Samuel Beckett found Hamburg 'very dull and disappointing' in newly published diaries

Samuel Beckett, the Nobel laureate Irish writer, visited Hamburg in 1936 as part of his travels through Germany. His impressions of the city, meticulously recorded in his German Diaries, reveal a surprisingly critical view of a place he found largely uninspiring.

Beckett's diary entries from his Hamburg visit are unflattering. He described the iconic St. Michael's Church as "unbelievably awful" and found the weather consistently "filthy," "foul," and "frightful." Even a stroll down the infamous Reeperbahn led to disappointment, with Beckett noting, "Had a couple of beers. Everything very dull & disappointing."

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filthy, foul and frightful

Published on August 20, the "Samuel Beckett: The German Diaries" is a monumental 1,348-page bilingual edition from Suhrkamp Verlag, with translations planned for multiple languages. The diaries offer a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the 20th century's most significant literary figures during his formative years. It remains a matter of speculation what Beckett might have thought of Hamburg's modern landmark, the Elbphilharmonie, which was not yet built during his visit.

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Had a couple of beers. Everything very dull & disappointing.