| Description |
The author and cultural critic Paul Valéry named the Mediterranean Sea Europe’s centre of force. The Mediterranean Sea is a space where cultures meet, a space of commerce and negotiation, however it has always been a scene of war. For centuries the Mediterranean See has been a destination of belonging for German travelers and has caused many literary representations. The Sea signifies freedom and threat at the same time. In our time the Mediterranean Sea has become a mass grave for refugees from Syria and from Africa while tourists seek recreation in seaside resorts. The Mediterranean Sea does not stop to narrate itself, writes the historiographer of the Mediterranean Sea Fernand Braudel. Yet, how does literature narrate the Mediterranean Sea? This question will be in the focus of our seminar that will deal with texts by Homer, Vergil, Ovid, Shakespeare, Goethe, Nietzsche, Hermann Bahr, Rainer Maria Rilke, Thomas Mann, Ilma Rakusa, Jenny Erpenbeck, Ingrid Lausund, Marcia Bodrožic and others. |
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