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The "Good New" and the "Bad New": Metamorphoses of the Modernism Debate in the GDR since 1956

1974; Duke University Press; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/487740

1558-1462

Jost Hermand, Evelyn Torton Beck, Charles Spencer,

European history and politics

art, in order to get rid of methods of socialist realism. In reality call for 'abstract realism' is nothing more than an expression of ideological coexistence.33 By rejecting all modernistic tendencies, 26. Kurella later returned to same topic. See Die historische Leistung der entfremdeten Arbeit, Sinn und Form (1968), 466-499. 27. See Hans Koch, Fainf Jahre nach Bitterfeld (1964), Dokumente, pp. 945 ff. or Klaus Jarmatz, oder Surrogat? Sinn und Form (1969), 668-689. 28. See Ernst Fischer, Kunst und Koexistenz (Reinbek, 1966). 29. See Dokumente, p. 814. 30. ND, March 30, 1963. 31. Einheit, 3 (1963). 32. ND, April 4, 1963. 33. Walter Ulbricht, Ueber die Entwicklung einer volksverbundenen sozialistischen Nationalkultur, Dokumente, p. 980. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.27 on Wed, 07 Sep 2016 06:30:54 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 80 NEW GERMAN CRITIQUE Ulbricht sought to advocate literature whose themes would be drawn from contemporary industrial milieu of GDR, but in matters of form would rely upon masters of classical heritage and upon critical realism d la Heinrich Mann, Thomas Mann, Arnold Zweig, Lion Feuchtwanger and other such authors. course thus charted received its final codification at Eleventh Plenum of Central Committee of SED in December of 1965, when modernistic non-conformists such as Stefan Heym, Manfred Bieler, Peter Hacks, Heiner Milller and especially Wolf Biermann and Robert Havemann, almost all of whom had published in West, were castigated as traitors or parasites.34 After this sweeping ostracism GDR tended to concentrate almost exclusively on domestic problems. Whereas previously there had been talk of achievement, of Weltniveau, now phrase love of homeland was frequently heard.35 In end, art of GDR was to become patriotic and to strive for a separate and unique character in form and content, instead of making constant ideological concessions to pressures from West.36 West German literature thus largely disappeared from cultural scene. Until 1965 such authors as Bll, Frisch, Weiss, Walser, Enzensberger, Gerd Semmer, Christian Geissler, Arnfried Astel and other western had received almost continuous attention in Neue Deutsche Literatur. In fact, as recently as November 1965, Abusch had praised Walser, Weiss and Ball in this periodical as best writers of FRG.37 All this suddenly ceased. From 1966 to 1971, last phase of Ulbricht's regime, there was hardly any mention of West German literature in leading literary journals. No even troubled to make condemnations. More than anything there was noticeable congratulatory tone in Neue Deutsche Literatur during this period. Birthdays were announced, anniversaries of Republic were celebrated and proud assessments of development towards the socialist community of people and educated nation were made. Not surprisingly such elimination of outside influences led to internalization and withdrawal into self. In 1967 Klaus Gysi even proposed that education of emotions was of most important tasks of new literature.38 To be sure, when Rainer Kunze and 34. See Jost Hermand, Biermanns Dilemma, Basis, 4 (1974), 175-191. 35. Hans Koch, NDL, 1 (1967), 12. 36. Alexander Abusch, Einheit, 4/5 (1967). 37. See NDL, 11 (1965), xiii. 38. See NDL, 1 (1967), 71. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.27 on Wed, 07 Sep 2016 06:30:54 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms METAMORPHOSES IN THE MODERNISM DEBATE 81 Christa Wolf actually followed this suggestion to its logical conclusion by introducing new spontaneity and subjectivism, there was once again an immediate call for partisanship and concern for popular common interests. There was even revival of discussion of 1961 concerning genuine and non-genuine literature, in order to reinforce concept of literature of common relevance concentrating on path from I to We. Nevertheless, during this time of self-searching there was no way of avoiding production of lyric poetry which inevitably had marked personal tone. At same time, new interest in expressionism arose with an emphasis on personal and lyrical. To support this shift in interest, Klaus Kaindler, Werner Mittenzwei and Hans Kaufmann revived so-called transition period theory,39 while Silvia Schlenstedt emphasized importance of values in expressionist lyrics.40 In this sphere, at least, backdoor was opened for modernism. But even in these years complete insulation against international developments was impossible. While Party theoreticians paid particular attention to developments inside Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, hardly word about these matters appeared in daily press. Only after Eastern Bloc countries had intervened were these occurrences publicly discussed. For example, in his speech before Ninth Plenum of Central Committee in October 1968, Karl Kayser stated that in view of situation in Czechoslovakia, strict separation from West and decisions reached at Eleventh Plenum of 1965 seemed completely justified.41 interest in Kafka, performance of dramas from theater of absurd, works of Havel and Kohout, momentum towards modernistic art and corresponding undermining of humanistic values: all of this was blamed for swing to right in Czechoslovakia in eyes of Party theoreticians. However, as previously mentioned, this was not aired in public in order to avoid any undue stir at home. There was similar reticence in GDR about influence of New Left in West German literature. If New Left was mentioned at all, its proponents were labeled harmless nonconformists. Their anti-authoritarian gesture of refusal was regarded as new version of expressionism inspired by old expressionists such as Bloch and Marcuse.42 It was said 39. See Werner Mittenzwei's foreword to new edition of Menschheitsdammerung (1968), Walter Kaufmann's Krisen und Wandlungen der deutschen Literatur von Wedekind bis Feuchtwanger (1969) and Klaus Kandler's Drama und Klassenkampf (1970). 40. Silvia Schlenstedt, Afterword in Expressionismus Lyrik (Berlin, 1969), pp. 617-658. 41. See Dokumente, pp. 1413-1415. 42. Reinhard Weisbach, Wir und der Expressionismus (Berlin, 1972), pp. 34f. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.27 on Wed, 07 Sep 2016 06:30:54 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 82 NEW GERMAN CRITIQUE that, instead of contributing to critique of economic and political developments, concern in these circles was restricted primarily to critique of culture. According to Hermann Kaihler, leadership to which arrogant intelligentsia aspired was, in last analysis, reducible to solidly old-fashioned bourgeois elitism.43 Others regarded this pop revolt as simply an offshoot of more general sex craze in western world. No confronts any external enemies, it was said. Every individual sees enemy to be conquered only within self, in personal complexes and hang-ups. In eyes of GDR critics, these are not rebels but loners trapped in jungle of capitalism, decked out in colorful garb and hypnotized by various exotic drugs. Furthermore, it was argued that this psycho-biological world view offers no hope for social revolution, but represents parasitic bourgeois longing for absolute freedom, or more accurately--licence. only development praised in this latest mood in West is direction taken by Walser, Wallraff, work-groups and German Communist Party. Only in sphere did ideological argument with West become philosophical and theoretical: debate arising in 1968 concerning convergence theory.44 This theory was defined as revisionist, since it suggested that because of increasing socialization in West and increasing liberalization in East, paths of socialist and capitalist countries would necessarily converge and eventually become identical. In GDR motivation for this kind of thinking was seen as an effort to deny ideological differences and was taken as blatant anti-communist effort indirectly in support of American imperialism. In his speech at Seventh German Congress on Culture in April of 1968, Alexander Abusch dismissed convergence theory as purely mechanistic.45 Similar assertions can be found by Erna Heckel46 and Klaus Gysi.47 sharpest attack was made in following year by Klaus Jarmatz in Sinn und Form. In his opinion, humanistic values are obviously deteriorating under capitalism, while in socialism they are becoming more firmly and widely established. Therefore Jarmatz sees an intentional deception in phrase 43. Hermann KAhler, Aesthetik und Gewalt-Protest als Happening? Sinn und Form (1971), 703. 44. See Jutta Kneissel, The Convergence Theory,New German Critique, 2 (1974), 16-27. 45. See Sonntag, April 21, 1968. 46. See ND, August 18, 1968. 47. See ND, October 19, 1968. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.27 on Wed, 07 Sep 2016 06:30:54 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms METAMORPHOSES IN THE MODERNISM DEBATE 83 one world culture.48 He advised that clearly opposing fronts be singled out and hard-line decisions be made.