Description
Book SynopsisThe volume offers a survey of the contribution of German literature and culture to the evolution of ecological thought. As the field of ecocritical theory and practice is rapidly expanding towards transnational and global dimensions, it seems nevertheless necessary to consider the distinct manifestations of ecological thought in various cultures. In this sense, the volume demonstrates in twenty-six essays from different disciplines how German literature, philosophy, art, and science have contributed in unique ways to the emergence of ecological thought on national and transnational scale. The volume maps the most important and characteristic of these developments both on a theoretical and on a textual-analytical level. It is structured in five parts ranging from proto-ecological thought since early modern times (part I) to major theoretical approaches (part II), environmental history (part III), and ecocritical case studies (part IV), to ecological visions in different media and art fo
Trade ReviewThis broad and comprehensive survey of German ecological thought is an especially welcome addition to the growing body of scholarship on the environment in the German tradition. Many prominent critics discuss the most crucial aspects from proto-ecological models to environmental theory, history, literature, and art--a must read for everyone interested in ecology and German culture. -- Sabine Wilke, University of Washington
At a time when the tension between the local and the global requires that we reconsider our multiple roots and porous place-identities, Ecological Thought in German Literature and Culture is a canonic work that enriches not just 'nationally-oriented' academic studies, but also the entire debate on environmental culture. Skillfully encompassing theoretical approaches, philosophy, history, literature, and the arts, this elegant and challenging volume is the most complete and state-of-the-art guide to examine German culture through the lens of the environmental humanities. -- Serenella Iovino, Professor of Comparative Literature, University of Turin, Italy
Table of ContentsIntroduction Gabriele Dürbeck, Urte Stobbe, Hubert Zapf, and Evi Zemanek Part I: Proto-Ecological Thought 1.Cultural History of the Four Elements Anke Kramer 2.Goethe’s Concept of Nature: Proto-Ecological Model Heather Sullivan 3.Nature, Language, and Religion: Herder and Beyond Kate Rigby 4.Poet and Philosopher: Novalis and Schelling on Nature and Matter Berbeli Wanning 5.Alexander von Humboldt as Ecologist Caroline Schaumann Part II: Theoretical Approaches 6.Heidegger’s Ecological Criticism Silvio Vietta 7.Ecocriticism and the Frankfurt School Timo Müller 8.The Ethics and Aesthetics of Landscapes Angelika Krebs 9.Niklas Luhmann’s Theory of Social Systems Hannes Bergthaller 10.Risk Theory Benjamin Bühler 11.Cultural Ecology Hubert Zapf Part III: Environmental History in Germany 12.Thinking the Disaster: A Historical Approach Francois Walter 13.Industrial Pollution in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries Martin Bemmann 14.Cultural Landscapes in Germany – Continuities, Ruptures, and Stewardship Werner Konold 15.Environmentalism in Germany since 1900: An Overview Richard Hölzl 16.History of Substances Jens Soentgen Part IV: Ecocritical Case Studies of German Literature 17.From Baroque Pastoral to the Idyll Jakob Heller 18.German Ecopoetry Axel Goodbody 19.Elemental Poetics: Material Agency in Contemporary German Poetry Evi Zemanek 20.Grimms’ Fairy Tales and Their Impact on Christa Wolf’s Störfall Urte Stobbe 21.German Cold War Bunker Narratives Wolfgang Lückel 22.Climate Change Fiction and Ecothrillers Gabriele Dürbeck Part V: Ecological Visions in Painting, Music, Film, and Land Art 23.The Perception of German Landscapes Nils Büttner 24.Beethoven’s Natures Aaron S. Allen 25.Visions of Nature and Ecological Thought in German Feature Films Matthias Hurst 26.American Land Art and Ecological Landscape Aesthetics in Europe Udo Weilacher
