Papers by Alexander Nebrig
Jahrbuch der Deutschen Schillergesellschaft , 2025
In Goethes Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre (1795/96) gibt es zahlreiche Redeszenen, die weder zusammen... more In Goethes Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre (1795/96) gibt es zahlreiche Redeszenen, die weder zusammenhängend untersucht noch in Bezug zur Theaterthematik des Romans gesetzt wurden. Dabei wäre ein solcher Schritt naheliegend, da beide Künste, Rhetorik und Theater, ihren Fluchtpunkt im Konzept der Bühne (skené) haben, Redende schauspielerische Fähigkeiten vorweisen müssen und zumindest das klassische Theater affektrhetorisch funktioniert. Eng verbunden mit der Abkehr des Protagonisten vom Theater, so die These, sind Szenen, in denen sich Wilhelms oft scheiternder Anspruch nach öffentlicher Wirkung ausdrückt. Diesen Anspruch gibt er genauso wie seine Theaterlaufbahn auf und wird Mitglied des Geheimbundes der Turmgesellschaft. Die bühnenkritische Einstellung vermittelt Goethe über die Redeszenen, genauer: über ihr Scheitern, denn sie zeigen oftmals Wilhelm Meister, wie er sein Publikum verfehlt, andere Ziele erreicht als beabsichtigt oder die Rede nur plant, aber nicht ausführt.
There are numerous speech scenes in Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship (1795/96) that have neither been examined in a coherent manner nor related to the novel’s theatre theme. Such a step would be obvious, since both arts, rhetoric and theatre, have their vanishing
point in the concept of the stage (skené), speakers must demonstrate acting skills, and at least classical theatre functions affectively. Closely linked to the protagonist’s turning away from the theatre are scenes in which Wilhelm’s often failing aspiration for public impact is expressed. He gives up this ambition as well as his theatre career and becomes a member of the secret Tower Society. Goethe conveys his critical attitude towards the stage through the speech scenes, or more precisely, through their failure, as they often show Wilhelm Meister failing his audience, achieving different goals than intended or only planning the speech but not carrying it out.
There are numerous speech scenes in Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship (1795/96) that have neither been examined in a coherent manner nor related to the novel’s theatre theme. Such a step would be obvious, since both arts, rhetoric and theatre, have their vanishing
point in the concept of the stage (skené), speakers must demonstrate acting skills, and at least classical theatre functions affectively. Closely linked to the protagonist’s turning away from the theatre are scenes in which Wilhelm’s often failing aspiration for public impact is expressed. He gives up this ambition as well as his theatre career and becomes a member of the secret Tower Society. Goethe conveys his critical attitude towards the stage through the speech scenes, or more precisely, through their failure, as they often show Wilhelm Meister failing his audience, achieving different goals than intended or only planning the speech but not carrying it out.
Hagestedt/Nebrig (Hg.): „Wer wird nicht einen Klopstock loben?“ J.B. Metzler, 2024
With the ‘German Scholars’ Republic', Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock was responsible for one of the... more With the ‘German Scholars’ Republic', Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock was responsible for one of the most important subscription projects in German-language literature of the 18th century. The performative character of this project should be emphasised. The fact that writers financed books together with their audience independently of the publishing industry was not necessarily new, but Klopstock's peculiarity was that he provided an ethic of scholarly communication along with the republic of scholars to be subscribed to. His plan of scholarship included the relationship between research and its reception as well as the intermediate processes of book production and distribution. If Klopstock's work deals with scholarly communication, the paratexts deal with questions of mediation. The subscription is a distributive means and an aesthetic purpose of reception in one. Klopstock's subscribers are therefore recipients of a subscribed writing, the real members of the republic of scholars and readers at the same time, who form a communicative space with the writers or scribes.
Ressource »Schriftträger« Materielle Praktiken der Literatur zwischen Verschwendung und Nachhaltigkeit, 2023
Yashar Mohagheghi ist wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Institut für Germanistische und Allgemein... more Yashar Mohagheghi ist wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Institut für Germanistische und Allgemeine Literaturwissenschaft an der RWTH Aachen. Seine Forschungsinteressen umfassen Hölderlin, die Kulturgeschichte des Festes, materielle Kulturen, kleine Formen und den frühneuzeitlichen Prosaroman. Sergej Rickenbacher ist wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Institut für Germanistische und Allgemeine Literaturwissenschaft an der RWTH Aachen. Seine
F. Jannidis (Hg.): Digitale Literaturwissenschaft. DFG-Symposion 2017, 2023
Wurde mit dem Buchdruck die schriftliche Überlieferung von eigentlich mündlich tradierten Liedern... more Wurde mit dem Buchdruck die schriftliche Überlieferung von eigentlich mündlich tradierten Liedern intensiviert, so ging im Zuge der Digitalisierung die Überlieferung von Liedern endgültig in den Bereich schriftbasierter Medien über. Am Beispiel der Datenbank für populäre Songs Genius wird die digitale Entstehung von literaturgeschichtlich signifikanten Lied-Korpora vorgestellt (Stand 2018), mit Praktiken der Verschriftung analoger Lied-Korpora um 1800 kontrastiert und hinsichtlich ihres kollektiven Charakters erörtert.
Central and Eastern European Literary Theory and the West. Ed. M. Mrugalski, Sch. Schahadat, I. Wutsdorff, 2022
In the history of German thought on form theory, at least five main types of form have been ident... more In the history of German thought on form theory, at least five main types of form have been identified. The first concept, the Neoplatonic idea of inward form, goes back to the poetics of the Sturm und Drang period in the 1770s and was subsequently developed further, predominantly by Goethe. The second concept is that of formalistic form and derives from Kantian philosophy. The founder of aesthetic formalism in the Kantian sense was Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776-1841), whose ideas were spread within the academia of the Austro-Hungarian empire, especially in Prague by the anti-idealistic Austrian theorist Robert Zimmermann (1824-1898) (Stöckmann 2015, 2016). The third concept is the ethical Hegelian concept of form, which privileges 'Gehalt', content. It was last transformed in the 1960s by critical theory on the one hand and Marxist aesthetics on the other. This 'idealistic concept of form' was the most influential concept in German thought on the subject. In fact, driven by its ethical imperative, it made free reflection on aesthetic form almost impossible. After 1900, these three concepts-those of Goethe, Kant, and Hegel-mostly influenced one another or were differentiated and pluralized. The fourth type also derives from Kant: it is the idea of form as a priori or the transcendental form of beholding (Tatarkiewicz 1973, 223), which became popular around 1900. Instead of 'form', theorists of this paradigm often use the term 'style'. The fifth type of form has become important in recent decades: the differential concept of form developed in the writings of Niklas Luhmann. Form as difference is not correlated to content or material, but to its medium. And of course, for Luhmann form is not what it is (a substance or essence), but what it is not, i. e. the difference between itself and other formal elements. A history of German form theory has to follow the evolutions, modifications, and interferences which these five concepts underwent. One encounters Goethe's inward form, Kant's formalism and Hegel's ethical form in very different guises. After referring to lexical aspects (2.), I will first discuss the development of the concept of inward form (3.) and then that of formalism (form as form) and ethical content (form as 'Gehalt') as each moves its way through the academic discipline of aesthetics in the nineteenth century (4.). The fifth part is devoted to the high tide of German form theory, which is marked by the pluralization, differentiation, and intersection of the first four concepts in very different disciplines, discourses and types of texts after 1900 (5.). The sixth part examines the work of Oskar Walzel, an author who synthesizes and popularizes the various 3 Goethe's inward form, or the emergence of German form theory Until the twentieth century, German form theory largely consists of remarks on and interpretations of the aesthetic writings of Goethe. It was Goethe and his generation who discovered form as an aesthetic category. Incidentally, the concepts of form inherited from scholastic philosophy were not developed for aesthetics but rather for describing physical and metaphysical reality. In philosophy, the scholastic discussion of form was part of the mindbody problem and under the control of theology. In general, form was regarded as the essence of a thing (causa interna). The human soul was understood, for instance, as a forma informans, like God, invisible in relation to his creation. The
Die Bedeutung der Schriftlichkeit verändert sich rasant, indem der Gebrauch der Schrift interakti... more Die Bedeutung der Schriftlichkeit verändert sich rasant, indem der Gebrauch der Schrift interaktiver wird und selbstverständlich, geradezu zwingend in multimodale Kommunikationsformen eingebunden ist. Weiter zeigt die gegenwärtige Schriftkultur, dass die Praxis des Schreibens und des Lesens maschinell bedingt ist. Schließlich wird fraglich, ob die Hauptbedeutung von Schrift tatsächlich die eines graphischen Äquivalentes menschlicher Rede ist: Genetischer Code, Notenschrift, Programmcode und weiter gefasste Schriftbegriffe, die jede Art der ›Graphie‹ miteinschließen, erinnern daran, dass Schriftlichkeit nicht immer auf Mündlichkeit bezogen sein muss. Dieser dreifache Befund bildete den Ausgangspunkt, noch einmal zu fragen, wer schreibt und wer liest? Die beiden Fragen stehen am Ausgang unserer Überlegungen zu einer Theorie der Schriftlichkeit, die auch nicht-menschliche Agentialität miteinbeziehen möchte. Welche Handlungsangebote enthalten die die Schriftlichkeit konstituierenden Objekte im Sinne des Affordanz-Denkens? 1 Bereits die Sprache selbst ließe sich aus dieser heteronomen Perspektive betrachten, sobald man mit Ferdinand de Saussure, der Sprache primär mündlich begriff, zwischen der individuellen Aussage (parole) und dem allgemeinen Sprachsystem unterscheidet, das die Aussage ermöglicht (langue). 2 Mit dem Übergang 1 James Gibson: The Theory of Affordances. In: Robert Shaw / John Bransford (Hg.): Perceiving, Acting and Knowing. Toward an Ecological Psychology. Hillsdale N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates 1977, 67-82. 2 Ferdinand de Saussure: Grundfragen der allgemeinen Sprachwissenschaft. Hg. von Charles Bally und Albert Sechehaye. Übers. von Herman Lommel. Berlin: de Gruyter 2 1967 [zuerst auf Französisch 1916], 17f.-Schon Schleiermacher-obgleich an der Autonomie des Schriftstellers festhaltend-war der Überzeugung gewesen, dass Schreibende auch ein »Organ der Sprache« seien, vgl. Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher: Vorlesungen zur
Cahiers du Centre de traduction littéraire de Lausanne 58 (2018), 53–76., 2018
Friederike Helene Unger, born von Rothenburg (1741-1813), published all her translations (French,... more Friederike Helene Unger, born von Rothenburg (1741-1813), published all her translations (French, English) and original writings (novels, essays) anonymously. This was no exception in eighteenthcentury publishing practice. Becoming the owners of manuscripts, German publishers could decide whether to reveal or keep secret the author's name. Furthermore, Unger was part of the publishing house of her husband Johann Friedrich Unger, which she inherited and run after his death (1804). For Friederike Helene Unger, translating, writing and publishing were forms of mediation which followed different economic principles. The article first discusses the economic reasons for revealing or omitting the name of the author as well as for marking her gender or not. There is, however, an exception. In her translation of Marivaux's La vie de Marianne, Friederike Helene Unger not only reveals her gender but also a part of her name. This extraordinary case breaches the economic principles ruling the book market for foreign-language literature in favour of the recognition of female authorship.
Deutsche Vierteljahrsschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Geistesgeschichte, 2020
In der Forschung zu Friedrich Hölderlins ›Der Ister‹ besteht ein Konsens darüber, dass die beiden... more In der Forschung zu Friedrich Hölderlins ›Der Ister‹ besteht ein Konsens darüber, dass die beiden Sprechinstanzen des Gedichtes denselben Standort haben. Diese Deutung identifiziert vorschnell das lyrische Wir der ersten Strophe mit dem lyrischen Ich. Dagegen wird hier das Wir als eine rhetorische Funktion des lyrischen Ich aufgefasst, das die abwesende Sprechergruppe der Sänger anwesend macht (I-II). Die Prosopopoiia wird textgenetisch hergeleitet und als kontrastive Exposition erörtert (III). Sie dient der lyrischen Rede über den Fluss ab der zweiten Strophe als Negativfolie. Die Distanz gegenüber dem lyrischen Wir stellt das lyrische Ich gleichfalls gegen die Tradition der Stromdichtung, die nicht mehr affirmativ gestaltet wird, sondern literalisiert und negiert wird (IV-VI).
The conflict between classicism and romanticism has a ludistic character, insofar as the dispute ... more The conflict between classicism and romanticism has a ludistic character, insofar as the dispute is partly settled in the genre of sonnet (Sonettenkrieg). My article shows especially in texts of Achim von Arnim and Jens Baggesen how the romantic party as well as the anti-romantics in Heidelberg were formed by a polemical play. Writing sonnets together and against each other, the polemic was part of social interactions between the scholars of the university town. The article focusses on the “Karfunkel” (1810), a sonnet-book which develops a theory of polemic as ludistic play.
Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verz... more Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar.
Das Wissen der Poesie, 2000
A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress.
Obwohl der Charakter des Redenden von sich selbst iiberzeugt sein muss, ist expli· zites Selbstlo... more Obwohl der Charakter des Redenden von sich selbst iiberzeugt sein muss, ist expli· zites Selbstlob in der Rhetorik anstoBig. Diese Spannung kennzeichnet nicht selten literarische Gattungen, die nicht zwischen Sprecher-Ich und Autornamen trennen. An Lessings Polemik und Nietzsches Autobiografik soli sowohl historisch als auch systerna tisch der Ubergang yom metonymischen zum emphatischen Selbstlob diskutiert werden.
Thesis Chapters by Alexander Nebrig
Chapter V.2 form "Disziplinäre Dichtung. Philologische Bildung und deutsche Literatur in der erst... more Chapter V.2 form "Disziplinäre Dichtung. Philologische Bildung und deutsche Literatur in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts" (Berlin 2013):
With the onset of modernity, the study of poetry emerged as a legitimate academic discipline. Conversely, authors became connected to a specialized discipline that organized and expanded knowledge about German literature. For the first time, the studies in this volume systematically discuss this connection using the philological practice and poetology of expressionist authors and the works of Holz, Mann, Stadler, Broch, Schaeffer, and Borchardt.
With the onset of modernity, the study of poetry emerged as a legitimate academic discipline. Conversely, authors became connected to a specialized discipline that organized and expanded knowledge about German literature. For the first time, the studies in this volume systematically discuss this connection using the philological practice and poetology of expressionist authors and the works of Holz, Mann, Stadler, Broch, Schaeffer, and Borchardt.
Chapter III.2 from "Disziplinäre Dichtung. Philologische Bildung und deutsche Literatur in der er... more Chapter III.2 from "Disziplinäre Dichtung. Philologische Bildung und deutsche Literatur in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts" (Berlin 2013):
With the onset of modernity, the study of poetry emerged as a legitimate academic discipline. Conversely, authors became connected to a specialized discipline that organized and expanded knowledge about German literature. For the first time, the studies in this volume systematically discuss this connection using the philological practice and poetology of expressionist authors and the works of Holz, Mann, Stadler, Broch, Schaeffer, and Borchardt.
With the onset of modernity, the study of poetry emerged as a legitimate academic discipline. Conversely, authors became connected to a specialized discipline that organized and expanded knowledge about German literature. For the first time, the studies in this volume systematically discuss this connection using the philological practice and poetology of expressionist authors and the works of Holz, Mann, Stadler, Broch, Schaeffer, and Borchardt.
Books by Alexander Nebrig
Für alle Länder. Deutsche Literatur im interlingualen Lizenzraum, 2025
This study examines how literature and its interlingual circulation changed under the conditions ... more This study examines how literature and its interlingual circulation changed under the conditions of international legal agreements. Until the 19th century, translation into other languages was dominated by the so-called target culture and took place independently of the source culture (freedom of translation). By contrast, modern authors can influence the international distribution of their works through copyright law. Not only has an extensive licensing system emerged – with agencies, publishers and scouts specializing in the interlingual dissemination of literature – the author’s awareness of writing books for countries other than their own has also increased. The development of transnational authorship is traced through the history of German literature since the 19th century and the interaction of writers with translators, publishers and agencies.
Following the historical analysis that focused on the actors and the institutions of book culture, the book discusses writing strategies in the global licensing realm, as well as revealing the form, character, and structure of multilateral literature. Globalized texts address audiences of different languages and cultures. Using German literature from the 19th century to the present, six literary techniques that engage transnational audiences are analyzed: the internationalization of textual reference, the pluralization and decentering of space, the staging of mediation, the effects of multilingualism, transnational issues, and the global Novel.
Following the historical analysis that focused on the actors and the institutions of book culture, the book discusses writing strategies in the global licensing realm, as well as revealing the form, character, and structure of multilateral literature. Globalized texts address audiences of different languages and cultures. Using German literature from the 19th century to the present, six literary techniques that engage transnational audiences are analyzed: the internationalization of textual reference, the pluralization and decentering of space, the staging of mediation, the effects of multilingualism, transnational issues, and the global Novel.