Walter Benjamin, one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century, was also a victim of the momentous times in which he lived. These are the basic facts. A passionate free thinker and deeply committed to left-wing politics, he had first-hand experience of the horrors of the Nazi regime. And in his quest to flee the madness that enveloped Hitler’s Germany, this illustrious but poor Jewish émigré found refuge in Ibiza, a Mediterranean paradise that had until then escaped the scourges of political repression and consequently exerted an attraction for European and American intelligentsia, including Austrian Dadaist Raoul Hausmann, French writer Jean Selz, German ethnologist Hans Jakob Noeggerath, Andalusian poet Rafael Alberti and the North American author Elliot Paul. Within this enclosed, innocent and traditional society on the shores of a sea of dazzling brightness, between ancient olives and white houses reminiscent of the architecture of North Africa, the great philosopher was able to find peace, perhaps for the last time in his life.
Thanks to the Institut d’Estudis Baleàrics y el Govern and with the support of the local council in Sant Antoni, the inhabitants of the Pitiusas and visitors to the Islands (particularly older ones with memories of the period) now have the opportunity to discover more about the life and times – both intellectual and romantic – of Walter Benjamin (1892–1940) who spent approximately nine peaceful and relatively untroubled months on the Island, three of them at the end of 1932 and three in mid-1933. There were, of course, also episodes of financial difficulty and moments of disillusion and loneliness. One of the places he lived in was Sa Punta des Molí where, between 22nd March and 21st April, one of the most important exhibitions of the year takes place. It is regarded as so significant that, after going on display in the Bahía de Portmany, it goes on tour to Solleric de Palma in May and from there to the Frankfurt Book Fair in October.
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of his arrival in Ibiza and with an eye to international publicity, the organisers of this major cultural initiative wanted to celebrate this eminent translator, literary critic and Berlin raconteur. The purpose of the exhibition is not merely to highlight a single period in Benjamin’s career – in this case his lengthy and idyllic cruise around the coast of Ibiza – but also to stimulate a debate concerning the author’s reflexions on modern times, his personal history and his art, all of which are still very much the focus of interest in academic circles.
Ibiza – a refuge that was ‘provisional, charming and cheap’ according to organiser Vicente Valero – was the first stage in what would have been the permanent exile of the hapless Benjamin who preferred to take his own life in Portbou near Girona rather than fall into the clutches of the Italian fascists. A sad end for a great contemporary thinker who opposed the excesses of a society that had become sick, schizophrenic and corrupt through the malign influence of authoritarianism. Gabriel Janer Manila, President of the Mallorquín society organising one of the events, gave a glowing tribute to the person whose life is being celebrated: “He was a fallen angel in a struggle against the malaise of his times.” From a Germany that had been rent asunder he looked for inspiration in a distant place, eventually finding it here in bucolic surroundings where amiable people, ‘inner tranquillity’ and a landscape ‘that is more intact than any I have ever known’ influenced him both in his work and in a spiritual sense. Fortunately for the rest of us.
