Greetings from the Chairman of the Board

James Loeb had no descendants, but he nevertheless left us “children” in Murnau: the books in his library of ancient classics. Loeb wanted the wisdom and insights into life of the Greeks and Romans to be accessible not only to scholars in the original languages, but to all citizens for all time. We all want to know what constitutes a fulfilling life, how we can live it, and how we can experience it anew time and again. 

Every summer, the James Loeb Society invites young people from all over the world to Murnau to examine one of these books in light of current social issues. Every summer, Murnau becomes a hub of artistic and cultural exchange. Young people, international artists, local writers, regional startups, and local organizations transform the market town of Murnau into an academy for everyone.

• In the summer of 2023, the focus was on consumption and the philosophy of knowing how to do without.
• In 2024, the focus would be on the question (Loeb Library No. 21): Must growth be limitless?
• The father of botany, Theophrastus (Loeb Library No. 70), provided the impetus for the question in 2025: Are plants and humans not equal on this earth?
• In the summer of 2026, we wrote poetry, drew, and made music in the spirit of the ancient Greek poet Theocritus (Loeb Library No. 28), the inventor of the idyll and pastoral poetry.

Every year, we also organize numerous museum visits, exclusive guided tours, and lectures—for a fulfilling life and ongoing exchange among one another. For in an increasingly digitized world, it is important to bring idylls back into our lives and to combine the two.

Become a member! We need you! Future generations will thank you.

Hans-Peter Söder
Chairman of the James Loeb Society