Geriatrics Congress 2022
Keynote lecture Ulla Kriebernegg: How reading Shakespeare's King Lear helps to better understand dementia
(08/09/2022) More than 100 years ago, Goethe's "Faust" played an important role in the classical medical literature. Today, culture and literature in medicine are more of a niche topic. Professor Ulla Kriebernegg from the University of Graz, an American and aging studies researcher, is campaigning for the humanities and medicine, especially in gerontology, to move closer together again and thus enable a better understanding of what it means to be human. “Aging is such a complex process that it can only be researched from multiple perspectives, well beyond evidence-based medicine. Art and culture can provide very valuable new input for a holistic picture of aging people,” explains Kriebernegg. In her keynote lecture at the joint annual congress of the German Society for Geriatrics (DGG) and the German Society for Gerontology and Geriatrics (DGGG), she shows how powerfully literary texts also shape our perception of aging and diseases, which will take place from 12 to 15 September in Frankfurt am Main. To this end, the cultural scientist illustrates, among other things, what can be learned from Shakespeare's character King Lear and his 400-year history of reception about aging and dealing with dementia. She also presents a module on so-called "narrative medicine" and discusses how this can advance gerontology.
How the reception of literary texts changes over time and also says something about our current society can be seen in the story of Shakespeare's King Lear: "While King Lear used to be considered a mild, wise monarch, more recent theater productions show him as a dangerous one Dictator. Acclaimed British actor Simon Russel Beale is also convinced that Lear is showing symptoms of Lewy body dementia. But is that a helpful diagnosis?” asks Kriebernegg. “And these King Lears are also sitting in everyday geriatric practice. How can we deal with these people, who are shaped by grief and loss, fear and despair at the end of their lives?” In her eyes, literature and film can provide valuable assistance here. That is why literary studies are needed in order not to read texts in a stereotypical way or with common, anti-age images, but also to work out topics that are not obvious and to point out contradictions.
How humanities and medicine can come together again
Professor Ulla Kriebernegg is very active in research and teaching in order to bring important findings from both worlds – the medical and the humanities – together more closely and thus counteract age discrimination. With the Age and Care Research Group Graz, for example, she creates opportunities and structures for interdisciplinary cooperation, especially in the promotion of young people. As a lecturer, she can see growing interest - on both sides: American studies students would be interested in aging studies, but also in literary descriptions of illnesses such as dementia. The interest of medical students in the medical humanities is also growing steadily. Kriebernegg is also involved in the German Network for Narrative Medicine, which is under the patronage of Dr. Anita Wohlmann from the University of Mainz. In lectures, workshops and events, participants can learn how humanities methods and concepts are combined with evidence-based medicine. “With my work I would like to contribute to more intergenerational solidarity. We need to better understand and accept that aging is also ambivalent and not just perceive it as a burden.”
Professor Ulla Kriebernegg is an American and geriatric scientist, head of the Center for Interdisciplinary Aging and Care Research at the University of Graz and chairwoman of the Age and Care Research Group Graz. She is Vice-Chair of the European Network in Aging Studies (ENAS), Associate Editor of the Aging Studies series, Associate Editor of The Gerontologist and Board Member of several journals including the Journal of Aging Studies. Since 2020 she has been a Fellow of the Trent Center for Aging and Society in Canada.