Brecht and the Millet – A closer look at a poem

Anyone who thinks Brecht’s “Die Erziehung der Hirse"(The Education of the Millet) is just a harmless nature poem is sorely mistaken. Behind the seemingly simple image of growth and development lies a poem of surprising complexity - a text that tells us as much about the world as it does about the people who act within it.

In this workshop, the Netzwerk Naturwissen invites students to approach this multi-layered work with curious eyes. We deliberately shift perspectives: How does a historian read the poem, placing Brecht’s text in the wake of political upheavals? What threads does a literary scholar discover when she follows the language, the imagery, and the structure of the poem? And what does a biologist see, for whom the silent knowledge of soils, weather, and growth immediately catches the eye?

From these different perspectives, a surprisingly rich panorama emerges. The text begins to shine because it is no longer read one-dimensionally, but as what it is: a small parable about insight, patience, and the wise handling of reality. In the end, we bring all these perspectives together, like grains of harvest that only when combined fill a sack. This creates an image that is more than the sum of its parts, and Brecht’s poem reveals itself in all its subtle, sometimes defiant beauty.

The goal of the workshop is therefore to develop an understanding of how economic, ecological, and political power dynamics influence agriculture and food systems. This will help establish connections between the historical context, current food policy, and potential avenues for individual action.

A workshop for anyone who wants to be challenged, inspired, and educated by literature.

When: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 10 am to 1 pm
Where: Museum für Naturkunde Berlin

Registration at netzwerknaturwissen@mfn.berlin

As part this workshop a comic was created that offers fascinating insights into the poem, which not only has much to do with us and the world, but also touches on current issues in agriculture and food: