German Scholars Research Articles

»Yes, I am a Catholic, the worst kind – a convert«

Abstract The article examines the significance of the Incarnation of Christ for the development of Marshall McLuhan’s media theory. McLuhan’s Catholicism was already a topic of debate in the 1960s and 70s, albeit often in a less than benevolent manner. More recently, however, scholars from the English-speaking world have approached McLuhan’s religious convictions and their possible influence on his media-theoretical considerations in a more nuanced way. Building on this research, the article argues that McLuhan’s understanding of media and their effects, summarized in the famous phrase »The medium is the message«, can hardly be separated from his belief in the Incarnation, which has often been neglected by German scholars. If one takes a closer look at a variety of sources, e. g. letters and essays written from the 1930s onwards, it becomes clear that McLuhan considered human creativity to be the result of the total remaking of human nature by the ›medium of all media‹, i. e. God incarnate, and that it is precisely these christological and anthropological principles that underlie his media theory.

Sanskrit scholars in Nazi Germany

Abstract German Sanskrit scholars from the beginning of the 19th century addressed the problem of the kinship between the ancient Germans and Aryans – while romantic patriotism was gradually replaced by militant nationalism. After World War I racism, widespread not only in Germany, but also in other Western countries, became the essential element of the ideology of National Socialism. In the 30s all German scholars were forced to make compromises under the pressure of totalitarian power. However, only a few Sanskrit scholars can be called active supporters of the regime. They have different motives: from the frank careerism of Walter Wüst to the cautious conformism of Ludwig Alsdorf. Religious scholar Jakob Wilhelm Hauer claimed to be the prophet of the “Aryan Worldview”, and Bernhard Breloer was passionate about plans of building a new social and political system, in which the individual is completely subordinate to the state. The anti-Semitic policies and political persecutions of the Nazi period had disastrous consequences for classical German Indology.

Structural characteristics of foreign language communicative competence of the modern specialist in the pedagogical concepts of Ukrainian and German scientists

The article offered is devoted to an attempt to analyse the structural framework of foreign language communicative competence (the FLСC) of the modern specialist in the pedagogical concepts of German and Ukrainian specialists. The aim of the paper is to consolidate the research positions of German and Ukrainian scholars in the field of educational sciences on the structure of the FLСC which is conditioned by the solution of the tasks of studying the theoretical basis of the competence approach in the modern education. The object matter of the research is the FLСC itself, and the subject matter comprises its structural features in view of the conceptual grounds of Ukrainian and German educators. The methodological basis of the work are general scientific methods like those of analysis and synthesis, comparison and contrast, as well as the narrow scientific method of frame analysis which allows to build an integrated structural characteristics of the FLСC. The study found that Ukrainian and German scholars have the same understanding of the essence of competence as the root element of the competence-based approach to education which is perceived as unity of theory and practice, whilst the FLСC is interpreted as a set of professional elements of knowledge which includes skills and abilities for the effective use of a foreign language by a communicator in a particular situation in order to achieve communication results deriving also from the extralinguistic factors. A special theoretical premise of the German- language professional literature is the close correlation of the FLСC with the learner’s native language communicative competence and translation sub-competence. The elements of the FLСC can include not only language and speech components, but also extralinguistic components, as well as situational knowledge because in the process of learning a foreign language other skills are acquired that depend on the content of education and are of an interdisciplinary nature.

The 13th Nordic-Baltic Conference of German Scholars 2024, Vilnius University, Abstracts

The abstract book contains the abstracts of the papers presented at the 13th Nordic-Baltic Conference of German Scholars (NBGT2024) from 12 to 14 June 2024 at Vilnius University. The subject-specific focus is on questions of German linguistics, literature and cultural studies as well as the didactics of German as a foreign language. Furthermore, the contributions reflect current political discussions on the status of German in the region. The 63 abstracts are presented in alphabetical order according to the authors' surnames.

The Zeitenwende and the Nazi Sources of Russian Actions

Abstract Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin had hoped that Germany would stay militarily neutral, counting on Germany's politicians, who had previously expressed understanding for Russia's belligerent actions. Putin did not expect a tectonic change in Germany's foreign and defense policy initiated by the government of Olaf Scholz in response to his war on Ukraine (Zeitenwende). Meanwhile, the Kremlin borrows directly from Nazism in the theoretical justification of its actions, especially from two German scholars: Carl Schmitt and Karl Haushofer.

WAR IN UKRAINE: A PUSH FOR RESHAPING GERMAN SLAVIC STUDIES

The article examines the transformative impact of the war in Ukraine on Slavic studies in the German academic environment. German universities, traditionally focused on Russian studies, have identified an urgent need to reassess both educational programs and approaches to teaching, as well as their own perspective on the development of Slavic studies. Scoping meetings, workshops, conferences, and seminars held in the German academic environment over the past two years are intended to update and systematize the achievements of German Slavic studies and outline new perspectives for its development. The aim of the research is to outline the main aspects that are identified as priorities for the development of Slavic studies in the academic environment of Germany and to trace the changes in the development of Slavic studies reflected in open information platforms, particularly university websites. In addition, special emphasis is made on the changes that have affected Ukrainian studies after the full-scale invasion. During joint meetings, German scholars identified significant limitations in the functioning of Slavic studies and difficulties with representation of all (or almost all) branches of Slavic studies in Slavic departments. Analyzing the information provided on university websites, it can be concluded that Russian studies dominate: the majority of universities offer the study of the Russian language in courses offered by Language Centers (95.7%), almost all educational programs for Slavic studies are aimed at preparing specialists on Russian studies (96.7%), and finally, students choose Russian as a pedagogical component, allowing them to qualify as teachers (88.7%). Polish and Czech are also represented in universities, but to a much lesser extent: as language courses: 36.2% – Polish, 17.2% – Czech; within educational programs: 90% – Polish and 70% – Czech; for teacher qualification: 16.7% – Polish, 10% – Czech. The Ukrainian language was insufficiently represented both as a language to be studied in courses (1.7%) and as a language that could be studied as a first/main language – 2 universities (Greifswald, Munich). Ukrainian language was not offered and is not offered for teacher qualification: in primary and secondary education institutions (schools, gymnasiums) Ukrainian language is impossible to study neither as a language of origin nor as a foreign language, although some initiatives exist. After the full-scale invasion, the situation has changed; Ukrainian language has been included in the proposals for study by 12 universities, in addition, there is an opportunity to learn not only Ukrainian language (at level B2 and above) but also literature and history within educational programs. However, German scholars still do not see the possibility of introducing Ukrainian as a component for teacher qualification, despite the extremely large number of Ukrainian children in German educational institutions. Instead, there is a proposal to develop an additional certification program for teachers of Russian to Polish, which also seems unrealistic. German scholars emphasize the need to expand their boundaries in order to offer “full Slavistics” in universities, but they highlight insufficient funding and the lack of interest among applicants in Slavic studies as major problems. Key words: Slavic studies in German universities, Ukrainian studies in German universities, Language Centers, degree programs in Slavic studies.

The Pretense Mode of Fiction. On the Practice of Fiction in Literary Studies

Since the late twentieth century, fiction, once primarily connected to the arts, has gradually become a much-debated topic in a wide range of research fields and disciplines including law and philosophy. However, as many different disciplines are now increasingly thematizing fiction and various usages of the term “fiction” exist, there is danger of mixing up the different definitions of this term, making it difficult to compare the approaches. In order to enable a comparison between “fiction” in those disciplines which this special issue focusses on, this article discusses fiction from a literary studies perspective. The aim is to unfold what it means for a literary text to be considered fiction and by doing so, elaborate on the peculiarities of fiction in the literary field. To facilitate the comparison, some essential distinctions that have become established in German scholarship require explanation first. The differentiation between fictionality as a potential property of texts and fictivity as a potential property of objects within fiction is rarely found in Anglo-American discussions of fictionality in literature but has become a central distinction in German discussions. By distinguishing between these two levels of fiction, it also becomes clear why reality does not necessarily function as fiction’s opposite—an assumption that can still be found frequently, especially in the everyday usage of the term “fiction.” Furthermore, this article will show that literary fictions do not even have to include invented characters, actions, and events, because the crucial point lies in the specific communicative stance authors of fiction demand from their readers. Hence, simply defining fiction as texts or other media that deal with invented characters, actions, or events would be inaccurate according to recent, pragmatic approaches in literary studies that clearly dominate the contemporary discourse on fiction. From the perspective of pragmatic approaches, what constitutes fiction is a very intricate question and cannot be answered by merely focusing on textual or semantic properties. That fiction cannot be determined through the content level will be demonstrated by evaluating the four most prominent and plausible accounts of fiction. After briefly discussing the pros and cons of these major accounts, I will focus on why this article favors John R. Searle’s approach to fiction, which emphasizes the pretense aspect as the peculiarity of fiction-making in communicative terms. The introduction concludes with a discussion of two core licenses that follow from the pretense strategy for authors of fiction, namely the license to choose any mode of presentation for their fictional story (communicative freedom), and secondly, the license to depict any topic and content they want (ontological freedom). Due to its clarificatory purpose, this essay does not offer a new understanding or even approach to fiction. Instead, it provides an overview of the core ideas regarding literary fiction for a readership that might come from various disciplines, albeit the special focus is on law as this issue’s central one. The article is deliberately written as a concise introduction to major approaches to fiction and fictionality in the field of literary studies or literary theory with a focus on the discussion in German scholarship in comparison to Anglo-American scholarship. This is meant to pave the way for the more detailed interdisciplinary and international discourse and discussion which make up the main bulk of the special issue.

The Reception of Vaihinger in Civil Law Scholarship

In 1911, Vaihinger’s Philosophy of “As-If” established a comprehensive doctrine of fictions in various fields of science – drawing, in particular, on legal fictions, which, in his view, are prime examples of scientific fictions. This article examines Vaihinger’s reception in legal scholarship and the actual influence of his work based on various reactions after 1911. In particular, the potential consequences of this philosophical work for legal practice and the use of fictions as “legal tools” will be the subject of a more detailed analysis. This article provides the first English compilation and translation of Vaihinger’s reception in German legal scholarship and practice. In contrast to the common perception that Vaihinger’s theorization of fictions was isolated in the German scholarship of his contemporaries, this contribution shows to what extent the status of fictions within the law was already debated before Vaihinger’s Philosophy of “As-If,” and was continued, further developed, and expanded in the ensuing scholarly debate. This research might also allow us to determine the impact of the philosophical perspective of fictionalism on German legal scholarship and facilitate conclusions on its subsequent attention among practitioners and scholars and their understanding of fictions in law.

The Translatio imperii and the Spatial Construction of History in the Twelfth Century

ABSTRACT Based on the theories of Otto of Freising and Hugh of Saint Victor, scholars widely accept that medieval authors conceived of history as a spatial progression of empires from Babylon in the east to Rome in the west. This article reevaluates that assumption, arguing that influential German scholars of the 1930s to 1960s inflated the perceived typicality of Otto’s writing. We see first that this has obscured the biblical exegetical basis of Hugh’s own theory. Surveying contemporary material from hagiographies of Thomas Becket to eschatological ideas among the ‘School of Chartres’, the article argues that it is these exegetical tropes and metaphors of the sun’s rising and setting that underlie twelfth-century discussions of east and west, not the translatio imperii. This underscores not only the novelty and achievement of Otto and Hugh, but also more clearly contextualises their work within their intellectual environment.

East Germans in the political elites of reunited Germany: the problem of underrepresentation

The underrepresentation of East Germans (“ossis”) in German elites is studied. After more than 30 years since the reunification of Germany, the share of former GDR citizens in high government positions in the political system of the state at large is far smaller than their percentage in the population. Historical preconditions for the predominance of West Germans in leadership positions are explored, the share of East Germans in different elite groups is analyzed, and the factors that could facilitate East Germans’ entry to elite positions are suggested. Based on a large amount of data, it is concluded that East Germans are unevenly represented even among political elites. But the territorial principle and the democratic form of recruitment (elections) could facilitate East Germans’ entry into an elite. The research based on statistical data published by German scholars as well as data on the German political elite collected by the author and her colleagues is introduced in Russian and foreign academic literature for the first time. The database consists of information about 736 members of the Bundestag, 17 members of the federal government, 173 members of the federal state governments, and 59 state secretaries for the period up to November 16, 2023.

“Ab Hoc Dispersione Nomen Rossicum”: G. S. Bayer’s Etymological Quest in the Context of the Scholarly Tradition

This article examines the ideas on the origin of the name Rus (Russian: русь) formulated by Gottlieb Siegfried Bayer (1694–1738), a professor at the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Bayer expressed his observations in an unfinished Latin text published after his death in the journal of the Academy. Using this publication, which has never been translated into Russian, the authors of the article examine Bayer’s critical comments and objections to various versions of the origin of the name Rus. Bayer’s text is a kind of catalogue of hypotheses that existed in the academic world in the first half of the eighteenth century. From the point of view of modern scholarship, all of them can be regarded as naive folk etymologies or legends (for example, the creation of the name Rus from the ancient name of a river, its comparison with the biblical people of Rosch, or the appeal to the legend of the brothers Lech, Czech and Rus, etc.). These versions are subjected to a fair and ironic criticism by Bayer. Based on new research on ideas of ethnic nomination, the authors place the versions in the context of discussions in historical writings of the sixteenth–eighteenth centuries. The results of the analysis of Bayer’s arguments show that he often makes very good use of his knowledge of ancient and modern languages and of the historical context to criticise other people’s versions. The article also examines in detail the etymology to which Bayer himself adheres. According to Bayer, the name of the Russian people comes from the Slavic word рассеяние (“dispersion”). This etymology was proposed in the sixteenth century by the Austrian diplomat Siegmund von Herberstein and supported by some Polish and German scholars. The authors show that Bayer finds additional historical and linguistic arguments for this hypothesis, which, of course, do not withstand the criticism of contemporary scholarship. The article notes the influence of Bayer’s hypothesis on the ideas of G. F. Mьller. The authors suppose that a certain forgetfulness of Bayer’s hypothesis is due to the fact that it contradicts his reputation as a “Normanist”.

ФАКТОРЫ РИСКА В ЭПОХУ НЕОПРЕДЕЛЕННОСТИ (НОВЫЕ КРИЗИСЫ И ИХ КУМУЛЯТИВНЫЕ ЭФФЕКТЫ)

The article presents the results of a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the current risks to the political, economic, and socio-cultural reality. The author examines the set of factors that determine the content and form of emerging conflict divisions, noting that in existing and emerging social cleavages, identification demands, problems of recognition and respect occupy a prominent place. These issues elicit an active counter-reaction from populist parties and movements. The intensity of the conflict is shaped by the multitude of interwoven cleavages which create a cumulative effect that makes it challenging to achieve consensus. The paper stresses that the internal conflicts of contemporary societies intensify the destabilizing effects of the global order. In the author’s opinion, the main explanatory framework of recent world history is the process of globalization, but the latter does not lend itself to an unambiguous interpretation, although it has resulted in the emergence of a multitude of economic, socio-cultural, political and moral cleavages between those who have benefited and those who have lost. German scholars, who were the first to identify these diametrically opposed positions, conventionally labeled their bearers as “cosmopolitans” and “communitarians”. The new conflict lines have significantly different socio-cultural features from those of the industrial revolution of the 18th-19th centuries, in terms of socio-economic factors. The set of new crises, representing a complex combination of objective and subjective dimensions of the crisis situation, intensifies the confrontation and becomes a serious challenge to democratic systems. The major objective of politics has been and remains the prevention of such crises or their timely reduction; strategically, it lies in articulating a vision of the common good and guiding society towards its realization.

Lengvai suprantama kalba socialinei įtraukčiai – atvejo aprašymas

The research is devised as a case study focused on the study course “Easy Language for Social Inclusion” developed within the ERASMUS+ project “Promoting Easy-to-Read Language for Social Inclusion/PERLSI”. The discussion is contextualized within a broader discourse on the training opportunities available for translators in the project countries (Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia). The macro-level of analysis introduces the socio-political frame of discourse on inclusion and information accessibility. The meso-level discussion evolves around the Easy language translator’s profile, based on the best practice offered by German scholars (Maaß and Rink 2020) and the immediate experience acquired during the project. Micro-level analysis offers insights into the course syllabus, the study materials developed to ensure the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for reducing cognitive load at lexical, syntactic, and textual levels as well as the visual language of the text.

Przeklęty pastorał i błogosławiony habit, czyli dlaczego Anzelm z Lukki nie chciał być biskupem

Cursed crosier and blessed habit: why did Anselm of Lucca not want to be a bishop? Vita Anselmi is a hagiographic piece that presents the life of Anselm, Bishop of Lucca and close collaborator of Pope Gregory VII. The Vita was written shortly after the bishop’s death, probably in 1087, and serves as an important source of information about the Gregorian party in Tuscany and Lombardy. The author is anonymous, but we know that he lived at the court of Matilda of Canossa and was very familiar with the mentality and ideas of the countess’ entourage. In one of the most significant passages of the text the author writes that in 1075 Anselm, tormented by having received investiture with the ring and crosier from the king, left the Bishopric of Lucca and retired to a monastery. Historians who have studied the Vita (C. Violante, E. Pásztor, K. Cushing, P. Golinelli) believe in the veracity of this account; in their opinion Anselm realised that he would be unworthily elevated to episcopal office after the Lateran Synod of 1075, at which he had promulgated a decree against lay investiture. The research of some German scholars (R. Schieffer, J. Englberger) and the analysis of other sources make us understand, however, not only that the Roman Synod had not prohibited investiture “de manu regis” but also that it was by Gregory’s will that Anselm received the episcopacy from Henry IV. The Bishop of Lucca, therefore, must have renounced his office for other reasons. The aim of the paper is to find the real reason for his abdication. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to answer to a more general question: why did some reforming bishops of the eleventh century want to renounce episcopacy? The answer can be found in the letters of Peter Damian, who also asked the pope to be allowed to abandon his episcopal see.

Recent German Research on Good and Bad Deaths in Medieval Narrative Sources

Abstract This research report presents recent German scholarship on good and bad deaths in medieval narrative sources to an English-speaking audience. Current publications are thus concisely illustrated in their design and with their results.

Dürer nyitott ajtós címere és a korai híradások apai őseiről

Albrecht Dürer’s name first appeared in Jacob Wimpfeling’s book on German history, printed in 1505, in which the Alsatian author praised the then famous artist. In his book on the work of Martin Schongauer, printed in Nuremberg in 1515, the humanist Christoph Scheurl mentioned that Dürer’s father was born in Cula, near the town of Várad in Hungary. He was therefore the first, albeit with an incorrect town name, to make this biographical information public. Joachim Camerarius also mentioned in the preface to his book on the artist’s symmetry, published posthumously in 1532, that Dürer’s paternal lineage was from Pannonia. The only surviving manuscript is the calligrapher Johann Neudorfer’s biography of Dürer, in which the artist’s father’s biography is in agreement with his family records. This knowledge also reached the Hungarian humanist János zsámboky (Sambucus), who compiled a Latin and Greek epigram in praise of Dürer, mentioning the Pannonian origins of the artist’s ancestors. This information was published in Adam Melchior’s book on the life of German scholars, published in 1615, in the section about Dürer. The artist’s own notes were published by Joachim von Sandrart in 1675.From then on, this publication became the basis for biographies of Dürer. The present essay will now look at the reception of these family records in Hungary, with its pitfalls, especially the village of Ajtós and the Dürer name, as well as the related open-door coat of arms and the portrait of the artist’s father.

Toleration and Tolerance as Human Challenges: The Voice of an Eighteenth-Century Dramatist, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, for the Twenty-First Century

In light of countless problems, the modern world faces, especially religious fanaticism, violence, and hatred, it is high time to reflect on some of the older literary statements once again that had already voiced critical concerns about the principles of human interaction determined by good communication, love, and tolerance. Maybe surprisingly, when we turn to Lessing’s Nathan der Weise (1779), we come across a major literary document in which those ideals are formulated convincingly and dramatically. While German scholarship has already discussed this play for a long time, it deserves much wider attention because of its strong advocation of those ideals, which we are in the highest need as of today.

Niemieccy myśliciele w Polsce. O działalności naukowej i translatorskiej Elżbiety Paczkowskiej-Łagowskiej wspomnienie pośmiertne

In this analysis my aim is to highlight the achievements of Elżbieta Paczkowska-Łagowska in the study of German ideas. A secondary aim of the consideration is to demonstrate that it is to Elżbieta Paczkowska-Łagowska that we in Poland owe the knowledge of some German names which, although important for the doctrinal map of the world, would not be known in Poland if it were not for her work. Out of the enormous number of publications by the industrious researcher and translator of the works German thinkers, two figures have been selected to show the broad spectrum of Elżbieta Paczkowska-Łagowska’s scientific research and to highlight her exceptional contribution to the introduction of German philosophers, thinkers or essayists into the scope of interest of Polish science. These include Helmuth Plessner, the founder of political anthropology, and Golo Mann, a historian and political scientist. Both thinkers would not be known in Poland if it were not for the translating and scientific efforts of Paczkowska-Łagowska. The choice of these two German scholars was dictated by the symbolic illustration of the main research of the author of The Logos of Life, the essence of which is the study of man and history.

Scandinavia in Research on Slavic Wooden Architecture: Inspiration, Point of Reference and Part of Imagined Pasts

ABSTRACT Based on texts from art history and ethnology, this paper examines three aspects of Scandinavia’s role in studying the wooden architecture of the Slavs up to 1945. First, it is pointed out that Dahl’s book, published in 1837, gave the decisive impetus to this research tradition. Second, the article shows how the early works on Norwegian stave churches established them as a paradigm of wooden construction and thus as the primary reference for other monuments of this type. Third, attempts to use wooden architecture in incorporating Scandinavia and Slavs into the shared, imagined pasts are presented. These were undertaken mainly by German scholars trying to demonstrate the Germanic roots of Slavic building. Scandinavia played a role in these narratives as the source of the forms taken over by the Slavs or the residuum of the East Germanic artistic traditions influencing the Slavic peoples. In this way, Scandinavian culture, incorporated into the common Germanic heritage, was instrumentalised to legitimise German domination in Central Europe. 1 1 Publication co-financed by the funds granted under the Research Excellence Initiative of the University of Silesia in Katowice.

An unlikely bifurcation: history of sustainable (but not Green) chemistry

The concept of green chemistry dominated the imagination of environmentally-minded chemists over the last thirty years. The conceptual frameworks laid by the American Environmental Protection Agency scholars in the 1990s constitute today the core of a line of thinking aimed at transforming chemistry into a sustainable science. And yet, in the shadow of green chemistry, a broader, even if less popular, concept of sustainable chemistry started taking shape. Initially, it was either loosely associated with green chemistry or left undefined as a distinct but generaly different approach. In such a vague form, it was endorsed by the organizations such as OECD and the IUPAC in the late 1990s. It was not until the 2010s however, when it solidified as a separate more embracing and more overarching tradition that could compete with green chemistry by offering insights that the latter lacked. Sustainable chemistry seeks to transcend the narrow focus on chemical synthesis and embrace a much more holistic view of chemical activities including social responsibility and sustainable business models. Due to an interesting historical coincidence, it was in Germany where sustainable chemistry took roots and became institutionalized for the first time. It was thanks to German exceptionalism and the unwillingness of German scholars to embrace the “green” terminology originating from the US, the concept of sustainable chemistry could safely mature and develop in the German-speaking world, before reaching a high degree of formalization with dedicated journals, founding articles, and programmatic principles aspiring to transform the entire chemical enterprise in the years to come.