Hanss Magnuss Encensbergers – literāro vinješu meistars

Abstract

The article “Hans Magnus Enzensberger – Master of Literary Vignettes” is dedicated to the latest book of the outstanding German poet and publicist “Masters of Survival: 99 Literary Vignettes of the 20th Century”, published on the occasion of the author’s 90th anniversary. It presents 99 literary portraits in the characteristic style of Enzensberger – from critical attitude to admirable praise. The article first describes the vignette as a special genre of literature (miniature literature), its meaning, and history. Several examples from the history of German and Austrian literature are mentioned: Stefan Zweig, Robert Walser, Franz Kafka, Robert Musil. All objects in Enzensberger’s literary vignettes are “masters of survival” – they are writers and poets between the First and Second World Wars. The article qualifies the critical performance of Marko Martin, Helmut Böttiger, Christian Metz, and Alexander Cammann in evaluating Enzensberger’s work. The style of Enzensberger is also characterised. It surprises the reader by bringing the personal, subjective aspect closer to various intimate facts from the lives of writers and poets. The most significant attention is paid to the representatives of German literature – Gottfried Benn, Gerhart Hauptmann, Johannes R. Becher, and others.