HANDBOOK OF POLISH, CZECH, AND SLOVAK HOLOCAUST FICTION
Works and Contexts (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2021)
with Elisa-Maria Hiemer (Herder Institute, Marburg), Jiří Holý (Charles University, Prague),
and Hana Nichtburgerová (Charles University, Prague)
Comment: Petr Brod (Journalist, Prague)
Chair: Charlotte Kitzinger (Arbeitsstelle Holocaustliteratur, Gießen)
Place: Zoom
Date: September 28, 2021
6 – 7 pm (CET)
The Handbook of Polish, Czech, and Slovak Holocaust Fiction aims to increase the visibility and show the versatility of works from East-Central European countries. It is the first encyclopedic work to bridge the gap between the literary production of countries that are considered to be main sites of the Holocaust and their recognition in international academic and public discourse. It contains over 100 entries offering not only facts about the content and motifs but also pointing out the characteristic fictional features of each work and its meaning for academic discourse and wider reception in the country of origin and abroad.
The publication will appeal to the academic and broader public interested in the representation of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, and World War II in literature and the arts. Besides prose, it also considers poetry and theatrical plays from 1943 through 2018. An introduction to the historical events and cultural developments in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Czech, and Slovak Republic, and their impact on the artistic output helps to contextualise the motif changes and fictional strategies that authors have been applying for decades.
The publication is the result of long-term scholarly cooperation of specialists from four countries and several dozen academic centres.
This is an Open Access publication, the book is freely available on: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110671056/html
REGISTRATION: to take part send an email to events-hira@herder-institut.de. You will receive an automatic response with the access data. The book presentation will be held in German.
Digital HIRA (Herder Institute Research Academy) Book Launch is an event series launched by the Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe, Institute of the Leibniz Association. We have developed the series to support a vivid academic exchange and discussion at a time when personal contacts remain restricted. The Digital HIRA Book Launch brings together alumni, current HIRA fellows, and interested colleagues off ering the newest results of our research to the broader public.