Nancy Boerner, June 17, 2001, Presentation to WESS Germanists Discussion Group
Reference Works for Germanic Studies, recommended by a scholar in the field
A. Authors and their Works
Familiarly called "Kosch." The most complete and thorough resource for info on authors, including minor or forgotten authors covers "everyone who ever wrote a line in the German language." Published over a long period extensive and expensive.
An updated and abridged (lists no secondary literature) version of the "real" big Goedeke of the late 19th century. Lists first editions of works of authors writing in German. A "bible" for book dealers and collectors, but also handy for reference purposes.
A recent publication, edited by a team of distinguished scholars, including Volker Meid and Christoph Perels (director of the Goethe Haus in Frankfurt). Numerous contributors. Very readable articles about authors, good bibliographies, nicely illustrated. Good to work with. A good investment.
Arrangement is by titles of works, e.g. Lotte in Weimar. Good articles, written by many scholars. Extensive bibliographies. Very useful. Also a good buy.
One fat paperback volume, good for a first look at the better-known contemporary authors. Alphabetical arrangement. Articles written by journalists and also scholars.
Written by a very knowledgeable scholar German, now living and teaching in Australia. Consistent, balanced treatment of German literature in the context of "Weltliteratur." A "best buy."
Eppelsheimer was the director of the university library in Frankfurt am Main, knowledgeable and well read. The work deals with literature from classical antiquity to Eastern Europe. Does not try to be complete, but deals with what Eppelsheimer considers to be the most important, and contains "original judgements." A "wonderful work," but not in print any more. Worth trying to obtain on the antiquarian market.
Gives short introductions to periods, e.g., Sturm und Drang. Otherwise arranged by dates of publication; under 1930 are listed, for example, Hesse, Narziß und Goldmund and Musil, Mann ohne Eigenschaften. Thus it makes clear what was published year by year. A book often used by students in preparing for exams.
Also arranged according to year of publication, but in a more sophisticated manner than Frenzel. Where Frenzel devotes only 3-4 lines to Kafka's Amerika, Meid has a full page but of course covers fewer authors as a result. Another "best buy."
C. Topics
How to pursue research in the various fields of Germanistik handbooks, bibliographies, lexika, periodicals and newspapers, libraries, archives and museums relevant to Literaturwissenschaft, universities, research institutes, literary organizations and prizes. Handy introduction to the field.
A handbook that tries to cover all possible areas of literature, such as Brief, Drama, Predigt, Politische Dichtung, and is useful for this reason. Notable scholars among the contributors, e.g., Leif Albertsen of Aarhus, and Klaus Garber of Osnabrück. As a paperback, a good buy.
A handbook of "thematology," deals with such topics as literary characters (e.g., Faust, Roland, Loreley) and themes. Useful, sometimes a bit opinionated. The publisher, Kröner, specializes in handbooks and bibliographies, e.g., Schiller-Handbuch, Thomas Mann-Handbuch.
Useful, because it "has everything" authors, titles, themes, characters. Under M, for example, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Menschenhaß und Reue (by Kotzebue), Menschen im Hotel (by Vicki Baum), Menschliches, Allzumenschliches (by Nietzsche). Short articles, not signed. Good for those who don't know German.
A study guide for grad students, covering linguistics, literature, literary periods and genres. Strong in bibliography. A book that leads one to other useful works.
Gives definitions of terms related to poetry, e.g., Hexameter, Schüttelreim, etc. Short, handy, well-written (by one person), easy to read.
Another Kröner publication on literary theory, not restricted to German sources. Good for informing oneself about topics such as Mimesis, Literatursoziologie, Lessings Laokoon. Handy. The articles are written by a team of ca. 60 scholars, incl. Gunter Grimm in Duisburg, Helmut Koopmann in Augsburg, and Judith Ryan in Cambridge.
One of the most handy introductions to German literary studies by an experienced librarian and bibliographer. Shorter and more concise than Hansel, also better value for the money. More up-to-date than Hansel.
The "Mercedes" of all handbooks on German literature. Signed articles on many aspects, e.g., Frühmittelhochdeutsche Literatur, or Kurzgeschichte. Written by the generation of scholars in the 1950s and 60s. Very solid, but a little out of date now. A new edition is in publication, edited by Klaus Weimar in Zürich.
Another work by Wilpert, who is an experienced scholar and bibliographer. Exhaustive, with many short articles, e.g., on Heimatroman, Räuberroman, Reiseliteratur, Titelrolle. Easy to read, and consistently written.
D. Anthologies
Successor to the earlier "Echtermeier," includes almost all well-known German-language authors and poems.
Most exhaustive anthology of German literature; includes poetry, essays, excerpts from novels, etc. Arranged chronologically. Each volume deals with a specific period, e.g., Romanticism or 20th-century literature.
E. Dictionaries and Other Reference
"Geflügelte Worte" = "words that have wings", meaning frequently used quotations. Büchmann was a scholar of the late 19th century who for the first time assembled quotations from the German "classics," e.g., "Wer immer strebend sich bemüht, den können wir erlösen.” The work was later expanded by subsequent editors to include quotations from other languages.
This is the pre-Rechtschreibereform edition. Still the most handy German dictionary. Didn't include the new one, because it's not clear whether the reform will endure.
Not as influenced by Rechtschreibereform. Handy, as it explains the origin of "foreign" words in German, e.g., "Lore" = großer Lastwagen, "Fistula" = Hirtenflöte.
An excellent grammar.
Handy for finding geographical locations. Also gives detailed city maps, from Aachen to Wuppertal, as well as larger scale maps of other European countries.
The biggest German-English, English-German dictionary. I am still looking for a really good successor to it, that is more up-to-date.
Gives information on activities of literary societies in Germany, e.g. Schiller Gesellschaft, Anna Seghers Gesellschaft.
F. History
Handy for background inforation. Many short articles on specific events, personalities, in German history, e.g. Paulskirche, Widertäufer.
Chronological history dealing with periods, e.g., 19th century or post-war Germany, written by respected authors.
A "fun" book like a railroad schedule. Lists year by year what happened in different categories, e.g. literature, the arts, politics. For example, in 1809: "Aufstand Tirols gegen die Franzosen;" "Goethe, Die Wahlverwandschaften;" "Caspar David Friedrich, Landschaft mit Regenbogen;" "Beethoven, Klavierkonzert #1;" "Charles Darwin geboren."
G. Research, Individuals, and Institutions
Short biographies of people currently teaching in North American German Studies departments; their major publications, areas of interest. Useful for quick consultation. A new edition was due out in July 2001.
Biographical information on living German scholars dates, addresses, publications, etc.
Gives info for the year on lectures and seminars, given by whom, what the titles are, at the German universities. E.g., in 1994, H.A. Koch in Bremen gave a seminar on "Geschichte der literarischen Zensur." Useful for students who are considering attending a German university and can't decide where to go. (However, I just learned that this is apparently no longer being published.)
Germanists Discussion Group, Annual 2001 -- Reinhart Sonnenburg