The Role of the Writer and the Press in the Unification of Germany, 1989-1990

This work explores the misconception that literary writers from East and West Germany opposed the unification of the two states from 1989 to 1990. It examines the contributions of nine writers, including names synonymous with opposition such as Stefan Heym and Walter Jens and argues that their opposition is in fact a myth. While focusing on the strategies of legitimatizing writers and their authority to speak on unification, this study also reflects on the relationship between the reception of literary and journalistic texts. Finally, the work explores the reasons for this mythologization and thus provides a contribution to debates on the future role of writers in the unified German state. Countering the perception that German writers were generally opposed to reunification, von Oppen (apparently affiliated with the U. of Wales Swansea) assesses the diverse views of nine East and West German writers to whom she devotes a chapter each: Stefan Heym; Helga Königsdorf; Monika Maron; three Schneiders (Rolf, Peter, and Michael); Walter Jens; Thomas Rosenlöcher; and Joseph von Westphalen. Her introduction examines the political roles of writers as critics and intellectuals, with references to GÃ1⁄4nter Grass and Foucault. Includes a chronology of events from a January 1989 free speech uprising in Leipzig, to December 2, 1990, the date of the first all-German election. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR