are the main ones, posted by Yi Sha on Sina Weibo and on WeChat
last July</a>
(<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://banianerguotoukeyihe.com/2017/07/22/yi-sha-%e4%bc%8a%e6%b2%99-liu-xiaobo-%e5%8a%89%e6%9b%89%e6%b3%a2/">https://banianerguotoukeyihe.com/2017/07/22/yi-sha-%e4%bc%8a%e6%b2%99-liu-xiaobo-%e5%8a%89%e6%9b%89%e6%b3%a2/</a>)<br>
</p>
<p>I remember hearing a Chinese military attache in Europe saying to
me out of the blue he thought it was foolish to imprison Liu
Xiaobo and make such a big deal out of it, an international
embarrassment. I was very surprised. When he was in college, said
the general, his job as class monitor involved inviting Prof. Liu
for a speech. Many people in all walks of life seem to remember
Liu Xiaobo. Especially writers, of course. Migrant worker writers,
hospital worker writers. Yes, really, I've seen poems and
statements. Translated some poems.<br>
</p>
<p>Liu Xiaobo was and is a very ambigous and controversial figure.
When I heard his voice from the 1980s on tape for the first time I
was shocked. Very loud and violent, very hard to understand.<a
href="https://banianerguotoukeyihe.com/2017/07/22/yi-sha-%e4%bc%8a%e6%b2%99-liu-xiaobo-%e5%8a%89%e6%9b%89%e6%b3%a2/">
Yi Sha's poems</a> are the strongest personal commentary on Liu
Xiaobo I have ever read.<br>
I won't be there in Berlin. Previous engagement with a small
family holiday :). But if you can, go. And anyway, as they say in
the announcement, please protest, or sing. Or pray.</p>
Martin
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