1st International Aphorism Conference
Magnum In Parvo
24 - 25 October, 2025, Wrocław
About the Event
1st International Aphorism Conference in Wrocław – a unique event! Outstanding creators of aphorisms and leading researchers of short literary forms from around the world will meet for the first time. Speakers from several countries, including: Poland, USA, Germany, Italy, Serbia, Israel, Finland, North Macedonia, Romania and Bulgaria will share their knowledge and passion.
We invite you to two days full of inspiring lectures, concerts and shows of almost five hundred-year-old old prints of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius and the Aphorisms of Hippocrates. This is a celebration of aphorism that cannot be missed!
Where
University of Wrocław, Insititure of German Philology, Nankiera 15b, 50-140 Wrocław
When
October 24 – 25, 2025

Event Schedule
Day 1.
October 24, 2025, Friday
09:00 am
Opening Lecture
Special Guest: Prof. James Geary, USA Harvard University – A Defense of Aphorisms
09:45 am
Plenary Lectures
Hosted by renowned academics and writers from around the world.
01:00 pm
Lunch break
Hour long break for lunch.
02:00 pm
Plenary Lectures
Continuation of the lectures.
04:00 Pm
Chamber music concert - Oratorium Marianum
The concert will be held at the Oratorium Marianum, Plac Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137 Wrocław.
Day 2.
October 25, 2025, Saturday
09:00 am
Discussion Panel
Speaker: Yahia Lababidi, USA, aforysta, pisarz
09:45 am
Plenary Lectures
Lecture informing about the scholarship programs of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Hosted by renowned academics and writers from around the world.
12:15 pm
Presentation of Old Prints
o “Aphorisms of Hippocrates” from 1685, Amsterdam
o “Meditations of Marcus Aurelius” from 1543, Venice
01:00 pm
Lunch Break
Hour long break for lunch.
02:00 pm
Results of the Limeryk literary competition
The chairman of the competition jury is prof. Jan Miodek.
Committee members:
- Andrzej Majewski
- Urszula Zybura
03:00 pm
Plenary Lectures - continuation
Plenary Lectures - continuation
04:00 pm
Barbara John vernissage
Dinner
06:00 pm
Aphorism evening at KMiL with a competition
Dinner
07:00 pm
Occasional dinner
Dinner
details about the
Conference
During the segment of plenary lectures the following prelections will be held:
- Prof. James Geary, USA Harvard University – A Defense of Aphorisms
- Rainer Adolphi, Technische Universität Berlin: “Die Zeit des Aphorismus. Eine Textform in Zeiten der Krise” (The
Time of Aphorism. A Text Form in Times of Crisis) - Fabrizio Caramagna, writer, Italy, Università degli Studi di Torino. “Relazione tra aforisma e poesia” (Relation
between Aphorism and Poetry) - Aleksandar Cotric, writer, Serbia – title to be determined
- Yahia Lababidi, writer, USA – title to be determined
- Jurgen Wilbert, Friedemann Spicker: co-founder and President of the German Aphorism Archive (DAphA)
(https://www.fspicker.de/dapha/): “Zeitgenössischer deutscher Aphorismus” (Contemporary German Aphorism) - Mikhail Kuzmin, writer – On Some Trends in Aphorisms at the End of the 20th and Beginning of the 21st Century
- Wojciech Kunicki, University of Wrocław: “Antoine de Rivarol und seine Rezeption bei Ernst Jünger, Carl Schmitt
und Carl Eugen Gass” (Antoine de Rivarol and His Reception by Ernst Jünger, Carl Schmitt, and Carl Eugen Gass) - Stefan Markowski, writer, North Macedonia – The Role of Language and Rhetoric
in Literature, Marketing Campaigns, and Aphorisms in Shaping Perceptions and Behaviors. - Marina Aristo Markovic, writer, Serbia – “Aforizam kao književna forma” (Aphorisms as a Literary Form)
- Ewa Matkowska, University of Wrocław: “Ekphrasis als Träger ästhetischer Inhalte am Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts”
(Ekphrasis as a Carrier of Aesthetic Content at the End of the 20th Century) - Tomasz Małyszek, University of Wrocław: “Aforystyczne definicje Franza Kafki” (Aphoristic Definitions of Franz
Kafka) - Marcin Miodek, University of Wrocław: “Krótkie formy literackie w propagandzie lat 40. XX w. na łamach prasy
dolnośląskiej” (Short Literary Forms in the Propaganda of the 1940s in the Lower Silesian Press) - Valeriu Butulescu, writer, Romania – title to be determined
- Janne Tompuri, writer, University of Helsinki, Secretary of the Finnish Aphorism Society: “Aphoristic
Incompleteness – Truth and Knowledge in Aphorisms” - Wojciech Wiercioch, writer, aphorist, Poland: title to be determined
- Paweł Bąk, University of Wrocław: “Kürze und Prägnanz des Aphorismus aus linguistischer und translatorischer
Sicht” (Brevity and Conciseness of Aphorisms from a Linguistic and Translational Perspective) - Krzysztof Bilica, writer, musicologist, Poland – title to be determined
- Maria Tarnogórska, University of Wrocław: “Born Quotes. Wisława Szymborska as an Aphorist”
- Utz Rachowski, German writer: “Fasse Dich kurz! Denn das Leben ist es” (Be Brief! Because That is Life) –
presentation of prose fragments - Luiza Rzymowska, University of Wrocław: “The Use of Sentences in Oratory – on the Example of Polish Speeches”
- Urszula Zybura, poet, aphorist, Poland: „If aphoristic is a woman?”
- Maria Endreva, Sofia University, Dep. of German and Scandinavian Studies, Bułgaria – „Der
Aphorismus und das Fragment im theoretischen Denken der deutschen Romantik am Beispiel
von Friedrich Schlegel und Rahel Varnhagen” (Aphorism and fragment in theoretical considerations
German romanticism on the example of Friedrich Schlegel and Rahel Varnhagen) - Dorota Heck, University of Wrocław: Aphorisms Hidden in Critical and Philosophical Essays.
Case Studies of Andrzej Kijowski and Leszek Kołakowski - Andrzej Majewski, writer, aphorist, Poland: “The End of the Work-Connection – Censorship or Political
Correctness?”
Additionally, as part of the conference, the following event will take place:
Scientific Sessions:
- Historical-Theoretical Session
- Translational Session
- Practical Session (authors’ presentations)
- Young Researchers Session
Accompanying Events:
- Literary Evening with Authors – conference dinner
- A literary competition for aphorism and limerick.
The chairman of the jury is Professor Jan Miodek. - Chamber Music Concert
- Presentation of Old Prints:
o “Aphorisms of Hippocrates” from 1685, Amsterdam
o “Meditations of Marcus Aurelius” from 1543, Venice
A detailed schedule of all events and lectures will be specified at a later date.
Organisers
- Institute of German Philology, University of Wrocław
- Institute of Slavic Philology, University of Potsdam
- Societas Humboldtiana Polonorum
Organising Comittee:
- Andrzej Majewski (Wrocław), Chair
- Prof. Ewa Matkowska (Wrocław), University of Wrocław
- Prof. Mirosław Miller (Wrocław), Central Board of SHP Wrocław
- Dr. Marcin Miodek (Wrocław), University of Wrocław
- Andrzej Ociepa (Wrocław), long-time Director of the Public Library in Wrocław
Scientific Committee:
- Prof. Wojciech Kunicki (Wrocław), Chair
- Dr. Jörg Bernig (Radebeul/Dresden), German poet and essayist
- Dr. hab. Ewa Matkowska, Prof. UWr (Wrocław)
- Utz Rachowski (Plauen/Vogtland), German writer
- Dr. hab. Luiza Rzymowska (Wrocław)
- Dr. Friedemann Spicker (Konigswinter), co-founder and Vice-President of the German Aphorism Archive (DAphA)
(https://www.fspicker.de/dapha/) - Jurgen Wilbert (Hattingen), German aphorist
- Dr. Ewa Wojno-Owczarska (Warsaw)
Localisation
The Conference will take place in the building of the Institute of German Philology situated by the address: Nankiera 15b.
Our Sponsors
Full list will be added soon.
Come and listen to lectures told by incredible writers and scientists from around the world.
All interested parties are kindly requested to review the conference program and are invited to participate!