Konrad Paul Liessmann

born in Villach in 1953, studied philosophy, German and history in Vienna and was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Vienna until 2021. From 1997 to 2023, scient. Director, since 2024 co-director of the ‘Philosophicum Lech’. Numerous awards, including the Austrian State Prize for Cultural Journalism, the Austrian Book Trade Prize for Tolerance in Thought and Action, VIZE 97 from the Vacláv Havel Foundation in Prague, the Paul Watzlawick Ring of Honour 2016 and the Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class. Numerous publications, most recently "Alle Lust will Ewigkeit. Mitternächtliche Versuchungen" (2021) and “Lauter Lügen und andere Wahrheiten” (2023). "Der Plattenspieler" (2025) was published by Residenz Verlag in the “Dinge des Lebens” series.

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Books

Konrad Paul Liessmann Hanna Zeckau (Illustrated by) - The Record Player

In the age of digitalisation, record players and good old vinyl discs are enjoying a remarkable renaissance. For Konrad Paul Liessmann, however, this came as no surprise. He has always stayed true to the record player. The revolving record, the slender needle and the delicate grooves exert a powerful fascination for him. Turning his attention to his beloved record player, the philosopher Konrad Paul Liessmann intertwines his personal musical experiences with a brief cultural history of listening. He tells the story of how sound has been stored and reproduced, from the first gramophone to modern streaming services, and asks to what extent our relationship with music has been changed as a result of its technological reproducibility.

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