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Despite renewed efforts to establish world literature, most of the presently available theoretical models do not provide solid concepts as to the meaning and relevance of this approach. After a critical review of recent publications, this article analyzes a unique and most revealing case, the reception of medieval Persian literature (Sa'dī) through translations into European languages beginning in the seventeenth century, primarily by the German diplomat, traveler, librarian, philologist, and linguist Adam Olearius. Here we can observe what truly constitutes world literature, with Sa'dī serving as a major literary inspiration for early modern reflections on virtues and vices, relevant also for Western audiences. He was not a Christian, but the poet's truly noble ideals were to have a deep impression on his future readers in East and West, especially since the early modern age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents discussion of the discipline and methodology of 16th-century German historical scholarship and research as of 2009 and reflects on possible changes which could occur within the field in the following 40 years. Details are particularly given noting the beginnings of a paradigm shift in literary studies outside of the traditional dialectic of the Protestant-Catholic conflict. Several changing elements in literary scholarship are highlighted, such as the examination of popular music, and travel literature. Predictions are offered suggesting the field will broaden to include a wider diversity of themes.

Literary history can easily and quickly pass over important writers, or leave them behind because times and tastes change, or because individual poets or playwrights no longer fit into a certain cultural and political framework. This is the case with the Austrian writer Karl Heinrich Waggerl (1897-1973), who was very well known during his later years and was admired far and wide for his insightful, humorous, and meditative short stories, calendar narratives, aphorisms, and novels. Today, however, he no longer has any presence in the relevant literary histories. This article analyzes some of the central motifs in Waggerl's work and highlights timeless aspects that would justify a reorientation toward his texts. To some extent, he could be called an ecocritic avant la lettre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The late Middle Ages witnessed an enormous growth of pilgrimage literature, reflecting an intensifying need for individual religious experiences. Although Martin Luther and his compatriots were soon to dismiss and combat the entire saints' cult, and hence pilgrimages, in their move to reform the Catholic Church, these practices enjoyed widespread popularity at the very moment of this impending paradigm shift. In the case of Hans von Waltheym, most of the typical features of these kinds of travel narrative can be observed, but he also signaled subtle but significant changes compared to his contemporaries in his perception of mountainous heights and of the foreign world in its linguistic difference. His account also reveals how much spa and bathing culture was greatly appreciated by a large section of the population already at that time. Waltheym, although he was not a Renaissance man, strikes us as a most attentive and openminded traveler, still deeply steeped in medieval religious mentality, yet ready for new perceptions and the enjoyment of his material living conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author focuses on the use of memory as cultural identity of German literary historians. Topics include how memory can maintain the connections between the present and the past, the important role of memory in shaping the future of individuals and literary history, and how literary historians can achieve their goal of connecting individual text with historical events.

Contrary to common assumptions, medieval poets did not shy away from discussing the various consequences of bad weather on the lives of their protagonists. In fact, a careful examination of a wide range of romances, verse narratives, goliardic epics, and prose tales, among other genres, reveals the true extent to which both Fall and Winter weather, but then also sudden tempests, surprising snow fall, flooding, scorching heat, the unexpected drop of temperature, mighty storms etc. could play a significant role in literary texts and often serve important functions as narrative catalysts both in the Middle Ages and in the early modern age. As this paper illustrates, bad weather, and hence the suffering of the protagonists, often proves to be instrumental in changing the course of events, in disrupting a hero's ordinary life, and in challenging an individual in his/her very existence. In particular love affairs could be severely impacted by bad weather, as some authors specifically explored in their texts that do not necessarily fall within the category of traditional courtly literature. Significantly, bad weather also served exceedingly well as the backdrop for the initiation of storytelling and so enjoyed a considerable metaphorical function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent discussions on living space and practiced space in medieval and early-modern cultures provide good theoretical concepts for a better understanding of some of the late-medieval German travelogues to the Holy Land, such as Arnold von Harff's report from 1496 to 1498. Von Harff approached space differently in his descriptions of Cairo versus Jerusalem—an Islamic versus a Christian city—the religious orientation limited the urban space in the Christian world to a rigid time-space continuum, whereas Islamic cities offered considerable freedom for the Christian spectator to elaborate on new concepts of urban space determined primarily by political, mercantile, and social criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on sexual allusions used in the 13th century verse narrative "Das Häslein." Particular focus is given to the use of the hare, noting the animal's nervous nature and its fertility and promiscuity. Gender relationships, understanding reality, identity and love are also discussed in relation to the German mæren.

In the late Middle Ages poets increasingly voiced severe criticism of the social conditions of their time; they especially targeted the world of the courts and aristocracy at large. One of the most outspoken representatives of this criticism was the fourteenth-century Austrian poet Heinrich der Teichner, heretofore fairly little studied and even less known among the reading public today. He certainly relied on the traditional topos of court criticism that can be traced back at least to the twelfth and eleventh centuries, but his comments about the courts and the nobility are extremely biting and explicit. This article identifies some of the key passages in Teichner’s voluminous poetic oeuvre in which he offers poignant social, moral, and political commentary about the shortcomings of his time. Teichner can be counted among the leading voices of his time particularly because of his unabashed and outspoken discussion of fundamental shortcomings among the upper level of late medieval society. 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A literary criticism of the drama "Das Leben der Heyligen Frawen Susanna" is presented. It focuses on the interpretation of the drama as a religious play and as a historical literature that depicts people's mentality during the 15th century. It mentions that the drama's 15th century version is preserved by the Austrian National Library. According to the author, this play about Susanna who is falsely accused of adultery and saved from death by the prophet Daniel may be considered the forerunner of modern drama.

The article discusses the dangers and promises of reading based on two major literary works from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as Wolfram von Eschenbach's "Titurel" and Geoffrey Chaucer's "Troilus." It cites the works as examples of failed attempts to read properly which lead to catastrophes in the lives of the protagonists. Based on the two verse romances, the author postulates the subscription of many medieval poets to the idea of the written word or of the book as the key to life's essential goal. The author also highlights the role of the medieval and the reading process as the absolute and final epistemological instrument.