Meeting death as literary inspiration : the example of Thomas Hürlimann's novel "Der grosse Kater"

Setkání se smrtí je jedním z témat, která jsou těsně spjata s literární tvorbou od jejich počátků. V sedmdesátých letech 20. století sděluje řada švýcarských spisovatelů otevřeně své privátní zážitky v autobiografických dílech, ve kterých nemá zůstat nic zatajeno, tedy ani hrůza nemoci a smrti. Na konci osmdesátých a na počátku devadesátých let se hlásí o slovo mladá, zcela jinak orientovaná generace autorů. Pro jejich literaturu není typickým znakem jen odraz vnitřního světa, nýbrž i pokus spojit osobní život s veřejným zájmem. Jedním z představitelů této generace je Thomas Hürlimann. Švýcarská společnost a podmínky demokracie mu poskytují témata, která zpracovává ve stále nových variacích. V románu "Der grosse Kater" se prolínají dvě roviny. Veřejná, ve které jsou odhaleny praktiky politických šíbrů, a soukromá, která líčí bezmocnost rodiny, jež je nucena bezmocně přihlížet umírání dítěte. Obě roviny se setkávají ve styčném bodě, kterým je smrt. Smrt ovlivňuje rozhodující měrou životní osudy protagonistů a určuje jejich budoucí směřování.Meeting death has been a thematic preoccupation of literary works from the earliest times. In the 1970s many Swiss writers opened up their private experiences to readers in autobiographical texts which left nothing uncovered – not even the terror of illness and death. In the late 1980s and early 1990s a new generation came to the fore, with entirely different values. Their works are not typically reflections of inner worlds, but attempts to connect personal lives with the public interest. One representative of this generation is Thomas Hürlimann. His novel 'Der grosse Kater' interweaves two levels – the public and the private. Both meet at a single point, which is death

Traces of ancient mythology in literary postmodernism : the example of Sten Nadolny’s novel "Ein Gott der Frechheit"

During the last two decades of the 20th century writers gradually returned to traditional narrative methods, though their works were creatively enriched by the incorporation of new tendencies. The results of these efforts show traces of literary postmodernism. One of the representatives of German-language postmodern literature is Sten Nadolny, whose oeuvre is typified by its openness to the plurality and diversity of the world. His novel "Ein Gott der Frechheit" revives ancient gods and mythological figures, revealing the mysteries of old legends; this is viewed as a background to the self-destructive disorientation of contemporary society

The oral folk tradition in the Hlučín region

Hlučín (formerly Hultschin) is now part of the Czech Republic, though the influence of the German language can be observed in the region's folk culture. Important names include August Scholtis, born in Bolatice, as well as other figures such as Hermann Janosch, Alfons Hayduk, Karl-Ernst Schellhammer, Richard Kühnau, Georg Hyckel, Ferdinand Minsberg and Elfrieda Moser-Rath. The oral folk tradition in the region has mostly been passed down via folk songs, fairy-tales, legends and other narratives. These genres reflect various themes, related primarily to local personalities, castles and manor houses or events in specific villages

Die Schweizer Kurzgeschichte : am Beispiel der Erzählungen von Erica Pedretti

Man könnte fast von einer Euphorie der kurzen Formen sprechen. Auch wenn das Aufkommen der Kurzprosa im weitesten Sinn sicher ein Phänomen der modernen Literatur immer noch bleibt, erreichte diese Form doch in der Deutschschweizer Literatur eine besondere Ausprägung. Ihre Entwicklung ist hier mit einer eigenen, aber auf keinen Fall geschlossenen Tradition verbunden, die sich im ungleich starken Maß von den Gattungen Roman und Lyrik unterscheidet

Postmoderne Merkmale in der Schweizer Literatur am Beispiel Zoë Jennys Roman 'Das Blütenstaubzimmer'

Postmodernì literatura se vyznačuje pluralitou moņnostì, charakteristickou pro dìla vznikajìcì na přelomu 21. stoletì. Jejich autoři usilujì o originalitu a individualitu své tvorby, coņ platì i pro ńvýcarské spisovatele. Představitelka nejmladńì generace spisovatelů Zoe Jenny lìčì v autobiograficky zabarvené románové prvotině 'Das Blütrenstaubzimmer' bolestné zránì mladé hrdinky. Do jejìho literárnìho ztvárněnì se promìtajì jednotlivé znaky postmodernì literatury, z nichņ některé jsou podrobněji analyzovány.Postmodern literature is characterized by a plurality of possibilities; this is a typical feature of works being produced in the early 21st century. Authors strive for originality and individuality in their work, and Swiss writers are no exception. Zoë Jenny, a representative of the youngest generation of Swiss authors, writes of the painful growth to maturity of the young female hero in her partly autobiographical debut novel "Das Blütenstaubzimmer". Her work reflects various features of postmodern literature, several of which are analyzed in detail here

Die Schweizer Literatur : Tendenzen am Ende des Milleniums

Am Ende der 80er und am Anfang der 90er Jahre des 20. Jahrhunderts zeichnet sich auf dem Gebiet der Schweizer Literatur ein tief greifender Umbruch ab. Ins Blickfeld der literarischen Öffentlichkeit rückt eine junge vollkommen anders sozialisierte Generation

Das Vereinsleben der deutschsprachigen Bevölkerung im Hultschiner Ländchen

The Hultschin (Hlučín) region - now part of the Czech Republic - was annexed to the former Czechoslovakia in 1920. Throughout the centuries, its turbulent history has been shaped by various conflicting power interests, which have influenced the co-existence of the Czech and German communities which historically lived alongside each other. The Polish and Jewish communities had a relatively minor influence over the culture of this polylingual region, but the large German minority played a significant role. The influence of German language, culture and customs was not only visible in the political and economic life of the local population; it was also reflected in the various clubs and associations that were active in the region

[Rezension zu:] Deutschmährische Literatur. In: GERMANOSLAVICA. Zeitschrift für germano-slawische Studien 2013/2.

Rezension zu Deutschmährische Literatur. In: GERMANOSLAVICA. Zeitschrift für germano-slawische Studien 2013/2. 123 S. ISSN 1210-9029

Seeking an alienated identity : the example of Winfried G. Sebald's novel "Austerlitz"

The early 20th century is associated with many terrible events in Europe's wartime history. The loss of historical awareness and the attempt to reconcile oneself with the wartime past is the subject of many novels. The theme of alienation and deracination as a result of the horrors of war is treated by W. G. Sebald in his novel 'Austerlitz'. The hero of the novel, having experienced the horrors of the Holocaust, is condemned to a lifetime of remembering, which uncovers terrible secrets that were never meant to be revealed

[Rezension zu:] Sabine Voda Eschgfäller/Milan Horňáček (2012): Regionalforschung zur Literatur der Moderne.

Rezension zu Sabine Voda Eschgfäller/Milan Horňáček (2012): Regionalforschung zur Literatur der Moderne. Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, Olomouc. 255 S. ISBN 987-80-244-3106-2