Abstract
Through a close reading of selected literary texts from German-speaking minority authors in East Belgium, this contribution will discuss the status of the literary representation of minority culture and its expression of multiple identities and allegiances as a space (be it geographic, cultural, linguistic, or aesthetic) in which global and local forces interact. In our analysis, we will rely on three fairly recent novels: Bosch in Belgien (2006) by Freddy Derwahl, Unterwegs zu Melusine (2006) by Hannes Anderer und Wege aus Sümpfen (2001) by Leo Wintgens. The border region these German-language authors write from play an important role in their conception of selfhood and otherness. The complex historical, political and linguistic context of this region in a multilingual country, bordered by Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, is of utmost importance to understand the differing conceptualizations of collective Belgian germanophone identity.
| Translated title of the contribution | Memory and Minority: Collective Identity in Contemporary German-Language Minority Language |
|---|---|
| Original language | French |
| Pages (from-to) | 143-162 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Recherches Germaniques |
| Issue number | 46 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2016 |
Bibliographical note
« Mémoire et minorité : l'identité collective dans la littérature germanophone de Belgique » in Recherches Germaniques 46, 2016, 143-162. ISSN: 03991989Keywords
- minority
- Belgium
- identity
- German literature