Early Modern German Literature 1350-1700 by Max Reinhart

Abstract

226 Reviews Wachinger)of thesixteen-volume Repertorium derSangspriiche und Meisterlieder, justoverhalftheessaysinthe collection discusslyric genres andother musicological themes: inadditiontotopics already mentioned,there arecontributions onLuther's hymns, the melodyofepicstrophes, andmusical instruments in Wittenwiler's Ring. A localor regional connectionrunsthrough eightessays which arevariously de votedto Konradvon Wurzburg, WalthervonderVogelweide, andHans Sachs,and totheimage ofFranconiain medievalGerman literature. TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE MARK CHINCA Early ModernGerman Literature 1350-1700.Ed. by MAXREINHART. (The Camden HouseHistoryofGermanLiterature, 4)Rochester, NY:CamdenHouse. 2007. liii+1094 pp. $i1o; ?6o. ISBN 978-1-57113-247-5. Thisground-breaking contribution tolate medievalandearly modernGermanstu dies isthefirst volume-length literary history of thisrich period.It manages at the sametimetofunction as anaccessibleintroduction for students, aswell aspointing the way tofuture research byhighlighting previously neglected areasofscholarship andproviding detailed bibliographical references. Thevolumeischaracterized byits important interdisciplinary approachtoliterary studies andby its detailedattention to thecoexistence ofLatinandvernacularliterary culturein thisperiod.Refresh ingly, theforms which thevolumeconsidersrangefromthetraditional genres drama,poetry, prose-to thethose whichweremore oftenoverlooked by earlier scholarship, suchasdemonologies, theemblem,translations, and travel reports. Early ModernGerman Literature starts withthe BlackDeath and,as Max Reinhart explains inhis introduction, it is therefore able to examine thecoexistenceof late medieval and humanistic forms at the beginning of the period as well as taking into account the transition frommanuscript culture to that of printing with movable type. The volumeplaces early modern literature (in thebroadestsense of the word) in its historical context, showing how texts had meaning 'within specific discursiveframeworks' (p.xvii) in theearly modernperiodand focusing on their communicative function at thattime. Reinhart highlights nationalism and confessionalism as twoof thepowerful drivingforces of theperiod.The volume also tracestheriseofbourgeoisintellectual culture, through thegrowth of cities, chanceries, anduniversities, while reminding us of itsimportant relationship with aristocratic circles onwhich itoften dependedfor employment. Thevolumeisdividedintofive sections('Transitions', 'Formations', 'Forms', 'Re presentations', 'Lives'). The first section providesa framework for what istocome, with thought-provoking reflections byKlausGarberandHans-GertRoloff on the natureofearly modern scholarship. Garberprovidesan incisive analysis ofearlier generations' approachestothis period, whileRoloff emphasizesthe wealthofearly modern texts whichhavenotyetbeenproperly understood orevenproperly edited. Roloff calls for literary history to be 'orientated towards human values' (p. 31) that is, to explore texts as responses to particular existential problems at a given MLR, 104.1, 2009 227 time. GraemeDunphy focuses on 'Literary Transitions' at thestart of theperiod, analysingthechanging natureof courtly culturein thelate medievalperiod,as well as theimportance ofmonasticismand theriseof thecities, whose literary forms included the Stadtchronik. RenateBorn'schapter endsthissection, providing a succinct account of the emergence of a single standardized German as a literary language whichemphasizesthecoexistence during muchofthe periodof 'Common German' inBavaria and Austria and theEastern Central German which was adopted byProtestant printers andwriters. The secondsection('Formations') beginswith awide-ranging chapter by Wil helm Kiihlmann on education, encompassing humanist approaches and thecultural patriotism of theseventeenth century, which saw a shifttowards Germanbeing used as thelanguage of theclassroom.Joachim Knape's excellent chapter'Poetics andRhetoricsinEarly ModernGermany'providesa clearand readable accountof theclassicalorigins ofpoeticsand texts on rhetoric, regarding bothas closelylinked theories ofcommunication. Knape also examinesconversational andbehavioural rhetorics, whichdealt with ritualized behaviourincourtor insociety. The section 'Formations' alsocontains severalimportant contributions on thesixteenth century. Stephan Fiisselexaminesthe origins andspread ofprinting and WilhelmKiihlmann analysestheliterature writteninneo-Latinfrom thelatefifteenth totheearly eigh teenth century in Germany, muchofwhichwas readbyintellectuals across Europe. Humanists'rediscovery ofancient playwrights suchas PlautusandTerenceled to the foundation of amodern dramatic tradition inLatin, such as the comedy Julius redivivus (1585)byFrischlin; eroticlovepoetry waswritten, modelledonCatullus; neo-Latinpanegyric poetryandotheroccasionalpoetry was alsowrittenthrough out this periodandexisted alongside German-language writingfor sometime after Opitz'spoeticreforms. Neo-Latinwas ofcoursealsoan important language forsci entific writing. Kiihlmannalsoanalysesthe European-wide tradition ofLatinJesuit drama, which had an important influence, forexample, on the tragedies ofAndreas Gryphius. ErikaRummel'scontribution onhumanists as translators andeditors also engages with neo-Latin literature, as well as examining theReuchlin affairand hu manistbiblicalscholarship, suchasErasmus's Greek-Latin New Testament of1516. One of the great strengths of thisvolume is that it showcases themost recent re search on each of the subject areas. C. Scott Dixon's chapter on theReformation is a case inpoint. Dixon highlights theimportance ofthe University of Wittenberginthe origins of the Reformation movementand showshow initsearlystages Lutherand hiscolleaguesregarded the new theology as 'ourtheology', the product ofcollabora tive work inthefaculty. The chapter emphasizesthe heterogeneity of the Reforma tion movementand showshow itfragmented as itspreadbeyond Wittenbergor Zurich. Dixon alsoexaminesthe political dynamic ofthe Reformation, showing the close linkbetweenthe Reformation and thesystems ofgovernancein townsand cities. Parts iII ('Forms')and iv ('Representations...