“Das letzte Abenteuer” und der “Herbst des Mittelalters”: Heimito von Doderer und Johan Huizinga

Abstract

Heimito von Doderer has been regarded primarily as the author of sizeable novels representing the bourgeois society in Vienna between the wars. Two of his most impressive smaller works, the story “Das letzte Abenteuer” (“The last adventure”) and the short novel “Ein Umweg” (“A detour”), however, depict a somewhat enchanted late medieval and early modern society. Foregrounding Doderer’s historical knowledge and interests, this article investigates possible sources for these historical stories. Comparing Doderer’s texts with Johan Huizinga’s “Herfsttij der Middeleeuwen”, the German translation of which Doderer read in 1927, the influence of Huizinga on Doderer becomes apparent. Close text analysis can show that, in spite of differences between the two authors concerning a general philosophy of history, especially “The last adventure” and “Herfsttij der Middeleeuwen” share a number of motifs, particularly the choice of single colors and metaphors. In “The last adventure” and “A detour”, Doderer combines his historical interests and his typical aesthetic strategy of creating poetical metaphors with questions of personal development and self-insight of the author himself and the leading protagonists.