Mori Ôgai Memorial Site Closed

Mori Ôgai (actually Mori Rintarô, 1868-1922) was a doctor, translator, novelist and critic. He completed his medical studies under the guidance of German physicians in Japan as well as in Germany itself, and from 1887 to 1888, he worked at Robert Koch's Hygiene Institute in Berlin. In addition to his own writings and medical treatises, Ôgai also translated 130 works of European literature into Japanese, including the first translations of both parts of Goethe's "Faust". His Berlin novella "Das Ballettmädchen" ("The Dancing Girl") is considered by some to mark the beginning of modern literature in Japan.

The Mori-Ôgai Memorial Site (Mori-Ôgai-Gedenkstätte) is part of the Japan Centre at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and is located in the building in which Ôgai first lived in Berlin. In addition to a permanent exhibition examining the life and work of Mori Ôgai, the site also offers special exhibitions, scientific lectures, film nights and calligraphy and ikebana courses. The memorial site also features a reference library as well as a digital catalogue containing research on Ôgai and translations of his works.