Ambivalent Literary Farewells to the German Democratic Republic: What is Lost (Issn)

This study reverses the question implicit in title of Christa Wolf’s now-canonical 1990 novella __Was bleibt__ (What remains), looking instead at what was lost during the process of German reunification. It argues that, in their work during and after the __Wende__, most literary authors from both East and West Germany responded ambivalently to the reunification. Many felt, on the one hand, a keen sense of loss as the GDR dissolved and an expanded Federal Republic summarily absorbed former Eastern Germany. They mourned the ideals of democratic socialism, tolerance, and internationalism that the GDR had held dear, as well as the country’s rich cultural life. On the other hand, however, they recognized that the GDR was a fundamentally corrupt surveillance state whose industry weighed heavily on the environment while failing to buoy the country’s economy. By looking at works by some of the most important authors from either side of the border, this study shows that those who unequivocally embraced the reunification were clearly in the minority.

This study reverses the question implicit in title of Christa Wolf’s now-canonical 1990 novella Was bleibt (What remains), looking instead at what was lost during the process of German reunification. It argues that, in their work during and after the Wende, most literary authors from both East and West Germany responded ambivalently to the reunification. Many felt, on the one hand, a keen sense of loss as the GDR dissolved and an expanded Federal Republic summarily absorbed former Eastern Germany. They mourned the ideals of democratic socialism, tolerance, and internationalism that the GDR had held dear, as well as the country’s rich cultural life. On the other hand, however, they recognized that the GDR was a fundamentally corrupt surveillance state whose industry weighed heavily on the environment while failing to buoy the country’s economy. By looking at works by some of the most important authors from either side of the border, this study shows that those who unequivocally embraced the reunification were clearly in the minority.

"This study reverses the question implicit in title of Christa Wolf’s now-canonical 1990 novella Was bleibt (What remains), looking instead at what was lost during the process of German reunification. It argues that, in their work during and after the Wende, most literary authors from both East and West Germany responded ambivalently to the reunification. Many felt, on the one hand, a keen sense of loss as the GDR dissolved and an expanded Federal Republic summarily absorbed former Eastern Germany. They mourned the ideals of democratic socialism, tolerance, and internationalism that the GDR had held dear, as well as the country’s rich cultural life. On the other hand, however, they recognized that the GDR was a fundamentally corrupt surveillance state whose industry weighed heavily on the environment while failing to buoy the country’s economy. By looking at works by some of the most important authors from either side of the border, this study shows that those who unequivocally embraced the reunification were clearly in the minority. "--Publisher website Contents 5 Acknowledgements 7 A Note on Translations 9 Introduction 11 Chapter 1 Literary Resistance to Reunification Perceived as Colonization in Novels by Günter Grass, Christa Wolf, and Volker Braun 35 Chapter 2 Europe in East Berlin: Emine Sevgi Özdamar’s Ostalgic Constructions 71 Chapter 3 Non-Simultaneity and its Corrective: Thomas Brussig’s Ambivalent Engagement with Reunification 94 Chapter 4 Performing Reunification as Tragicomedy: Ingo Schulze 117 Chapter 5 Time out of Joint in Uwe Tellkamp’s The Towe 148 Coda: Contra Grass: The Embrace of Reunification by Martin Walser, Monika Maron, and Fritz Rudolf Fries as well as the Beginning of the End of Autobiographical Literary Farewells to the GDR 171 Bibliography 191 Index 203