Literary Censorship as a Source of Historical Understanding: A Comment

Abstract

THE two preceding essays illuminate interesting aspects of the relationship between literature and the state in the 1880s and 1890s, and for that re son are welcome. The authors, however, draw very different conclusions from their case studies. Mr. Stark? rightly in my view?tends to discount the effects of literary censorship in Prussia and Saxony during this period, while Mr. Jelavich argues that the censorship of literary naturalism had a strong and damaging impact on modernist culture in Bavaria. Indeed, he regards the conflict between censor and avant-garde as symptomatic of larger cultural and political forces that persist to this day. Such a claim?even if stated in less absolute form than it receives in his final paragraph?would probably be impos? sible to document in the compass of an article. It would also require a more differentiated analysis ofthe various political and cultural forces in Bavaria than is given here. The following comments will not so much address specific issues or arguments in the two papers?although I shall refer to a few?but rather will pursue some of their implications for our understanding of Ger? many during this period. Political censorship and censorship ofthe arts must be distinguished, even if they are often related, and sometimes overlap. Press censorship was undoubtedly an important element in the political life of Wilhel? mine Germany?one need only think ofthe constant interference with social-democratic publications after the lifting of the anti-socialist law in 1890. The significance and reach of literary censorship, despite occa? sionally harsh measures, were of a different order. To the historian, the censorship ofthe arts presents three major areas of interest: the taboos that exist in all societies at all times?though the nature of these taboos may vary?and the methods by which any given society seeks to enforce them. Secondly, the practice of censorship at a particular time and place, and its impact on specific artists and on their