A long history of German exile literature, 1790-1955

This project seeks a radically new understanding of exile literature by expanding the scope of German exile studies from its traditional focus on Nazism to a 'long history' beginning with responses to the French Revolution. Whereas exile literature has traditionally been defined from external angles, notably the politics of the age and the author's biography, the project uses chronological breadth to understand it in literary terms. The project suggests new approaches to exile writing by showing its deep continuities with the concerns of writing 'at home', and it offers a new cultural history of Germany in the long nineteenth century. It will result in a monograph, two journal articles, and conference presentations in Germany and the USA.