German Authors Research Articles

Rezension: Kronstädter Beiträge zur germanistischen Forschung, Band 20: Gesehenes, Gehörtes, Erdachtes. Kulturelle, literarische und sprachliche Paradigmen und Strategien der (rumänien)deutschen Postmoderne. Aldus Verlag, Kronstadt:2020

Abstract The present paper reviews the articles published in the 20th volume of the Kronstädter Beiträge zur germanistischen Forschung, which focus on a variety of postmodern elements found within German culture, language, and literature. A special emphasis is set on the person and works of the German author living in Romania Joachim Wittstock, whom the given volume has been dedicated to, on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

The Shandean. Ed. Peter de Voogd. Vol. 30.

<i>The Shandean</i>. Ed. Peter de Voogd. Vol. 30.

Confounded Dwelling: Architectures of Association in W. G. Sebald’sAusterlitz

Confounded Dwelling: Architectures of Association in W. G. Sebald’s<i>Austerlitz</i>

Trendy Monsters: The Nazis, the Perpetrator Turn, and Popular Culture

Trendy Monsters: The Nazis, the Perpetrator Turn, and Popular Culture

Lucian Blaga, Dinspre „Alegoriile Naţionale” Spre World Literature

Abstract Whether we refer to Lucian Blaga’s inclusion in a hyper-canon, or we choose to focus on his relationship with European cultures or his incursions into the realm of philosophy, the contextualization of his work can only be achieved by going down a two-way street; can we refer to Blaga as a German author of Romanian expression, as he was considered to be by some of his contemporaries, or can we refer to him as Romanian Goethe, as he was named upon the release of his translation of Faust? These are just a few lines of thought the present study is based on.

Werner Bergengruen (d. 1964) in Conversation with the Middle Ages: Significant Contributions to Twentieth-Century Medievalism

Medievalism has experienced an enormous popularity in the last decades, if not century, but the specific contributions by the Baltic German author Werner Bergengruen have not yet received full attention. In light of a selection of his novellas, we can identify him as a meaningful respondent to medieval themes, ideas, concepts, and values which he dealt with rather creatively, employing them for his own ethical, religious, or spiritual musings. Studying Bergengruen’s novellas makes it possible not only to familiarize ourselves once again with one of the most popular German authors from the mid-twentieth century who has unfairly lost in popular appeal maybe since ca. 1970. Through his novellas we also gain intriguing keys to open innovative perspectives toward a variety of literary and didactic texts from the Middle Ages, which are not simply imitated here, but emerge as critical catalysts or sources for Bergengruen’s own reflections on timeless human issues.

Translation of German anthroponyms in a novel “Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt” (Book 1) by Dieter Noll: linguistic and cultural aspect

The article considers the translation of German anthroponyms in a literary text, taking into account the achievements of modern linguistic and cultural studies. The research is based on the theory of precedent and the following research methods: etymological, word-formation analysis, lexical-semantic analysis, analysis of dictionary definitions, linguistic and stylistic analyses etc. To achieve the purpose of scientific research, such an algorithm of actions is applied: 1) establishment of precedent phenomena and surnames, determination of the association to which they appeal; 2) analysis of the method of transferring German surnames in the Ukrainian translation; 3) identification of translation decisions. The study was based on 190 surnames of characters from Dieter Noll’s novel “Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt” (Book 1). The system of surnames of the novel is divided into two groups: precedent and fictional. Precedent onyms denote famous writers, philosophers, generals and others. Fictitious onyms are divided into German surnames, foreign surnames and author’s surnames. German surnames are of German origin. The second group singles out surnames of Slavic origin. Author’s surnames are characterized by a certain connotation and influence on the reader. The reproduction of German surnames in the Ukrainian translation takes place by means of transcription and transliteration.

Goethe’s “Welt” poet in Bengal: The Influence of World Literature on Jibanananda Das and other Bengali Poets of the 1930s-40s

This study aims to establish a link between the concept of “Weltliteratur” or World Literature, in terms of the free movement of literary themes and ideas between nations in original form or translation, and the Bengali poets of the thirties and forties who actively translated French and German poets. It identifies Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's (1749-1832) concept of World Literature as a vehicle for the Kallol Jug poets. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe introduced the concept of “Weltliteratur” in a few of his essays in the first half of the nineteenth century to describe the international circulation and reception of literary works in Europe, including works of non-Western origin. My emphasis will be on Jibanananda Das (1899-1954) arguably the most celebrated poet in Bengali literature who was well versed in the contemporary Western Canons of Poetry. Jibanananda’s defamiliarization of the rural Bengal Landscape, his use of exotic foreign images owe a debt to contemporary European poets. Interestingly, Jibanananda had reviewed an English translation of German author Thomas Mann’s novel “Dr Faustus’ for a Bengali magazine “Chaturanga”. In the Bengali review he states that despite prevalent misconceptions (some critics considering the novel to be superior to the original Faust epic by Goethe) Goethe’s Faust was the first text to capture the hope, despair and crisis in the modern world and articulate it in such a manner that “true” literature of the age was created in its new light. In Jibanananda’s estimation, Thomas Mann deserves credit for treating the Faust legend in a unique and creative way.

On the question of the method of the erythrocyte sedimentation reaction and its significance in gynecology

The erythrocyte sedimentation reaction, introduced into clinical practice by Fahraeus in 1918, has been further studied in relation to gynecological diseases by some German authors (Linzenmeier, Geppert, Haselhorst, Rumpf, Peony, Molnar).

Väike-Abhaasia suured piiriküsimused

The article examines Baltic German research expeditions to the north-western Caucasus, including Abkhazia, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and analyses the results of these trips. Although some of these researchers, such as Peter Simon Pallas and Heinrich Klaproth, came from Germany, most of the researchers were from the Baltic provinces of the Russian tsarist state: Johann Anton Güldenstädt, Otto Moritz Ludwig von Engelhardt, Johann Jacob Friedrich Wilhelm Parrot, and Theodor von Tornau. The main focus of the article is on the descriptions of the north-western region of Abkhazia, where the historical region Dzhigetia or Small Abkhazia is located, and which was inhabited by the Dzhiget ethnic group until the 1860s. Using data from Baltic German authors, especially Theodor von Tornau, an attempt is made to answer the question of whether or not Dzhigetians belonged to the Abkhazians. The article provides an overview of the historical location and fate of Dzhigets in the 19th century. In general, the descriptions of the peoples of the Caucasus provided by the authors of the late 18th and early 19th centuries are superficial and do not follow a uniform classification. Therefore, their interpretation offers different possibilities today. The examples of recent interpretations given in the article convince us that Russian and Abkhaz authors have interpreted earlier authors differently. The most comprehensive accounts of Dzhigetia come from Theodor von Tornau, and it can be argued that the Dzhigetians were an Abkhaz ethnic group. The question of the affiliation of Dzhigets is important in today’s border disputes between Abkhazia and Russia. In the last decade, Russia has made territorial claims to Abkhazia in the region of historic Dzhigetia. It is also declared among the Russian scientific community that Dzhigetia is not historically-ethnically within the borders of Abkhazia. However, Tornau’s data refute these statements of Russian authors. The ethnicity of the peoples of the border areas would probably not solve today’s border problems, but would give to the parties of the dispute symbolic capital and moral support to defend their positions.

Breve Análise De Um Romance Regional Alemão: Das Neckartreiben Da Autora Sybille Baecker

In this article will be made a brief presentation of the german regional detective story Neckartreiben of the german author Sybille Baecker. German regional crime stories narrate a crime, but also make the presentation of the region where it takes place, in this case the city of Tubingen and its region.

Apologie der deutschen Sprache und Dichtkunst in Johann Fischarts Geschichtklitterung

Abstract In competing with Rabelais’ French novel Garguanta, the German author Fischart aims to illustrate the richness of the German language and its poetry in his comic novel Geschichtklitterung. Focusing on the second chapter of this text, which has so far been viewed as nothing more than an absurd play on language, this article offers a new interpretation and demonstrates how the German author stylizes himself as a poeta vates in his Pantagruelian prophecy and presents himself as a being purified by wine in his poem “Glucktratrara”. In the end, inspired by Apollo and the Muses, he seems to create an epic poem praising both Germans and the German language.

ART SPACE OF CONTEMPORARY DRAMA

Sokolovska S. F.The study of the modern literary situation, in particular, new trends in drama, is a relevant task for literary criticism. The work of playwrights of the 90s of the twentieth century deserves special attention since the literary practice of this generation of artists caused a number of significant shifts in various formally substantive areas of drama. Indicative in this respect are the works of the modern German author R. Schimmelpfennig. In the process of literary study of the play «The Golden Dragon», an analytical model of a literary text has been built, which is correlated with the interpretation model of a literary work. The chronotope and structure of the narrative reflect the artistic picture of the world and the concept of personality. Creating these aspects of artistic reality, the playwright turns to the aesthetics of B. Brecht’s epic theater. First of all, this is the alienation effect, which occurs through seventeen roles that are distributed among five actors. However, the characters are not puppet heroes, human beings without identity, they play the role of storytellers, report events, addressing directly to the audience. The author’s presence is being augmented, which is realized in the epization of a dramatic text, in the author’s direct description of the characters, in the spatio-temporal organization of the work. The reality that the world of a multi-storey building reproduces in the play does not allow a person to realize themselves. Such a manifestation becomes possible in an imaginary world, in human consciousness. The acquisition of personal uniqueness, the establishment of deep, essential connections with other people occurs in an open, unlimited mental space.

INTRODUCTION: THE LEGACY OF ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT (1769–1859). A CRITICAL REAPPRAISAL 250 YEARS ON

INTRODUCTION: THE LEGACY OF ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT (1769–1859). A CRITICAL REAPPRAISAL 250 YEARS ON

Filosofia, alterità e democrazia

This article intends to analyze the link existing in Apel between ethics of communication, democracy and difference. In the German author, the argumentative reason is not circumventable. The communicative and intersubjective nature of human identity founds democracy as a form of life and just coexistence. Democracy allows the individual to discover himself as tied to a common history. The paradigm of communicative philosophy overcomes both social nihilism and the dogmatism of some versions of liberalism. This rediscovery of philosophy is connected to the possibility of a social ethics and a free, equal and democratic public discourse.The problems facing today's world cannot find an adequate answer in provisional syntheses of the Postmodern, nor in the deflation of the concept of truth.Apel’s Philosophy advocates linked to the public dimension, arises from the community affair and from human history. What sustains and normatively guides social interaction is a special solidarity, which springs from the intersubjective dimension and the discursive nature of our co-world.

An Absent Text of a Civilised Literary Man

In this paper the author tries to answer the question of what factors caused the great German author Thomas Mann to accept the official goals of World War I by focusing on his Reflections of a Non-political Man. It also discusses Thomas Mann’s disagreements with his brother Heinrich Mann and his polemics with the ideas specific to the mainstream liberal thinking. Additionally, the article considers the context of the Polish reception of Thomas Mann. The author also discusses the problem of the topicality of the writer‘s attitude.

Творчество А. Е. Коцебу в русской и европейской художественной критике XIX-XX вв.

The study aims to present a corpus of assessments of A. E. Kotzebue’s creative work found in publications by the Russian and German critics (art historians) of the XIX-XX centuries. Scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that for the first time since 1955, the leading Russian battle painter’s creative work has become a subject of research; for the first time in art history, the author has identified, introduced into scientific use and analysed publications on Kotzebue’s creative work in the Russian and German art press of the XIX-XX centuries; until recently, the German authors’ point of view has not been published. The researcher has revealed general characteristics of the artist’s creative work in Russia and Germany, as well as specificity of his art perception in these countries. As a result, it has been proved that Kotzebue’s creative work was an object of close attention of the German and Russian art historians in the late 1850s - mid-1870s; that high appraisal of his paintings is confirmation of international recognition won by the artist; that in the 1870s, the shift in the military genre development in the Russian art gave rise to Kotzebue’s battle pieces criticism, while his creative work was still highly regarded in Germany; that the opinion of the Russian and foreign art historians of the XX century on Kotzebue is based on XIX-century publications and does not contain any fundamental novelty.

Vom Schutzwall zur Wall Street Ingo Schulzes Schelmenroman Peter Holtz, die Mauer und das System des Geldes

In the years of the 2008 world financial crisis and of the global protests of the Occupy-Movement, the German author Ingo Schulze writes a novel about the German reunification, in which he tells the story of the ‘GDR-rogue’ Peter Holtz fighting for a fairer society. In this novel Schulze challenges the question of the democratic quality of the political and economic world order arisen at the historical moment of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Why does Schulze decide to write just a picaresque novel about the German reunification during the financial crisis after 2007? What is the additional value of this literary elaboration of the historical turning point of 1989? Why does money play such a significant role in this novel? The contribution expounds that Schulze retrospectively and critically retraces in his picaresque novel the way from the ‘anti-fascist rampart’ of the GDR to the moneycentred financial world of Wall Street. The article illustrates at the same time Schulze’s diagnosis according to which during the process of German reunification the West betrayed its own democratic values and against the background of the peaceful revolution in the GDR missed the historical chance to build a fairer future society.

Laughing with and about Death? Werner Bergengruen’s Philosophical and Literary Approaches

Werner Bergengruen (d. 1964) was one of the most popular German authors from ca. 1930 to at least 1970, but his reputation has faded a lot, and there are only a few scholars who are still engaged with his works. In his collection of novels, Der Tod von Reval, however, Bergengruen developed a fascinating range of literary reflections on death as people in this Baltic city (Reval, today Tallinn) had experienced it throughout their history. Drawing extensively from medieval and early modern legendary accounts, this author translated in a highly meaningful manner the fundamental experience of death into an existentialist process profoundly informed by humanist values.

Translating the Canarian Malinche: creation and dissemination of discursive images through hidden translation practices

ABSTRACT The present paper can be located at the interface of translation studies, imagology and philological analysis of the sources of a literary text. We analyse a travel book by the German author Käthe Burchard entitled Unter kanarischem Himmel [Under the Canary Sky] (1909), with the aim of recovering and giving visibility to a text that has been ignored by the specialised bibliography on the history of the conquest of the Canary Islands. Furthermore, we aim to investigate the relationships that can be established between Burchard’s work and oral and written sources that were not mentioned by the German author. Through a contrastive study of these sources, we show how this relationship is not merely a case of intertextuality, but a more than probable covert translation. Finally, by analysing the work of a woman, Burchard, who writes about a female figure, the Canarian indigenous Iballa, often compared to the controversial figure of Hernán Cortés’s interpreter, La Malinche, we reflect on the role of translation as a discursive practice in the creation, consolidation and dissemination of certain images, identities (of women, of oppressed groups and hegemonic cultures) and gender discourses in given cultures.