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Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler

born 1942, studied Classic Philology and German studies and published numerous books on Austrian literature from the 20th century, a.o. on Johann Nestroy, Ernst Jandl and Albert Drach. He was the editor of the works of Heimito von Doderer, Thomas Bernhard and many more. He was head of the department of German studies at the University of Vienna and head of the Literary Archives of the Austrian National Library. He received several awards, among them the “Staatspreis für Literaturkritik” 1994 and “Wissenschaftler des Jahres 2007”. Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler passed away on September 7, 2008.

Books

Coverabbildung von 'Lines and Ruptures II'

Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler - Lines and Ruptures II

Lectures on Austrian literature 1990 – 2008

Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler coined the term Bruchlinien (faultlines) to describe all the shifts and faults in Austrian literature after World War II. This anthology of all his legendary lectures on the topic has become a standard reference long ago. It also shows how exciting, vivid, inspirational and enthusiastic talks and thoughts on literature can be. Schmidt-Dengler observed and followed contemporary literature in Austria to the last, not only as a critic, but also in these previously unpublished lectures in which he examined the evolutions in Austrian literature from 1990 to 2008 from both a critical distance and a compassionate closeness.

Coverabbildung von 'Lines and Ruptures'

Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler - Lines and Ruptures

Lectures on Austrian literature from 1945 – 1990

Never was the connection between Austrian identity and Austrian literature as evident as after 1945. And no one has been more able to clearly illustrate the correlation between literature and socio-cultural and political conditions as Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler. With “Bruchlinien”, he coined a term that brings Austria’s post-War literature, its developments and its struggles to the point. And he has left us a work that succeeds in demonstrating how passionate and lively literature can be discussed and pondered: enthusiastic and enthusing. The re-edition of “Bruchlinien” is the first of two volumes of Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler’s famous lectures on contemporary Austrian literature.