Niemieckojęzyczna powieść (anty)utopijna pierwszej połowy XX wieku i jej recepcja w Polsce

Abstract

The early 20th century is a time when writers such as Kafka or Döblin come to the fore of intellectual attention. Their works, translated into many languages, soon gained recognition both within and outside of Germany – and yet, the above notwithstanding, little academic focus has been given to the notion of utopia in their works. It comes as no surprise that literary historians devote even less attention to lesser known German-speaking writers, who, not unlike Kafka or Döblin, also created visions of different worlds. Hence, the two central goals of the present sketch are: 1) to acquaint Polish readers with the subject matter of the most important utopian and science fiction novels written in German during the first three decades of the 20th century and 2) to analyze their reception in Poland in 20th and 21st century. The scope of the study ranges from the early anti-utopian visions of Kubin (The Other Side) and Kafka (The Trial, The Castle) to works written in the period of late Expressionism. The article pays particular emphasis upon those German Expressionists who hitherto have not loomed large in the awareness of Polish readers (or at least not as creators of utopias), but whose contribution to the development of the genre has been invaluable: among such authors is the already mentioned Alfred Döblin, with his monumental novel Berge, Meere und Giganten, or Arnold Ulitz, the author of Ararat and Testament. From the point of view of a literary scholar, it seems necessary to both revise the critical opinions that currently prevail, and seek a wider audience for this forgotten literature.