“Unfathomable Event of the Fatal Time” or the Russian theme in the novella “Vision” by in E. T. A. Hoffmann

Abstract

The relevance of this research is defined by the scientific significance of the problem of Germany-Russia relations as an important factor of cross-cultural interaction. Dresden has imprinted hundreds of Russian names. This found reflection in the novel “Vision” by E. T. A. Hoffmannn, inspired by the experiences during his life in Dresden. The German romanticist appeared to be in the center of anti-Napoleonic War for a few month in 1813. Hoffmann also expressed his emotions in letters, diary notes, and publicistic texts. The “Unfathomable Event” of the novella “Vision” allowed avoiding unambiguity of explanation of the “fatal, difficult, and turbulent time”, as well as preserving the magic of the fantastic. It is noted that E. T. A. Hoffmann described in the novel and related texts the situations borrowed from life, reminiscences of the parlous Dresden days. At the same time, he highlighted the liberation mission of the Russian troops. Special attention is given to application of the so-called Serapiontic principle, which implies the transformation of reality in the consciousness of the imaginative nature. The novelty of this research consists in observation that the fantastic event described in the novel, turned Hoffmann into the “translator” of the meaning of feat of the Russian participants of the Liberation wars in the language of images. Such approach presented the peculiarities of development of the Russian theme and Russian literary images in the works of the German romanticist in the historical perspective.