4 Die Blechtrommel und die italienische Kulturszene Anfang der Sechziger Jahre

Abstract

This contribution discusses the historical and cultural context in which the first Italian translation of Die Blechtrommel was published (1962). The relatively late date of publication was due to the political and religious conservatism of the country. Even the left wing cultural scene was marked by a certain dogmatic conformism. This explains the scruples with which Italian publishers read and then rejected Die Blechtrommel. The literary climate only began to change in the beginning of the 1960s with the appearance of journals like Il Verri. The aesthetic programme of the authors and critics who now started to publish had strongly resonated with the transition that was going on in Germany in the same period. The innovations soon had strong repercussions in the publishing sector, especially with regard to the import of foreign works. The change in fortunes for Grass’s novel came when the Feltrinelli publishing house, founded in Milan in 1955, started to take a serious interest in new experimental German literature. This was largely thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of the young editor Enrico Filippini. The Italian translation finally appeared in the renowned series „I narratori“, which also included other esteemed names from contemporary literature. The novel was presented to the public as a radical representative of experimental iconoclastic literature, an image that was confirmed in the controversial critical reception accorded to the novel.