Germanistische Beiträge 28.2011
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The paper deals with letters of the publicist, poet and translator Viktor Orendi-Hommenau addressed in 1944 to Rudolf Spek (1893-1953), the director of the Brukenthal-Museum in Sibiu. The letters are preserved in the handwritings collection of the Museum’s Library. Before the 23rd of August 1944, when Romania was an ally of the Axis in WWII, Orendi-Hommenau enjoyed high esteem, but when the country changed sides and joined the Allies, the German minority was considered the “Fifth Column” of Nazi Germany and consequently had to suffer. The poet became so poor, that he was forced to ask Spek for help in order to survive. In 1946 the worst was overcome and Orendi-Hommenau became optimistic again.
The paper attempts at outlining some aspects of experienced intercultural phenomena in Transsylvania starting with the late 50ies and deals with the question of cultural and linguistic choice of an individual born into a multilinguistic and multicultural family. The close connection between mother tongue and identity is analysed under the particular circumstances of the author’s biographical background. The paper should be read as an autobiographical statement which the author considers necessary for the understanding of her legitimate status within present day German literature written in Romania.
The present study makes reference to the scientific achievements of the Romanian Germanist Horst Schuller. As a journalist, university professor and translator, he developed an extensive research work that has brought forth studies of the Romanian-German criticism as well as many studies of intercultural research. In all of his studies of literary criticism dealing with intercultural themes, Schuller holds the opinion of a bilateral exchange between the ethnic groups of a multi-ethnic state as Romania is. He regards interculturality as a plea for tolerance and communication, i.e. living-with-one-another – not living side by side or living past one another.
This review presents Delia Cotârlea’s monography Schreiben unter der Diktatur. Die Lyrik von Anemone Latzina / Writing under Dictatorship The Poetry of Anemone Latzina. In her study, the Romanian Germanist analyses the poetry and the translation work of the Romanian-born German author Annemone Latzina. Delia Cotârlea’s monography comprises a lot of new information, picked up from unpublished diaries, from chronicles published in the print media etc.
Oscar Walter Cisek evolved as a German speaking author and art critic in the joint domain of two cultures. With his exquisite education and through his temperament doubled by aesthetic expertise Oscar Walter Cisek stood for the great European man, who acted as a go-between sitting astraddle the Eastern and Western parts of our continent. His effort for the publication of the German written monthly review Kulturnachrichten aus Rumänien (Cultural News from Romania) represents a unique event in the German culture from Romania. Unfortunately this periodical appeared only between 1925-1928 and rather at odd intervals but it had a decisive contribution to the promotion of the Romanian cultural heritage abroad. Beside the literary references current issues in the field of fine arts were also offered, which were partially identical to Cisek’s essays published in the Romanian press. Cisek undertakes a unique attempt among the German writers from Romania by making Romanian culture known to the Transylvanian Saxons by means of several essays published in the Kronstädter Zeitung (The Brasov Newspaper).