Editorial Plan
The Critical Edition of Hannah Arendt’s Complete Works will be presented in sixteen thematically organized parts. This order shows the constellation and branching of Arendt’s thought process across the complete works: through shifts between languages—from English to German and back again—as well as through various forms of writing: philosophical, historiographical, and literary. Arendt’s monographs, text collections, and unfinished projects form the gravitational centers of the project.
The seventeen thematic complexes of the Critical Edition, conceived as a hybrid edition, will first appear in book form from Wallstein Verlag Göttingen and will be then made available worldwide and for free in Open Access the following year by the Freie Universität Berlin through a web portal (www.hannah-arendt-edition.net).
All of the thematic complexes present Hannah Arendt’s work in the languages in which the author wrote and authorized them. The fundamental multilingualism of Arendt’s work is visible in every volume and will be accessible for study for the first time. While the digital version enables parallel display of all texts according to user preferences, in the print edition, the following complexes will appear in parallel synoptic English/German presentation: Totalitarianism/Elements (5), Human Condition/Vita activa (7), Eichmann (10), Revolution (11).
Editorial Plan and Editors
Volume | Title | Editors | Book | Digital |
6 | The Modern Challenge to Tradition: Fragmente eines Buchs |
Barbara Hahn, Vanderbilt University / Freie Universität Berlin James McFarland, Vanderbilt University With the support of Ingo Kieslich, Freie Universität Berlin, Ingeborg Nordmann, Frankfurt/Main |
2018 | 2023 |
3 | Sechs Essays |
Barbara Hahn, Vanderbilt University / Freie Universität Berlin With the support of Barbara Breysach, Europa Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder Christian Pischel, Hochschule für Musik und Theater „Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy“ Leipzig |
2019 | 2020 |
2 |
Rahel Varnhagen. Lebensgeschichte einer deutschen Jüdin / The Life of a Jewish Woman. |
Barbara Hahn, Vanderbilt University / Freie Universität Berlin With the support of Johanna Egger, Freie Universität Berlin Friederike Wein, Freie Universität Berlin |
2021 | 2023 |
14 | The Life of the Mind |
Wout Cornelissen, Radboud University, Nijmegen Thomas Bartscherer, Bard College Anne Eusterschulte, Freie Universität Berlin |
2024 | 2025 |
5 | The Origins of Totalitarianism / Elemente und Ursprünge totaler Herrschaft |
Hanno Berger, University of Texas Hermann Kappelhoff, Freie Universität Berlin Christian Pischel, Hochschule für Musik und Theater „Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy“ Leipzig Friedbert W. Rüb, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Annette Vowinckel, Leibniz-Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung Potsdam With the support of Elena Stingl, Freie Universität Berlin |
2025 | 2026 |
4.1 |
Kleine Schriften I / Shorter Writings I |
Anne Eusterschulte, Freie Universität Berlin Eva Geulen, Zentrum für Literatur- und Kulturforschung, Berlin Friederike Wein, Freie Universität Berlin |
2025 |
2026 |
7 | The Human Condition / Vita activa oder Vom tätigen Leben |
Patchen Markell, Cornell University Thomas Wild, Bard College With the support of Hannah Gerlach, Freie Universität Berlin |
2026 | 2027 |
4.2 | Kleine Schriften II / Shorter Writings II |
Na’ama Rokem, University of Chicago Annette Vowinckel, Leibniz-Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung Potsdam |
2026 | 2027 |
10 | Eichmann in Jerusalem |
Lutz Fiedler, Moses Mendelssohn Zentrum für europäisch-jüdische Studien, Universität Potsdam James McFarland, Vanderbilt University Michael Wildt, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin With the support of Lisa-Maria Renner, Freie Universität Berlin Johanna Westphal, Freie Universität Berlin |
2027 | 2028 |
15 | Kant Lectures |
Florian Klinger, University of Chicago Susanne Lüdemann, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München |
2027 | 2028 |
9 | Between Past and Future |
Harald Bluhm, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg Grit Straßenberger, Universität Bonn |
2028 | 2029 |
11 | On Revolution / Über die Revolution |
Marcus Llanque |
2029 | 2030 |
8 | Einführung in die Politik | N. N. | 2029 | 2030 |
12 | Men in Dark Times |
Thomas Wild, Bard College Erdmut Wizisla, AdK Berlin |
2029 | 2030 |
13 | Crises of the Republic |
Michael Levine, Rutgers University Elisabeth Weber, UCLA Santa Barbara |
2030 | 2031 |
1 | Der Liebesbegriff bei Augustin |
Anne Eusterschulte, Freie Universität Berlin Christian Wiese, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt/M. |
2030 | 2031 |
4.3 | Kleine Schriften III / Shorter Writings III |
Patchen Markell, Cornell University |
2031 | 2032 |
16 | Denktagebuch |
Ulrich von Bülow, Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach |
2031 | 2032 |