Snap die Verwandlung

Kafkas Welt durch deine Linse

Snap die Verwandlung: Kafkas Welt durch deine Linse – Photo competition © Goethe-Institut Cyprus

The competition is completed.

Are you creative and like taking photos? Then take part in our photo competition and show us how you visually interpret The Metamorphosis in Franz Kafka's story! Let your imagination run wild – whether symbolic, abstract or modern – every perspective is welcome!

Who was Franz Kafka?

Franz Kafka was an author who wrote in German. He was born in Prague in 1883. This city belonged to Austria at the time and is now part of the Czech Republic. He studied law and gained a doctorate in this subject. He was also very interested in the German language. He worked for an insurance company that helped people with accidents at work. In the evenings, Kafka wrote stories, often late into the night.

Situations of fear and nervousness play a major role in Kafka's stories. He describes everything in detail in his texts, but his stories still feel like a nightmare and the characters are often nervous, irritated or anxious. There is a word for this uneasy feeling: ‘Kafkaesque’. It is used when a situation is bizarre, illogical or depressing. Kafka suffered from tuberculosis. He also had a lot of stress, headaches and a fear of contact with other people.

He died in 1924 at the age of 40. His stories are still important today and are part of world literature. 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of Franz Kafka's death.

Congratulations to the winners!

First Place: “Echo eines verlassenen Herzens
Αrseniy Martinovich, Yana Zinovkina

Second Place: “Der Schmerz des Werdens
Sophia Galanou, Olga Chadina

Third Place: “Technomorphosis
Daria Vasilyeva, Wang Zhangyingqian

Special prize: “Gregors Transformation
Maya Ioannou, Olha Kovalchuk

About the competition

The Metamorphosis is one of Franz Kafka's most famous stories. Read the beginning of the story:
When Gregor Samsa wakes up in the morning after nightmares, he finds himself mutated into a large insect in his bed. He sees his insect legs and his round, brown, hard stomach. ‘What happened?’ he thinks. It's not a dream...
Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka

Do you still have any questions?

Do you still have any questions about the competition? If so, write an email to
wettbewerb-nikosia@goethe.de

Follow us