Presidential Lectures: Karl Heinz Bohrer: Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND CRITICAL TEXTS

Photography courtesy of the
Pressestelle, Univ. Bielefeld.
© Klaus Halbe
Books on Reserve by Karl Heinz Bohrer
Selected Bibliography of Other Works by Karl Heinz Bohrer
Selected Bibliography of Works about Karl Heinz Bohrer

Books on Reserve by Karl Heinz Bohrer

These books will be held on reserve at the Meyer Library Reserve Desk until the end of Fall Quarter 1998.

Der Abschied: Theorie der Trauer. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1996.
Green BF575 .G7 B64 1996

In Der Abschied, Bohrer considers "the farewell" as a fundamental "structural law" in the literature and aesthetics of modernism. His approach to this problem focuses on the poetry of Baudelaire, which established the modern conception of departure as an absolute and final moment (death) of negation without meaning beyond itself or hope of continuation or return. Bohrer considers the aesthetic moment itself within this framework, in which consciousness consists of a continuing departure of the present. He also considers the evolving modernist discourse of "the farewell" in the works of Goethe, Nietzsche and Benjamin and examines the attendant implications of Trauer (mourning or grief), melancholy, and nihilism for modern thought and literature.

Das absolute Präsens: Die Semantik ästhetischer Zeit. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1994.
Green PN45.B44 1994

The lectures collected and revised for publication here were originally delivered in 1989 at the University of Tübingen (where Bohrer was a guest professor) and at Hannover, Zürich, and Basel. The thread connecting them is Bohrer's posing of the question of differences between "utopian" and "aesthetic" time. He is concerned throughout these essays with his opposition of a political-historical-teleological modernism with the aesthetic modernism of the moment.

Die Ästhetik des Schreckens: Die pessimistische Romantik und Ernst Jüngers Frühwerk. Munich: Hanser, 1978; Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1982.
Green PT2619 .U43 .Z576

In this book on the "aesthetics of terror," Bohrer traces a line from the romantic movement to Ernst Jünger's In Stahlgewittern and other writings after World War I. Rather than a monograph focusing specifically on Jünger, Bohrer's study -- his Habilitationsschrift at the University of Bielefeld -- reveals a theory of the autonomous aesthetic moment and explicates Jünger's conception of terror within this framework as a reaction against the world of bourgeois rationality.

Die Kritik der Romantik: Der Verdacht der Philosophie gegen die literarische Moderne. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1989.
Green PT361 .B63 1989

Bohrer's study of the German philosophical tradition of opposition to the Romantic movement is a companion to his earlier study of Romantic letter-writing. Here he explores the dichotomy of "aesthetic" and "rational" modernism from the other side, that is, from the point of view of the critics of the Romantic imagination, especially Heinrich Heine, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Wilhelm Dilthey, Ricarda Huch, and Carl Schmitt.

Nach der Natur: Über Politik und Ästhetik. Munich: Hanser, 1988.
Green PN710 .B592 1988

This collection reprints several of Bohrer's best essays from Merkur and two essays from other sources (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Kursbuch). It also includes a previously unpublished lecture from the Sartre Congress held in Frankfurt in 1987. These essays were prepared originally between 1984 and 1987, his first three years as editor of Merkur. Bohrer's flair as an unrelenting satirist of modern culture (particularly in Germany, see: "Die Ästhetik des Staates") and his intense investigation of the aesthetic, moral, and psychological dimensions of modern literature are perhaps best appreciated in his work as an essayist.

Der romantische Brief: Die Entstehung Ästhetischer Subjektivität. Munich: Hanser, 1987; Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1989.
Green PT361 .B638 1987

In this book Bohrer investigates the correspondence of the Romantic writers to reveal the emergence of a "modern consciousness" in these letters. He characterizes this consciousness as "aesthetic subjectivity" and opposes it to the teleological and historical roots of "rational modernism."

Suddenness: On the Moment of Aesthetic Appearance. New York: Columbia University Press, 1994.
Green AC35 .B6713 1994

Suddenness is a translation of Bohrer's Plötzlichkeit: Zum Augenblick des Ästhetischen Scheins (Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1981). It provides edited versions of nine of his lectures and essays on a variety of topics related to his characteristic reflections on the aesthetic moment and the development of the subjective in literary modernism.

Selected Bibliography of Other Works by Karl Heinz Bohrer

Books
(editor) Ästhetik und Rhetorik: Lektüren zu Paul de Man. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1993.

(editor) Mythos und Moderne: Begriff und Bild einer Rekonstruktion. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1983.

Includes Bohrer's "Friedrich Schlegels Rede über die Mythologie."

Plötzlichkeit: Zum Augenblick des ästhetischen Scheins. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1981.

In this, Bohrer's major publication until the appearance of Der Abschied, he argues that modern literature and aesthetics are characterized by their "suddenness." Art is created where a new experience is experienced, whatever the content, and this experience is autonomous and immediate. Appeared in translation as Suddenness. (See Reserves above.)

Ein Bißchen Lust am Untergang: Englishe Ansichten. Munich: Hanser, 1979.

These selected essays from Bohrer's years as a foreign correspondent in London derive their bite from the double-meaning implied by the title. The essays reveal not only English methods of coping with their own "decline" through a "little bit of pleasure," but also Bohrer's own wicked delight in observing the process. More than that, several of the essays reflect the English against the German situation, revealing Bohrer's perception of his own country's moral stagnation. The Suhrkamp paperback edition (1982) includes three essays not published in the Hanser edition.

Der Lauf des Freitag: die lädierte Utopie und die Dichter. Eine Analyse. Munich: Hanser, 1973.

Die gefährdete Phantasie, oder Surrealismus und Terror. Munich: Hanser, 1970.

Articles and Essays
Bohrer's numerous book reviews as head of the literature section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung from 1969 to 1973 have not been republished separately, but appeared in the annual Ein Bücher Tagebuch - Buchbesprechungen aus der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung until 1973 (Green Library Stacks, Z1035.AB74).

"Möglichkeiten einer nihilistischen Ethik." Pp. 42-76 in: Entzauberte Zeit. Der melancholische Geist der Moderne, ed. Ludger Heidbrink. Munich: Hanser, 1997.

"Das Romantisch-Phantastische als dezentriertes Bewußtsein." Pp. 188-208 in: Germanistik und Komparatistik, ed. Hendrik Birus. Stuttgart: Metzler, 1995.

"Nietzsches Aufklärung als Theorie der Ironie," Sinn und Form 46 (1994): 713-30.

"Die Grenzen des Ästhetischen," Die Zeit (Sept. 4, 1992): 56-57.

"Imagination des Imaginären. Sartres Ekel: existentielle und imaginative Erfahrung." Lecture delivered to the Frankfurt Sartre Congress, 1987, and published in Nach der Natur, pp. 182-208.

"Covert Confessions: The Tension between Goethe and Schiller: A Prelude to Modernism." Pp. 85-110 in: Goethe Revisited: A Collection of Essays, ed. Elizabeth M. Wilkinson. London: Calder; New York: Riverrun, 1984.

"Politisches Abenteuer als großer Stil: Saint-Justs Rede und Saint-Justs Schweigen," Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Oct. 15, 1983). Also republished in Nach der Natur (1988).

"Utopie 'Kunstwerk': Das Beispiel von Friedrich Schlegels Rede über die Mythologie." Pp. 303-32 in Utopieforschung: Interdisziplinäre Studien zur neuzeitlichen Utopie, III, ed. Wilhelm Vosskamp. Stuttgart: Metzler, 1982.

"Authentizität und Terror," Kursbuch 60 (1980): 143-50. Also republished in Nach der Natur (1988).

"Kritik der Schöngeiste," Jahrbuch. Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung, Stuttgart (1978, no. 2): 56-59.

Merkur
This is a selection of Bohrer's many essays published in Merkur. Several essays from his first few years as editor have been reprinted in Nach der Natur (1988). With Kurt Scheel, Bohrer is also editor of an anthology of essays published on the occasion of Merkur's 50th anniversary: Die Botschaft des Merkur: eine Anthologie aus fünfzig Jahren der Zeitschrift. Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta, 1997.

"Augenblicke [In memoriam Ernst Jünger]." No. 590 (May 1998): 449-54.

"Gewalt und Ästhetik als Bedingungsverhältnis." No. 589 (April 1998): 281-93.

"Physiognomik als Erkenntnis: Zum aktuellen Phänotyp deutscher Politik." No. 588 (March 1998): 257-61.

"1968: Die Phantasie an die Macht? Studentenbewegung -- Walter Benjamin -- Surrealismus." No. 585 (Dec. 1997): 1069-80.

"Epochenwandel auf englisch: Vom Erhabenen zum Banalen und wieder zurück." No. 584 (Nov. 1997): 1045-50.

"Möglichkeiten einer nihilistischen Ethik" No. 574 (Jan. 1997): 1-19; no. 578 (May 1997): 406-21.

"Das Homerische Phantasma Grausamkeit: Aus Anlaß von 'Botho Strauß' 'Ithaka'." No. 573 (Dec. 1996): 1103-13.

"Erinnerung an Kriterien: Vom Warten auf den deutschen Zeitroman." No. 560 (Nov. 1995): 1055-61.

"Hommage an das abenteuerliche Herz." No. 553 (April 1995): 334-42. On Ernst Jünger.

"Labyrinth zwischen 'Ereignis' und 'Interieur': Über Walter Benjamins Phantasma-Stadt" no. 539 (Feb. 1994): 95-108.

"Sprachen der Ironie-Sprachen des Ernstes" no. 533 (Aug. 1993): 651-66.

"Rückkehr der deutschen Barbarei?" No. 525 (Dec. 1992): 1144-47.

"Deutsche Revolution und protestanische Mentalität." No. 522/523 (Sept.-Oct. 1992): 958-64.

"P.S." no. 514 (Jan. 1992). A post-script to Bohrer's series of essays on "Provincialism."

"Erwartungsangst und Erscheinungsschrecken: Die griechische Tragödie als Antizipation der modernen Epiphanie" no. 506 (May 1991): 371-86. On the "aesthetic structure" of terror (Schrecken) in literature.

"Provinzialismus" no. 501 (Dec. 1990): 1096-1102; no. 504 (March 1991): 255-62; no. 505 (April 1991): 348-56; no. 509 (Aug. 1991): 719-27; no. 512 (Nov. 1991): 1059-68. Bohrer's ruminations on the characteristic "provincialism" of Germany, its politicians, and its politics. Parts 2 and 3 include Bohrer's critical remarks on Germany's response to the Gulf War; his comments fueled a debate that explored and delimited the international role of a newly reunified Germany.

"Die Ästhetik am Ausgang ihrer Unmündigkeit" no. 500 (Oct.-Nov. 1990): 851-65.

"Kulturschutzgebiet DDR" no. 500 (Oct.-Nov. 1990): 1015-18.

"Ridley's Country" no. 499 (Sept. 1990): 797-804.

"Widerspruch zu Hermann Lübbe" no. 496 (June 1990): 530-33.

"Der Verführer: Erinnerung an Laurence Olivier." No. 489 (Nov. 1989): 992-1000.

"Am Ende des Erhabenen: Niedergang und Renaissance einer Kategorie." No. 487/488 (Sept.-Oct. 1989): 736-50.

"Zeit der Revolution - Revolution der Zeit." No. 479 (Jan. 1989): 13-28.

"Die Modernität der Romantik: Zur Tradition ihrer Verhinderung." No. 469 (March 1988): 179-98.

"Nach der Natur: Ansicht einer Moderne jenseits der Utopie." No. 462 (August 1987): 631-45. Also republished in Nach der Natur (1988).

"Die permanente Theodizee: Über das verfehlte Böse im deutschen Bewußtsein." No. 458 (April 1987): 267-86. Also republished in Nach der Natur.

"Ästhetik und Politik, sowie einige damit zusammenhängende Fragen." No. 451/452 (Sept.-Oct. 1986): 719-24. Also republished as "Anwendung der Parabeln," part 2 of "Uber den Mangel an Symbolischen," in Nach der Natur.

"Erinnerung an die Zerstörungsmetapher" No. 439/440 (Sept.-Oct. 1985): 725-33. Also republished in Nach der Natur.

"Das Böse - eine ästhetische Kategorie?" No. 436 (June 1985): 459-73. Also republished in Nach der Natur.

"Im Namen der Wahrheit: Zu Peter Bürgers Klage über den Zeitgeist." No. 433 (March 1985): 266-72.

"Identität als Selbstverlust" no. 426 (June 1984): 367-79. Also republished in Nach der Natur. This essay on the correspondence of the Romantics introduced Bohrer's proposal that these letters represented the genesis of the modern subject in the aesthetic-psychological realm. He opposed this emergence of the "aesthetic subject" to philosophical and social modernism featuring the emergence of the historical subject as an emancipation of the individual. These ideas appeared in expanded form in Bohrer's Der romantische Brief, first published in 1987.

"Die Unschuld an die Macht! Eine politische Typologie." Published in three parts: "1. Die Schaden vom Volke wenden." no. 425 (May 1984): 342-46; "Die Zombies." no. 427 (July 1984): 587-91; "Die guten Hirten." no. 431 (Jan. 1985): 74-78. Also republished in Nach der Natur.

"Intensität ist kein Gefühl." No. 424 (March 1984): 138-44. Also republished in Nach der Natur.

"Die Ästhetik des Staates." No. 423 (Jan. 1984): 1-15. Also republished in Nach der Natur.

"Die Furcht vor dem Unbekannten: Zur Struktur von Tradition und Moderne." No. 371 (1979): 373-86.

"Kleists Selbstmord." (Nov. 1978): 1089-1103.

"Die ausverkauften Ideen. New Culture, Old Culture, Popular Culture." No. 365 (Oct. 1978): 957-76.

Selected Bibliography of Works about Karl Heinz Bohrer

Ceppa, Leonardo, "Habermas e Bohrer sulla guerra nel Golfo," Belfagor 47 (Jan. 1992): 79-87. On Bohrer's position contra Jürgen Habermas in the debate concerning Germany's role in the Gulf War.

"Emanzipation oder Surrealismus? 1968 als Rätsel," Neue Zürcher Zeitung (May 30, 1998): 67. Summarizes the contrasting views of Jürgen Habermas and Bohrer on the events of 1968.

Endres, Elisabeth, "Lauter Moralitäter: Der Merkur und die Macht der guten Menschen," Süddeutsche Zeitung (Sept. 20, 1996).

Fuld, Werner, "Die Lust am Bösen: Karl Heinz Bohrers ungemütliche Ansichten," Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (25 March 1989). Reprinted in Ein Bücher Tagebuch (1989): 11-12.

Halter, Martin, "Die Theorie der Trauer," Tages-Anzeiger (March 15, 1997).

Also available on-line via Academic Universe. (Restricted to Stanford affiliates.) Select "General News Topics," Topic = Karl Heinz Bohrer, Additional Terms = Martin Halter, Source Material = "German Language News," Date = "All available dates." Short commentary on Bohrers "aesthetic nihilism."

Kiesel, Helmuth, "Ästhetik des Schreckens oder Ästhetisierung des Schreckens? Eine Anmerkung zu Karl Heinz Bohrers Verwischung der Differenz zwischen Peter Weiss und Ernst Jünger," Das Argument no. 171 (1988): 710-14.

Kurz, Paul Konrad, "Karl Heinz Bohrer." Pp. 22-26 in his: Die Neuentdeckung des Poetischen: Zwischen Entfremdung und Utopie. Frankfurt am Main: Knecht, 1975. Examines Bohrer's position on political utopias, especially with reference to the writing of Ernst Bloch.

Lange, Wolfgang, "Kein Abschied: K.H.B. aus gegegenem Anlaß," originally published in the Bielefelder UniversitÄtszeitung (31 Oct. 1997).

Larmore, Charles, "Romanticism and Modernity," Inquiry 34 (March 1991): 63-89. Essay review of Bohrer's books published during the 1980s, introduced by contrasting Bohrer's views to those of Jürgen Habermas.

Rohloff, Joachim, "Die Qualen des Banalen: Die Zeitschrift 'Merkur' bietet Schutz vor den Übergriffen des Sozialen," Jungle World (Sept. 1, 1998).

Schuh, Franz, "Zu den Schriften Karl Heinz Bohrers: der letzte Ästhet." Originally published in: Die Zeit (April 2, 1998).

Schwab-Felisch, Hans, "Übers Eis reiten. Der Literaturanwalt Karl Heinz Bohrer," Merkur no. 306 (Nov. 1973): 1083-86.

Winter, Michael, "Die exotische Perspektive-Karl Heinz Bohrers Englandessays." Pp. 662-75 in: Rom-Paris-London: Erfahrung und Selbsterfahrung deutscher Schriftsteller und Künstlier in den fremden Metropolen. Ein Symposion, ed. Conrad Wiedemann. Stuttgart: Metzlar, 1988.

Interviews
"Das ist das letzte Gefecht," Die Zeit (March 7, 1997): 52. Interviewed by Thomas Assheuer and Thomas Mießgang.

"Wir sind der TUEV fuer aktuelle Theorien. Konservativ, subversiv, progressiv: Was wollen die Macher des Intellektuellen-Fachblatts Merkur?" Süddeutsche Zeitung (June 8, 1994). Interview with Bohrer and Kurt Scheel.

An interview with Kurt Scheel, the co-editor with Bohrer of Merkur, by the Sonntagsblatt is available. It was originally published as "Im Gespräch: Kurt Scheel -- 'Wir müssen radikal denken!'," Sonntagsblatt (June 6, 1997).

DISCUSSION || CALENDAR || LECTURERS || SYMPOSIA || HUMANITIES AT STANFORD

Top of Page || Home Page || Stanford University Libraries || Stanford University