Herbert Anton

Herbert Anton (* 1936 in Gladbeck ) is a German literary scholar and professor emeritus for modern German literature at the University of Düsseldorf . His main research interests are literary hermeneutics and literary theory of the 19th century.

Life

As a student of the philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer in Heidelberg, he gave the lecture series "Aspects of Modernity" between 1961 and 1963 during a stay in Paris, which included Arnold Gehlen and Theodor W. Adorno , among others . In 1964 he received his doctorate from the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg with the thesis “Raub der Proserpina. Literary traditions of an erotic symbol and mythological symbol ”, in 1969 he also received his habilitation in Heidelberg.

In 1970 he accepted a professorship at the University of Düsseldorf and shaped generations of Germanists in Düsseldorf with his fascinating lecture style, including Manfred Frank , who was a research assistant at his chair between 1971 and 1977, and Gerhard Kurz, who between 1990 and 1998 was president of the Hölderlin- Society was or Jochen Hörisch . Even if Herbert Anton published standard works on Gottfried Keller , Thomas Mann or Georg Büchner , his academic teaching and lectures had an even greater impact, with his legendary Friday lectures also being attended by many literature enthusiasts from outside of Düsseldorf University . The writers Uwe Koch , Stefan Bollmann and Henning Heske were among the listeners to his lectures .

Even after his retirement in 2001, Herbert Anton continues to give highly acclaimed lectures such as the opening event of the Thomas Mann Society in Düsseldorf in 2009 on the subject of “Thomas Mann and Schiller. Aesthetics of Existence ”.

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At the center of Anton's research is literary hermeneutics and literary theory in texts from the Baroque and 19th century as well as myth and mythology in early literary romanticism and in Goethe's work . The “Mythological Erotica in Keller's 'Seven Legends' and in the 'Sinngedicht'”, (1970), the standard work “The Art of Thomas Manns” (1972) and “Büchner's Dramas. Topographien der Freiheit ”(1975) are central works by Herbert Anton, before he began to focus his activities more and more on teaching and free lectures based only on notes from the 1980s.

Fonts

A selection of monographs:

• The Rape of Proserpine: literary traditions of an erotic symbol and mythological symbol. 1967
• Mythological eroticism in Keller's Seven Legends and in epitaphs. 1970
• The novel art of Thomas Mann. 1972
• Buechner's dramas. Topographies of freedom. 1975
• Healing power. Motif and structure of Goethe's poems. 1987
• German studies. (Employee since 1965)
• Historical dictionary of philosophy. (Employee)

Selection of essays:

• Romantic interpretation of Greek mythology. In: The German Romanticism. Ed .: H. Steffen. 1967
• Minna von Barnhelm. In: Neue Hefte fuer Philosophie , 4, 1973
• Goethe's Faust as a “bet on freedom”. In: Spirit and Sign. F. A. Henkel. 1977
• "Eleusis". Hegel to Hoelderlin. In: HoelderlinJb. 1975-1977
• “Mythical Beauty” in Goethe's Elective Affinities and Fontane's Effi Briest. In: Myth and Mythology in Literature and Goethe's understanding of poetry. Goethe's elective affinities. Ed .: NW Bolz. 1981
• Thomas Mann. In: Hb. Of the German story. Ed .: KK Polheim. 1981

Web links

• Lecture “Thomas Mann and Schiller. Aesthetics of Existence. ” As a YouTube video.
• Message from the Rheinische Post about lectures in 2008
• Directory of Germanists