New subjectivity
New subjectivity is a term coined by Marcel Reich-Ranicki for a new direction in German literature in the 1970s that focused on topics such as personal dreams and problems of private life. It emerged as a counter-movement to politically engaged literature with its system-critical and socio- theoretical implications , as it emerged in the context of the 1968 movement ; also in contrast to literary experiments that wanted to tie in with the literature of classical modernism. The aim was a writing process geared towards inwardness , introspection and self - awareness .
description
With their writing style, the authors set a subjective, private tone and often wrote emotional, often also autobiographical texts, some of which are confessional and partly diary-like. In addition, there was a social criticism, which often took up topics of the emerging environmental movement, National Socialism or the oppression of women . The tone of the lyrics is mostly resigned; Inevitable fates, insoluble family entanglements or incurable diseases are often treated. Many works of the "New Subjectivity" stand out because of their strong reference to everyday language. In some cases, this means that poems of the “New Subjectivity” can be distinguished from prose texts mainly through unusually placed line breaks.
The works “Lenz” by Peter Schneider and “Klassenliebe” by Karin Struck , published in 1973, can be seen as programmatic for the “New Subjectivity” striving for authenticity , which was mainly articulated in autobiographical and lyrical texts . A forerunner of the “New Subjectivity” was Peter Weiss (“ Farewell to Parents ”, 1961).
distribution
Works that can be assigned to the newly created literary direction can be found throughout the German-speaking area. In GDR literature , too , the end of the hope for reform led to a greater retreat into the private sphere and correspondingly internal literary drafts. Christa Wolf and Monika Maron were influential in the GDR (whose works were also very well received in the West), in the FRG Peter Schneider , Christoph Meckel , Botho Strauss and Martin Walser . Corresponding tendencies were found in the works of Peter Handke in Austria and in Fritz Zorn in Switzerland .
Selected authors and works
- Nicolas Born : The Earthly Side of History (1976), The Forgery (1979)
- Rolf Dieter Brinkmann : Nobody Knows (1968)
- Erich Fried
- Wilhelm Genazino : Stranger Struggles (1984)
- Günter Grass
- Ulla Hahn : The Hidden Word (2001)
- Peter Handke : The Hour of True Sensation (1975), The Left-Handed Woman (1976)
- Peter Härtling : Hubert or The Return to Casablanca (1978), Postponed Love (1980)
- Urs Jaeggi
- Reiner Kunze
- Sarah Kirsch
- Monika Maron : Fly ash (1981)
- Friederike Mayröcker
- Christoph Meckel : Suchbild - About my father (1980)
- Ulrich Plenzdorf
- Roman knight
- Jochen Schimmang
- Peter Schneider : Lenz (1973)
- Botho Strauss : The Dedication (1977)
- Karin Struck : Class Love ( 1973), The Mother (1975), Love (1977)
- Jürgen Theobaldy
- Bernward Vespers
- Martin Walser : A Fleeing Horse (1978), Soul Work (1979)
- Peter Weiss
- Gabriele Wohmann : Paulinchen was at home alone (1974), beautiful enclosure (1975), early autumn in Badenweiler (1978)
- Christa Wolf : Reflecting on Christa T. (1968), Childhood Pattern (1976)
- Wolf Wondratschek
See also
literature
- Michael Rutschky : A thirst for experience. An Essay on the Seventies (1980)
- Jürgen Neckam: Literature of the 1970s in the FRG - The New Innerity: Walser, Strauss, Enzensberger (2003)
- Dieter Hoffmann : Workbook German-language poetry since 1945 (2004)
- Mathias Brandstädter : Consequential damage. Context, narrative structures and forms of development of father literature 1960 to 2008. Definition of a genre. Wuerzburg 2010.
