Mapping the Contours of Oppression: Subjectivity, Truth and Fiction in Recent German Autobiographical Treatments of Totalitarianism (Amsterdamer Publikationen zur Sprache und Literatur 156)

369 Pages·2006·1.42 MB·English

by  Owen Evans

Mapping the Contours
of Oppression
Amsterdamer Publikationen
zur Sprache und Literatur
in Verbindung mit
Peter Boerner, Bloomington; Hugo Dyserinck, Aachen;
Ferdinand van Ingen, Amsterdam; Friedrich Maurer†,
Freiburg; Oskar Reichmann, Heidelberg
herausgegeben von
Cola Minis†
und
Arend Quak
156
Mapping the Contours
of Oppression
Subjectivity, Truth and Fiction in Recent
German Autobiographical Treatments of
Totalitarianism
Owen Evans
AAmmsstteerrddaamm -- NNeeww YYoorrkk,, NNYY 22000066
Cover design: Pier Post
The paper on which this book is printed meets the requirements of
"ISO 9706:1994, Information and documentation - Paper for documents -
Requirements for permanence".
ISBN: 90-420-1719-8
©Editions Rodopi B.V., Amsterdam - New York, NY 2006
Printed in The Netherlands
For my family and Kate
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Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Abbreviations xi
Introduction 1
1 ‘Auch ich hatte die Finger im Spiel’:
Ludwig Harig, Weh dem, der aus der Reihe tanzt (1990) 19
2 ‘Das Ich liegt immer jenseits der Worte’:
Uwe Saeger, Die Nacht danach und der Morgen (1991) 53
3 ‘Für jeden war es einmalig’:
Ruth Klüger, weiter leben: Eine Jugend (1992) 95
4 ‘Taktieren mit der Macht’:
Günter de Bruyn, Zwischenbilanz: Eine Jugend in Berlin
(1992) and Vierzig Jahre: Ein Lebensbericht (1996) 137
5 ‘Die Katalyse des Schreibens’:
Günter Kunert, Erwachsenenspiele: Erinnerungen (1997) 181
6 ‘“Man soll nie lügen. Oder nur, wenn es nicht anders
geht”’: Christoph Hein, Von allem Anfang an (1997) 231
7 ‘Es gab nur noch die eine Aufgabe: Gegen das Vergessen
anzuschreiben’: Grete Weil, Leb ich denn, wenn andere
leben(1998) 255
8 ‘Mutmaßungen über Pawel’:
Monika Maron, Pawels Briefe: Eine Familiengeschichte
(1999) 291
Conclusion 325
Bibliography 329
Index 351
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Acknowledgements
I should like to record my thanks to the many people and institutions
who supported me during my work on this book: first and foremost to
Hinrich Siefken and Colin Riordan who both offered invaluable
advice and support before, during and after my sabbatical and were,
and have remained, so willing to act as referees for me; to the Arts and
Humanities Research Board (as was) for awarding me a Research
Leave grant that turned one semester of study leave into a two-
semester sabbatical; to the British Academy who awarded me a Small
Grant to spend a month’s research in Germany during my sabbatical;
to staff at the Deutsches Literaturarchiv in Marbach for their support
during my stay there; to the University of Wales Bangor for allowing
me study leave, and especially to Tony Brown who encouraged me to
apply for the AHRB grant in the first place; to my former colleagues
in the Modern Languages department in Bangor for indulging me for
so long and then letting me go with so many kind words; and to the
many cohorts of Bangor students who seemingly never tired of
hearing about this project, and especially to those who gave me such a
moving send-off in December 2004. I should also like to thank two
very important people for their continued, invaluable encouragement:
Graeme Harper, for remaining such an inspiration and for pushing me
into academic areas I might otherwise have avoided, and finally my
wife Kate, who was working flat out on her PhD during my work on
this project and yet remained so supportive throughout. This book is
dedicated to her and my family.
This project would not have been possible without the support of these
people. If any errors remain, however, then these are solely my
responsibility.
Owen Evans
University of Wales Swansea
November 2005