Poetry in the Service of Politics
Subtitle: The Case of Adam Mickiewicz in Communist Poland and Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe in East Germany
Publisher: Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, Peter
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 260
ISBN-13: 9783631629208
Subjects: Mickiewicz, adam, 1798-1855; Poland, politics and government; Germany, politics and government, 20th century; Goethe, johann wolfgang von, 1749-1832
Description: This book analyzes the ideology-based reception of Adam Mickiewicz in Communist Poland and of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in East Germany, the dynamics of that process and the strategies used to exploit the iconic status of the poets for the purpose of reaffirming the legitimacy of the new system. The basic question tackled here concerns the similarities and differences between the Polish and German styles of harnessing poets into the service of politics. These issues are presented in view of the cultural and political life, i.e. public appearances by prominent politicians and culture activists, Marxist history of literature and literary worksthat ennobled Mickiewicz and Goethe in a hagiographic manner. --