Studia Germanica Posnaniensia
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Sanatorium of Transfiguration. On the “Everlasting" Creativity of the Polish Reception of Thomas Mann’s novel ‘Magic Mountain’
Get PDFThe reception of Thomas Mann in Poland confirms its special nature, involving a very high degree of transforming processing and extraordinary creativity. It is true that the author of The Magic Mountain, and only he is and was considered in Poland as the German intellectual of the twentieth century par excellence. The more that in the case of this exceptional writer prominent Polish artists and creators of the culture didn’t succumb to a superficial and short-lived fascination, but rather they transformed the threads of his works and artistic biography in a highly productive process. Often there was no exaggeration to say about the "reinterpretation" or even a sort of "over-interpretation" of several biographical and literary motifs.The reception of Thomas Mann was not and is not merely occasional reception at most of an academic character. The rank and importance of eminent Polish writers, literary critics, translators and literary critics presented in the article show in best way the creativity of Polish references and positions taking to Thomas Mann and his work. No other of his novel can compete because of his inspiring role to a permanent creative activity reception area with regard to Magic Mountain. The newest and best prove for it is dating back to 2015 as two adaptation attempts of the novel in the form of opera and theatrical performance were in Poland discussed and extensively commented in the press and on the Internet and finally awarded with major prizes.The reception of Thomas Mann in Poland confirms its special nature, involving a very high degree of transforming processing and extraordinary creativity. It is true that the author of The Magic Mountain, and only he is and was considered in Poland as the German intellectual of the twentieth century par excellence. The more that in the case of this exceptional writer prominent Polish artists and creators of the culture didn’t succumb to a superficial and short-lived fascination, but rather they transformed the threads of his works and artistic biography in a highly productive process. Often there was no exaggeration to say about the "reinterpretation" or even a sort of "over-interpretation" of several biographical and literary motifs.The reception of Thomas Mann was not and is not merely occasional reception at most of an academic character. The rank and importance of eminent Polish writers, literary critics, translators and literary critics presented in the article show in best way the creativity of Polish references and positions taking to Thomas Mann and his work. No other of his novel can compete because of his inspiring role to a permanent creative activity reception area with regard to Magic Mountain. The newest and best prove for it is dating back to 2015 as two adaptation attempts of the novel in the form of opera and theatrical performance were in Poland discussed and extensively commented in the press and on the Internet and finally awarded with major prizes
Leaving of the society in the radio plays of Ingeborg Bachmann
Get PDFBachman wrote only three radio plays, all of them in the fifties of the XXth century. In spite of different settings, all of them have the same topic: escape from society (either into dream or to an island or to the isolation of a couple wishing to live only for love) and utopia. In the first and third play the male protagonists fail however, unable to give up their bourgeois lives. In the third play the female protagonist is a victim of her ability to love without restrictions. This locates The Good God of Manhattan close to the feminist prose of Bachmanns later years. In the second radio play, The Cikadas, the existence on an island separated from society is judged in the negative. All attempts to win utopian happiness end with defeat; although they are valued differently, they show that in spite of all efforts mankind is not able to reach the ideal of truth and love.Bachman wrote only three radio plays, all of them in the fifties of the XXth century. In spite of different settings, all of them have the same topic: escape from society (either into dream or to an island or to the isolation of a couple wishing to live only for love) and utopia. In the first and third play the male protagonists fail however, unable to give up their bourgeois lives. In the third play the female protago-nist is a victim of her ability to love without restrictions. This locates The Good God of Manhattan close to the feminist prose of Bachmanns later years. In the second radio play, The Cikadas, the existence on an island separated from society is judged in the negative. All attempts to win utopian happiness end with defeat; although they are valued differently, they show that in spite of all efforts mankind is not able to reach the ideal of truth and love
GDR war literature and censorship in People\u27s Republic of Poland in the early postwar years
Get PDFFrom all of the German literature distributed in Poland during the first half of the nineteen fifties, that of the GDR was the most strongly represented, because like the People\u27s Republic, it was part of the Eastern Bloc. A substantial part of this literature touched upon the themes of the Second World War. As some prominent Eastern German authors had taken part in the Spanish Civil War in 1936-1939, this subject also couldn\u27t be ignored.The introduction in 1949 of socialist realism as the most important criterion of art, and particulary strong political pressure, led to a great deal of confusion and insecurity, not only for Polish publishing houses, but also among the censors, whose task was to take decisions about what literature could be printed. Censors’ opinions in this period often differed, not only in terms of detailed matter, but also in the final decisions about the eventual fate of the title submitted for evaluation.From all of the German literature distributed in Poland during the first half of the nineteen fifties, that of the GDR was the most strongly represented, because like the People\u27s Republic, it was part of the Eastern Bloc. A substantial part of this literature touched upon the themes of the Second World War. As some prominent Eastern German authors had taken part in the Spanish Civil War in 1936-1939, this subject also couldn\u27t be ignored.The introduction in 1949 of socialist realism as the most important criterion of art, and particulary strong political pressure, led to a great deal of confusion and insecurity, not only for Polish publishing houses, but also among the censors, whose task was to take decisions about what literature could be printed. Censors’ opinions in this period often differed, not only in terms of detailed matter, but also in the final decisions about the eventual fate of the title submitted for evaluation
Musée imaginaire: Fontane\u27s picture gallery
Get PDFThis paper tends to explore ,Fontane\u27s picture gallery\u27 referring to its genesis, characteristic and effect. In doing so the art critic Fontane is improving a distinctive image as an expert especially of English art und of the at that time in Germany leading Dusseldorf School of Painting (Düsseldorfer Malerschule). Furthermore it will be set out how the writer Fontane is acting in his work with pictures and pictorial perception. Eventually there is a suggestion for recovering ,Fontane\u27s picture gallery\u27 to make it possible for the contemporary audience to read Fontane\u27s works in a wider and subtly differentiated manner.This paper tends to explore ,Fontane\u27s picture gallery\u27 referring to its genesis, characteristic and effect. In doing so the art critic Fontane is improving a distinctive image as an expert especially of English art und of the at that time in Germany leading Dusseldorf School of Painting (Düsseldorfer Malerschule). Furthermore it will be set out how the writer Fontane is acting in his work with pictures and pictorial perception. Eventually there is a suggestion for recovering ,Fontane\u27s picture gallery\u27 to make it possible for the contemporary audience to read Fontane\u27s works in a wider and subtly differentiated manner
Autobiographical Writing in the Alfred Andersch´s Prose from the 1950s
Get PDFAlfred Andersch´s autobiographical texts from the 1950s have been heavily criticized in recent literature on the topic. W.G. Sebald´s essay about Andersch was of crucial importance. The details of Andersch´s stay in the Dachau concentration camp as well as the writer´s motivation to desert at the end of the war were questioned. The article aims at a new reading of Andersch´s autobiographical texts with regard to their credibility. It compares the early short story Flucht in Eturien with the autobiography Die Kirschen der Freiheit and a few less known texts. The analysis leads to the conclusion that Andersch “re-wrote” his biography as a creation that fulfils unconscious wishes of a whole generation. His intention was to adapt the image of decent young men of antifascist beliefs whose only guilt was the loyalty to their comrades.Alfred Andersch´s autobiographical texts from the 1950s have been heavily criticized in recent literature on the topic. W.G. Sebald´s essay about Andersch was of crucial importance. The details of Andersch´s stay in the Dachau concentration camp as well as the writer´s motivation to desert at the end of the war were questioned. The article aims at a new reading of Andersch´s autobiographical texts with regard to their credibility. It compares the early short story Flucht in Eturien with the autobiography Die Kirschen der Freiheit and a few less known texts. The analysis leads to the conclusion that Andersch “re-wrote” his biography as a creation that fulfils unconscious wishes of a whole generation. His intention was to adapt the image of decent young men of antifascist beliefs whose only guilt was the loyalty to their comrades
Transformations of German stereotypes of Poles in Artur Becker\u27s and Maria Kolenda\u27s prose
Get PDFThe article analyzes the transformations of German stereotypes of Poles in current prose of Polish immigrant authors in Germany. The authors show a particularly keen awareness of the long term stereotypes and try to change their meaning by means of detachment, humor and irony.The article analyzes the transformations of German stereotypes of Poles in current prose of Polish immigrant authors in Germany. The authors show a particularly keen awareness of the long term stereotypes and try to change their meaning by means of detachment, humor and irony
Vatersehnsucht. Botho Strauß erzählt sich seine Herkunft
Get PDFBotho Strauß (b. 1944), German playwright, novelist and essayist, devotes his book Herkunft [Origin] (2014) to a subtle portrait of his slightly underestimated father, who died in 1971. This sample of prose is typical of Strauss as it encompasses meditative descriptions, disquisitions, aphorisms and narrative fragments. This narration contains numerous biographical details about his father, as well as his mother and the writer himself, and it tells us a lot about his youth and cultural maturation. Strauss’ hometown, Bad Ems, provides a certain topographic point of reference here. This is a highly personal and emotional text which simultaneously exhibits all esthetic properties that characterize Strauss’ style. This text is also about the way different sensory stimuli incite our memory and how difficult it is to find a literary form adequate to reconstruct memory.Botho Strauß (b. 1944), German playwright, novelist and essayist, devotes his book Herkunft [Origin] (2014) to a subtle portrait of his slightly underestimated father, who died in 1971. This sample of prose is typical of Strauss as it encompasses meditative descriptions, disquisitions, aphorisms and narrative fragments. This narration contains numerous biographical details about his father, as well as his mother and the writer himself, and it tells us a lot about his youth and cultural maturation. Strauss’ hometown, Bad Ems, provides a certain topographic point of reference here. This is a highly personal and emotional text which simultaneously exhibits all esthetic properties that characterize Strauss’ style. This text is also about the way different sensory stimuli incite our memory and how difficult it is to find a literary form adequate to reconstruct memory.Botho Strauß (b. 1944), German playwright, novelist and essayist, devotes his book Herkunft [Origin] (2014) to a subtle portrait of his slightly underestimated father, who died in 1971. This sample of prose is typical of Strauss as it encompasses meditative descriptions, disquisitions, aphorisms and narrative fragments. This narration contains numerous biographical details about his father, as well as his mother and the writer himself, and it tells us a lot about his youth and cultural maturation. Strauss’ hometown, Bad Ems, provides a certain topographic point of reference here. This is a highly personal and emotional text which simultaneously exhibits all esthetic properties that characterize Strauss’ style. This text is also about the way different sensory stimuli incite our memory and how difficult it is to find a literary form adequate to reconstruct memory
Interfaces between experience and expectation. A plea for stories in intercultural literature education
Get PDFThe specific situation of a German academic working outside of Germany emerges via the differential and non-simultaneous absorption (or incorporation) of methodological schools and traditions. This article shows a possible means of executing the balancing act between the learned "third culture" and your own tradition. It is about the interfaces between experience and expectation which one can find them through understanding the narrative structures. One can glean profound understanding via: narrative structure, deep structure of the text, on the basis of stories and cultural tropes, and through to structured narrative itself and to the story than the way the literature appropriation in the foreign language specific perspective. We only know as much as we are able to express. The language cultural identity exists because of the language and it is equal as narrative identity.The specific situation of a German academic working outside of Germany emerges via the differential and non-simultaneous absorption (or incorporation) of methodological schools and traditions. This article shows a possible means of executing the balancing act between the learned "third culture" and your own tradition. It is about the interfaces between experience and expectation which one can find them through understanding the narrative structures. One can glean profound understanding via: narrative structure, deep structure of the text, on the basis of stories and cultural tropes, and through to structured narrative itself and to the story than the way the literature appropriation in the foreign language specific perspective. We only know as much as we are able to express. The language cultural identity exists because of the language and it is equal as narrative identity