In 1944, whilst living in exile in the USA, the philosopher, sociologist and musical theorist Theodor W. Adorno noted: “The idea that after this war life will continue ‘normally’ or even that culture might be ‘rebuilt’ – as if the rebuilding of culture were not already its negation – is idiotic.” This remark goes directly to the centre of the question we shall be concerned with in this seminar. We shall read fundamental literary and philosophical texts that deal with the intrinsic links between Nazism and culture – or, which, on the contrary, attempt to deny these connections – in order to come to terms with the horror of the mass murders committed under Nazism. Apart from essays by Theodor W. Adorno – which frequently were first broadcast by German radio – we are going to study and discuss texts by, among others, Ilse Aichinger, Siegfried Kracauer, Gottfried Benn, Hans Fallada, Heinrich Böll, Jean Amery, Hannah Arendt, and Paul Celan.
- Teacher: Brigit Ardel