Translating the World: Toward a New History of German Literature Around 1800 (Max Kade Research Institute: Germans Beyond Europe)

In __Translating the World__, Birgit Tautz provides a new narrative of German literary history in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Departing from dominant modes of thought regarding the nexus of literary and national imagination, she examines this intersection through the lens of Germany’s emerging global networks and how they were rendered in two very different German cities: Hamburg and Weimar. German literary history has tended to employ a conceptual framework that emphasizes the nation or idealized citizenry, yet the experiences of readers in eighteenth-century German cities existed within the context of their local environments, in which daily life occurred and writers such as Lessing, Schiller, and Goethe worked. Hamburg, a flourishing literary city in the late eighteenth century, was eventually relegated to the margins of German historiography, while Weimar, then a small town with an insular worldview, would become mythologized for not only its literary history but its centrality in national German culture. By interrogating the histories of and texts associated with these cities, Tautz shows how literary styles and genres are born of local, rather than national, interaction with the world. Her examination of how texts intersect and interact reveals how they shape and transform the urban cultural landscape as they are translated and move throughout the world. A fresh, elegant exploration of literary translation, discursive shifts, and global cultural changes, __Translating the World__ is an exciting new story of eighteenth-century German culture and its relationship to expanding global networks that will especially interest scholars of comparative literature, German studies, and literary history.

In Translating the World, Birgit Tautz provides a newnarrative of German literary history in the late eighteenth andearly nineteenth centuries. Departing from dominant modes ofthought regarding the nexus of literary and national imagination,she examines this intersection through the lens of Germany'semerging global networks and how they were rendered in two verydifferent German cities: Hamburg and Weimar.

German literary history has tended to employ a conceptualframework that emphasizes the nation or idealized citizenry, yetthe experiences of readers in eighteenth-century German citiesexisted within the context of their local environments, in whichdaily life occurred and writers such as Lessing, Schiller, andGoethe worked. Hamburg, a flourishing literary city in the lateeighteenth century, was eventually relegated to the margins ofGerman historiography, while Weimar, then a small town with aninsular worldview, would become mythologized for not only itsliterary history but its centrality in national German culture. Byinterrogating the histories of and texts associated with thesecities, Tautz shows how literary styles and genres are born oflocal, rather than national, interaction with the world. Herexamination of how texts intersect and interact reveals how theyshape and transform the urban cultural landscape as they aretranslated and move throughout the world.

A fresh, elegant exploration of literary translation, discursiveshifts, and global cultural changes, Translating the Worldis an exciting new story of eighteenth-century German culture andits relationship to expanding global networks that will especiallyinterest scholars of comparative literature, German studies, andliterary history.

A Narrative Of German Literary History In The Late Eighteenth And Early Nineteenth Centuries. Examines The Intersection Of Literary And National Imagination Through The Lens Of Germany's Emerging Global Networks And How They Were Rendered In Two Very Different German Cities: Hamburg And Weimar--provided By Publisher. Introduction : The City And The Globe : On Remaking German Literature -- Theater Channels : Translating The British Atlantic World For The Hamburg Stage -- Lessing Dethroned : The Hamburg Dramaturgy And The Eighteenth-century World -- Leaving The City : Conversion To Community, Redemption, And Literary Sociability -- Classical Weimar Reconsidered : Friendship Redeemed, Foundations Laid, And Monuments Made -- Epilogue : In The Translation Zone Or (german) Literary Studies In The Twenty-first Century. Birgit Tautz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.