German Literature Research Articles

The history of German literature on film (2023)

The history of German literature on film (2023)

A wanderer between the worlds: Alfred Kantorowicz in East and West (1899–1979)

ABSTRACT Alfred Kantorowicz (1899–1979), German-Jewish literary scholar, is an example of those anti-fascist returnees who were treated with utmost suspicion in both East and West. Kantorowicz, professor of German literature at Humboldt University, left East Germany in 1957 for the West, where he maintained his critical assessment of developments in post-war German society. As an independent socialist Kantorowicz remained marginalized after his flight and never found a new academic position, either in West Germany or West Berlin. However, the state pension finally awarded him allowed for relative material security. He lived in Hamburg with his third wife Ingrid until his death.

The Quest for Happiness: Medieval Perspectives for Our Future. Philosophical and Literary-Historical Investigations

Human life makes sense only if the individual can achieve a certain degree of happiness. In order to address this topic in an insightful and effective way, this paper turns to a selection of medieval literary narratives where the focus specifically rests on happiness that an individual might achieve when the circumstances and the ideals are right. As human beings, happiness does not simply come into our lives, at least not for adults. Instead, much intellectual education is required to gain the ability to distinguish between self-created meaning and relevance and alien control and enslavement as expressed in fake happiness. Hence, this paper intends to outline some preliminary thoughts and present literary and philosophical material from the Middle Ages where the issue of happiness has already been examined and discussed from various perspectives, inviting us to revisit them for our learning experience today and tomorrow. Since ancient times, philosophers have investigated the true meaning of happiness, offering the results of their experiences and insights. In order to reinvigorate the discourse on happiness, this paper draws from late antique philosophy, medieval verse narratives, and German literature from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including a modern-day movie. The quest for happiness has been ubiquitous, and it continues to matter for us universally across all cultures. The Humanities by themselves might not bring about happiness, but they certainly offer important perspectives toward the meaning of human life, individuality, the sense of community, communication, and compassion, all of which pave the way toward happiness.

Rudolf Fuchs: An Underestimated Cultural Intermediary and Social Critic in Times of Conflict

Rudolf Fuchs (1890–1942) was an influential figure in Prague’s early 20th-century literary scene as well as an intermediary between German and Czech literature at a time of intense social and political transformation. This study places Fuchs’ work within the broader context of his period, underscoring his significant, yet often overlooked, contributions to cultural mediation. The methods employed in this study include a detailed examination of Fuchs’ literary output and translations, alongside an analysis of his correspondence with contemporaries, to trace the evolution of his thinking from an initial alignment with Expressionism to a strong commitment to socialism. The results highlight Fuchs’ role in enhancing intercultural understanding, revealing how his translations and personal ideologies shaped the literary landscape of German–Czech relations. The study asserts the enduring relevance of Fuchs’ endeavors, particularly in the modern European sociopolitical climate. It also yields insights into the management of cultural diversity and ideological conflicts, as well as the upholding of social values amidst political volatility.

Error Analysis in Written Tasks of Albanian-Speaking GFL Learners at B1 Level: Common Types and Causes

Understanding common errors that students of a foreign language make and their causes can enhance our ability to adjust teaching methodologies. This paper aimed to analyze errors that Albanian students of German language and literature make when writing texts in German as a foreign language. This qualitative and quantitative analysis set out to identify and classify errors and find the causes of errors. The study is based on 100 students of German at the B1 level, including participants from language schools and first-year students from the German Department at the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”. Students were required to submit written texts for analysis. The analysis of these texts was used to address the following research question: What are the typical and recurrent errors made by learners of German as a foreign language (GFL) and what are their causes? The analysis of written texts showed that errors occur at all linguistic levels, with grammatical errors being the most common, followed by orthography and punctuation and syntax. Most errors arose from interference between the native Albanian and the foreign language English, followed by competence and overgeneralization.

Голоси пам’яті жінок-авторок: наратив травматичного минулого в українській літературі на зламі ХХ–ХХІ століть

The article deals with the study of the representation of the traumatic past in German and Ukrainian literature. The research demonstrates the role of the “culture of memories” and its impact on the process of “overcoming the past” in the political and cultural life of the Ukrainian people. Besides, the research results show the characteristic of understanding the traumas of the past in German-speaking society. There are a lot of works of modern German literature, which are devoted to the crimes of the Nazi regime and their impact on German culture and identity. Many modern literary-critical articles explore individual and collective memory, the problem of guilt, and the difficulties of literary interpretation of the unspeakable. The work is based on research of the important works of famous scientists (T. Hundorova, Y. Polishchuk, M. Riabchuk, O. Pukhonska, M. Barabash, L. Lavrynovych, O. Yavorska, R. Holyk, K. Rutar). Ukrainian literature is analyzed as a space where post-colonial discourse manifests itself, and literary texts are an important tool for reflecting and transmitting historical events and personal and collective memories. Based on the analysis of the novels of V. Amelina “Home for Dom”, O. Zabuzhko “Museum of Abandoned Secrets” and S. Andrukhovych “Amadoka”, the authors demonstrate the traumatic past of Ukrainian individual and collective destinies. Studying such tragedies as the Holodomor, Stalinist repressions, deportations, and wars is important for the formation of national identity. These are not simple stories of Ukrainian families, but serious studies by the authors of the problem of memory. These works are an important contribution to modern Ukrainian literature, and therefore this topic is a relevant research material. In this article, the culture-historical and comparative methods are used.

Von Bewegungen, Entgrenzungen und Gleichzeitigkeiten: Schwarze deutsche Literatur als polyphone Tradition lesen

In this article, I argue in favor of reading Black German literature as a polyphonic literary tradition, and against an isolated reading of novels, as this limits and reproduces an imagined lack of history (Geschichtslosigkeit). In order to be able to read Black German literature as a literary tradition, I propose the method of text comparison, which centers themes, motifs, (deliminations of) form and other aesthetics across genres. As I show, a comparative analysis can, for example, focus on movements, the diaspora, postcolonial Germany and the writing into, rewriting and writing anew of histories. A shift in perspective in literary studies from the isolation of Black German literature to its contextual embedding in a Black literary tradition makes clear that a strictly linear view of Black German literature does not do justice, as the literatures exist in plural simultaneities (Gleichzeitigkeiten) and are in dialogue with each other.

Mobility in the Sixteenth Century: Narrative Evidence about Travel and the Discovery of the World in Early Modern German Literature

Mobility in the Sixteenth Century: Narrative Evidence about Travel and the Discovery of the World in Early Modern German Literature

Von der Nützlichkeit des Unnützen: Über den Sinn der Poesie im fremdsprachlichen Unterricht

The article discusses the role of literature in foreign language teaching, with a specific focus on the genre of poetry. It unequivocally answers the central question of whether incorporating literary texts into foreign language classrooms is meaningful and beneficial. The article challenges the widespread notion that students must have an advanced level of language proficiency to engage with literary texts. Through three very different examples of authentic poetry, it demonstrates how literary texts can be seamlessly integrated into foreign language teaching and which competencies can be developed through poetry. The analysis of the poem Der Apfel (The Apple) by Reinhard Döhl illustrates that literary texts can be meaningfully utilized from the very first lessons of language learning. Furthermore, the article focuses on one of the most prominent figures of contemporary German poetry, Jan Wagner. His linguistically simple haiku titled teebeutel (tea bag), which has also been translated into Slovenian, shows how inspiring, liberating, and creative German language teaching can be when one dares to include literary texts. Finally, the discussion turns to a canonical author, the giant of German literature, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The analysis of his poem Gefunden (The Found Flower) reveals various ways the text can be approached in German lessons: from traditional nature poetry to eco-critical perspectives, and interpretations related to the themes of love and gender discourse at the turn of the 18th century (and beyond). In conclusion, it can be stated that the use of poetry in German as a foreign language teaching is meaningful, not despite the fact but precisely because it confronts students with different, previously unknown, and unusual perspectives on language, society, interpersonal relationships, and aesthetics.

The reality of words. Martin L. Davies and Jean Paul

ABSTRACT Martin L. Davies’s academic trajectory originates in German literary studies, focusing on Jean Paul (1763–1825), a prominent figure in early 19th-century German literature. While Jean Paul is often regarded as an ‘Idealist’ exploring intellectual and emotional realms, Davies examines his overlooked realism in economics, politics, and linguistic metaphors. His 1978 Oxford dissertation, ‘Jean Paul’s Realism: A Study in the Relationship between Literature and Reality’, challenges prevailing interpretations but faced rejection due to its departure from scholarly consensus. Drawing from unpublished archival materials, including preliminary works and correspondence, Davies’s study situates Jean Paul’s contributions within broader contexts of poetics, politics, and reception history.

The Picture of German-Polish Relations in 1938–1939 in German Historiography. Status and Prospects for Research

The article is devoted to the German historiography concerning German-Polish relations in 1938–1939. It is written from the perspective of a Polish historian who wonders why the events of the last year of peace are not only perceived differently in Polish and German historiographies, but also why historical issues so important in one society are of minor importance the the neighboring one. The text presents the development of German literature on this subject from the times of the Third Reich, through the years of division of Germany into two hostile states and the period of German unification until the recent decades. Mutual relations between the two neighboring societies during the interwar period and World War II are one of the most emotive topics in Polish historiography, and the legacy of National Socialism – in German historiography. This makes the issue discussed even more interesting.

The Conception of “Soul” in Poems and Aphorisms of Hildegard von Bingen

Abstract This study explores the conception of the soul in the works of Hildegard von Bingen, a German medieval female author whose theological and mystical writing have significantly impacted German Literature and Christian mysticism. By analyzing one of her most known poems and fourteen aphorisms, this paper examines Hildegard's unique portrayal of the soul and its relationship to divine knowledge and spiritual growth. The research delves into the symbolic and metaphorical language Hildegard employs to describe the soul's journey, transformation, and its connection with the divine. Through a detailed analysis of selected texts, the study aims to uncover the underlying theological and philosophical themes that inform her views on the soul. This exploration contributes to a deeper understanding of Hildegard's mystical theology and her influence on medieval spiritual literature. The findings highlight how her innovative spiritual insights offer a distinct perspective within the broader context of medieval religious thought.

“We were born to make a fairy tale come true...”: the estate world in G. Sh. Yakhinaʼs novel “My children”

Based on the material of G.Sh. Yakhinaʼs landmark novel “My Children” (2018), the article considers modifications of the “estatetopos” in the Russian literature of the 20th – early 21st century, among which are the connotations traditional for Russian classics (the estate as a paradise on earth and the territory of love and family; the estate as a heterotopia; the estate as a universal), qualities that arose in the literature of the Soviet period (the estate as a refuge; the former ownerʼs estate as a public domain; the estate as Kitezh; the estate as a locus of theurgic creativity), as well as the first identified variations (the estate as Noahʼs Ark; the estate as a Eurasian phenomenon; the estate as “Going into the Forest”). Special attention is paid to the Russian estate of the 20th century as a Eurasian phenomenon, the appearance of which in the novel is due to the role of the river Volga, which connects the destinies of several peoples: Russians, Germans, Tatars, “Kirghiz”, etc.; this opens up opportunities for understanding the estate as an element of an independent “Eurasian civilization”. Scientific novelty is also in considering such aspects of the universality of the “estatertopos” as the international character of the Grimm farm, the global universality of the estate phenomenon in the 20th century and an appeal to folklore (German fairy tales with their archetypal depth, equally inherent to the peoples of the East and West). In connection with the latter aspect, semantic and semiotic layers have been identified, dating back to the biography and work of I.V. Goethe, V.Ya. Propp. An important part of the study is the estate as a locus of creativity in a theurgic way relevant to the 20th century, which allows a deeper understanding of the nature of socialist realism in the USSR. Finally, based on the material of Russian and German literature of the 19th–21st centuries, the development of the innovative theme of the estate and the forest has begun. Thesaurus, contextual, mythopoetic and biographical methods were used. The conclusions of the article are obtained taking into account the already existing research results on the issues covered.

DOMAIN MENSCH: CONCEPTUAL CONTENT IN LITERARY AND MEDIA DISCOURSES

This study regards the concept MENSCH in German literary and media discourses in terms of cognitive linguistics. The analysis of the conceptual content of the domain Mensch in German literary and media discourses is carried out within an anthropocentric approach, where the individual is in the very center, whereas the periphery is taken by the surrounding objects that are classified by the individual with due regard to his interests, knowledge, status, and other factors. The objective of this study is to delineate the parcelle of the concept MENSCH, its ethno specific characteristics, and the most representative elements within literary and media discourses. The initial phase of the research focused on finding all verbalizations of the concept MENSCH inside thematically cohesive and pragmatically connected text segments. The second stage aimed at grouping the concepts into suitable semantic categories, or parcelles. The purpose of the final stage was to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the domains in order to elaborate the conceptual framework of the Mensch domain. Relying on the DWDS-Kernkorpus (which contains 13,678 verbalizers with the lexeme Mensch), the study differentiates four essential parcelles: (1) Soziales Wesen (Social Creature), which comprises such domains as employment, profession, social position, relationship, and nationality; (2) Physisches Wesen (Physical Creature), which encompasses qualities related to age and gender, as well as physical components and physiological state; (3) Emotionales Wesen (Emotional Creature), which is a term identified with human emotions, routines, and passions; (4) Intelligentes Wesen (Intellectual Creature), which describes mental activity, thinking, and communication. The key concepts such as ARBEIT, GEFÜHLE, KÖRPERTEILE, SOZIALE ROLLE, and RELIGION, among others, come together to form a cognitive matrix that is composed of several layers. The research reveals that the domain MENSCH in the German language brings together notions that are targeted at comprehending an individual as a socially and intellectually evolved creature, capable of engaging in creative activity and abstract thinking. The further investigation of the issue under discussion might touch upon the attempt of ascertaining the inter-conceptual connections that will replicate certain mental dependencies, as well as generate some correlations of the meta-concept MENSCH.

Johann Jakob Bodmers anthologische Ausgaben des Codex Manesse (Zürich 1748; 1758/59)

Abstract J.J. Bodmer’s editions of the Codex Manesse (produced in Zurich around 1300) from 1748 and 1758/59 are examples of early modern German-language lyric anthologies. They lend themselves to discussing the central thesis of this volume, according to which early modern lyric anthologies were relevant for cultural-political interventions and consequently for canon-formation processes, insofar as – as will be shown – they exhibit a distinctly ideological-programmatic character. In order to work this out, Bodmer’s work will first be contextualized by examining his motivation for scrutinizing the German language, literature and culture of the Middle Ages as well as the historical images, discourse and thought traditions in which he was embedded. Bodmer’s editions are then examined with regard to their function and their significance in the history of reception.

Nationalpoesie durch Übersetzung

Abstract When Michael Huber published his anthology Choix de poésies allemandes in 1766, French readers were just discovering German literature. This article illustrates the extent to which this anthology was part of a transnational network. Firstly, it shows which preparatory work and collaborations Huber drew on, before turning to the German and Italian reception of this collection. In this context, the writings of Jakob Friedrich von Bielfeld and Aurelio de’ Giorgi Bertola are also taken into account. It thus becomes clear that a national poetry can emerge precisely through the publication and dissemination of translations, and that even national thinking and cosmopolitan views go hand in hand.

Operetta, Cabaret Songs, and Coffeehouse Gypsy Music between Elite and Popular Culture

Abstract This review essay discusses recent works on Hungarian popular culture. It connects books published in Hungarian with secondary literature in English and German. It contextualizes the topic from a broader perspective while also highlighting how the reviewed works contribute to the acquisition of new knowledge about the coming into being and the changing shapes of Hungarian popular culture between the nineteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries.

Translingual Practice as a Communicative Resource in the Discourse of Foreign Language Teaching Researchers

AbstractThis paper reports on a self‐examination of two researchers’ translingual practices while working on a study. The researchers’ translingual practice emerged in the cross‐cutting area of different factors: The first author (Hayriye) was born to Turkish parents and grew up in Germany until the age of 19 before moving to Turkey. Living in Turkey for 32 years, Turkish became her dominant language. The second author (Stefan) is a German native speaker who had lived in Turkey for 22 years. He had acquired Turkish in Turkey without receiving formal instruction. The research site was a Turkish state university. Hayriye was assistant professor in the department of German language and literature, Stefan assistant professor in the English language teaching department. This paper's results are based on the discourse Hayriye and Stefan had while analyzing two German as a foreign language coursebooks. The transcribed discourse was analyzed using code‐switching as the theoretical framework to identify juxtapositions of the three languages used by the researchers (German, Turkish and English), language frequencies and directions as well as syntactic integration, thereby detecting patterns in the researchers’ translingual practices. Also, conversation analysis was employed to identify functions of code‐switches. The results show distinct patterns of each speaker and identified functions that document how language alternation serves as a communicative resource to co‐construct knowledge. Besides, instances of translingual practices can be connected to specific factors of the discourse context, and evidence is provided for multilingual speakers’ awareness of languages as separable systems.

Exploring German Literature Teaching in Higher Education Fromthe Perspective of Reception Aesthetics

Exploring German Literature Teaching in Higher Education Fromthe Perspective of Reception Aesthetics

Post-Traumatic Terson’s Syndrome, A Case Report

In 1881, Litten first described an intraretinal hemorrhage associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage in the German literature. However, Terson's description of vitreous hemorrhage following subarachnoid hemorrhage in 1900 is now associated with this syndrome. Terson’s syndrome has been more broadly applied to intraocular hemorrhages associated with other causes of rapidly increased intracranial pressure beyond subarachnoid hemorrhages. We report the case of a 54 years old mal patient admitted for head trauma. The patient experienced a sudden loss of visual acuity without pain in the both eyes, 4 hours later. CT-Scan performed in the emergency showed a bifrontal extradural hematoma and a tentoral subarachnoid hemorrhage. Ocular ultrasound confirmed vitreous hemorrhage.