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The Text and Its Context
This Festschrift for Ronald Speirs, Professor of German at the University of Birmingham, contains twenty-four original essays by scholars from Great Britain, Germany, Austria, and Norway. Between them they encompass the entire modern period from the later eighteenth century onwards, and focus on a wide range of German-speaking environments. Several essays throw new light on authors to whom Professor Speirs himself has devoted particular attention (such as Brecht, Thomas Mann, Nietzsche, and Fontane), whilst others discuss writers such as Lenz, Büchner, Böhlau, C. F. Meyer, Keyserling, Jahnn, and Huch. Above all, however, the contributions address the complexities of writing in ideologically diverse contexts, including the Third Reich and the former German Democratic Republic. This interplay between text and context is the cornerstone which links all the essays, as it has consistently informed Ronald Speirs's own work - which combines a scrupulous attention to textual detail with an acute awareness of the socio-political milieux and philosophical influences that shape creative literature.
Socialist Realism in Central and Eastern European Literatures Under Stalin
Socialist Realism in Central and Eastern European Literatures' is the first published work to offer a variety of alternative perspectives on the literary and cultural Sovietization of Central and Eastern Europe after World War II and emphasize the dialogic relationship between the ‘centre’ and the ‘satellites’ instead of the traditional top-down approach. The introduction of the Soviet cultural model was not quite the smooth endeavour that it was made to look in retrospect; rather, it was always a work in progress, often born out of a give-andtake with the local authorities, intellectuals and interest groups. Relying on archival resources, the authors examine one of the most controversial attempts at a cultural unification in Europe by providing an overview with a focus on specific case-studies, an analysis of distinct particularities with attention to the patterns of negotiation and adaptation that were being developed in the process.
The Poet’s Role
This study of contemporary German poetry represents the first attempt to examine comprehensively and at some length the lyric response to the unification period. It sets out to investigate, by means of close textual analysis, whether the German ‘Wende’ was also a turning-point for poetry, exploring how GDR poets responded both to the revolutionary events of 1989 and subsequently to the new, united Germany. An introductory chapter considers what is distinct about poetry as a genre, especially under censorship or amid historic change, as well as outlining the post-unification ‘Literaturstreit’. The following chapter offers a survey of the poet’s role in the GDR from 1949 until 1989. ...
Shifting Perspectives
Tate provides a detailed account of 'subjective authenticity' in German literature: its origins in the 1930s' exile debates, its evolution during the GDR's lifespan, and its manifestations in the work of five East German authors: Brigitte Reinmann, Franz Fühmann, Stefan Heym, Günter de Bruyn and Christa Wolf.
Strategies Under Surveillance
Geoffrey Westgate offers a new understanding of Irmtraud Morgner by reading her as a specifically East German writer. The book examines the literary strategies Morgner adopted with respect to pivotal cultural-political developments in the GDR. The study considers Morgner's career as a whole and uncovers texts which have not appeared in bibliographies of her writings and draws on new biographical material, including the writer's Nachlass."
Dictatorship as Experience
A decade after the collapse of communism, this volume presents a historical reflection on the perplexing nature of the East German dictatorship. In contrast to most political rhetoric, it seeks to establish a middle ground between totalitarianism theory, stressing the repressive features of the SED-regime, and apologetics of the socialist experiment, emphasizing the normality of daily lives. The book transcends the polarization of public debate by stressing the tensions and contradictions within the East German system that combined both aspects by using dictatorial means to achieve its emancipatory aims. By analyzing a range of political, social, cultural, and chronological topics, the contributors sketch a differentiated picture of the GDR which emphasizes both its repressive and its welfare features. The sixteen original essays, especially written for this volume by historians from both east and west Germany, represent the cutting edge of current research and suggest new theoretical perspectives. They explore political, social, and cultural mechanisms of control as well as analyze their limits and discuss the mixture of dynamism and stagnation that was typical of the GDR.
Representations of Flight and Expulsion in East German Prose Works
Explodes the conventional wisdom that there was a taboo on the topic of flight and expulsion in East Germany.
New Perspectives on Martin Buber
This volume brings a range of perspectives to bear on the writings and thought of Martin Buber (1878-1965). The contributing authors include renowned Buber specialists who take a new look at Buber's legacy, as well as younger scholars who work in a variety of academic disciplines and contexts, including biblical studies, religious studies, philosophy, intellectual history, sociology, the study of education, and Jewish thought. By relating the legacy of Buber to their respective area of research, they are able to articulate what they find of enduring relevance in Buber's thought and writings. The purpose is to explore new perspectives on Buber and on themes and issues on which he had something to say that continues to engage us. The sixteen essays are grouped in six parts, roughly proceeding in the chronological order of Buber's work, reflecting shifts in his preoccupation and changes in his orientation. The larger themes also represent different approaches to, and perspectives on, Buber's writings in general, including critical retrospectives on his philosophy of dialogue, his political utopianism, and his approach to Hasidism.
The Power of Intellectuals in Contemporary Germany
The German Democratic Republic has become the subject of novels, memoirs and films, and the backdrop for general debates over the power of intellectuals in contemporary media and society. This collection considers the demise of the GDR and its impact on the place of intellectuals.
Max Pechstein: The Rise and Fall of Expressionism
Max Pechstein (1881–1955) is one of the most prominent German artists of the twentieth century, not least because of his crucial role in the breakthrough of German Expressionism. This long overdue biography combines the portrayal of an outstanding artistic personality with the story of an individual German who struggled through the political upheavals of his time. Pechstein's work is presented in the cultural context of museum politics and art associations, art dealers and critics, market forces and cultural trends.
