Transnationalism and German Studies

Nina Berman, Ohio State University

Transnationalism is a useful concept as it relates to the study of literature
and culture that is produced in a German-language context; exploring its
relevance for German literature and culture studies allows us to address a
range of aspects that transcend the boundaries of the nation-state. The
German-language context in itself is transnational, as German is the main
language in several nation-states and is spoken by minorities in a number of
other states. The concept is also relevant with regard to literature and
culture about German issues that is produced in languages other than German
ranging from Swahili to Polish.

1. Transnationalism with regard to literature and culture produced in a
German-language context.
Within the German-language context a number of situations emerge in which the
study of German literature and culture is transnational in scope.

Aspects that transcend the nation-state context. A good deal of German cultural
production participates in developments that are not confined to the physical
space of the nation-state. Indeed, Germany became a nation-state only in 1871,
and there are good reasons why many of us would fit better into a “Department
of Holy Roman Empire (and some of its successor states) Studies.” The
institutional framework of organizing departments according to languages is at
the core a model that accommodates the eurocentric history of the humanities in
the United States. This eurocentric legacy has been challenged in English,
French, and Spanish/Portuguese departments. As a result, in some English
departments we find new faculty positions for scholars who study, for example,
the literatures and cultures of anglophone Africa and India. Often, however,
even the broadening of American Studies still finds resistance by proponents of
the conventional pairing of English departments and British history.

Because of the short-lived period of German colonialism and the fact that none
of the settler colonies opted for German as a national language, German is not
a significant language outside of Europe. Yet Germany’s longer history is
intricately tied to transnational developments such as the Crusades and
colonialism. Christianity and Europe are two central referents that determine
much of what is at the core of German culture, and both Christianity and Europe
are transnational by definition. In order to understand the specifically German
relationship to Christianity and Europe, scholars benefit from having
comparative knowledge that at times highlights Christianity’s relevance in
determining the self-image of peoples who lived in the areas of the German
states. Local regional identity, for that matter, might also be more relevant
than the national framework.

The significance of various belief systems, such as Christianity, regional
identity, and the idea of a European identity, cannot be grasped by focusing on
the nation-state alone. In the contemporary context, the opening of our field
to present debates regarding citizenship, networks, and other dimensions of
globalization will enable us to engage in a fruitful dialogue with scholars
outside of German Studies who explore similar issues from their particular
angle. Considering transnational phenomena is thus a crucial corrective to the
limitations of nation-state-oriented German Studies.

References to other cultures. In order to evaluate images of other cultures
presented in German, scholars must familiarize themselves with historical and
sociocultural aspects of those cultures that are at the center of the
German-language text. In a recent essay I argued that German literary studies
has a long-standing tradition of incorporating comparative cultural knowledge. 
Medievalists rely on Latin in studying medieval artifacts produced in the
German context, just as scholars of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
must have a reading knowledge of French. In addition, scholars of German
culture should be familiar with Christianity and Greek and Roman mythology as
primary reference systems shaping cultural production. The same kind of
comparative cultural knowledge is necessary in evaluating Germany’s interaction
with non-European cultures and religions. When evaluating representations of
Persian or Arabic culture, for example, scholars ought to familiarize
themselves with aspects of those cultures in order to evaluate German reactions
to them. I am not proposing that scholars should counter cultural production
with information that is presented as the “truth” about those other cultures.
But familiarity with the scholarly debates in other disciplines helps to
situate the commentary on particular issues relevant to German scholars. For
example, the question of how to evaluate Indian thought in Hegel certainly
depends on knowing about Hegel’s sources (which included British translations
and commentaries) and about how central concepts of Indian thought are
discussed in the scholarly debates of Hinduism. German scholars will benefit
from gaining insights into these debates in other disciplines; without such
knowledge, scholarship on Hegel may say something about what Indian thought
meant for Hegel, but it will invariably be descriptive and superficial.

Evaluating multicultural production. In order to assess the work of writers and
other artists whose influences lie outside the German cultural tradition,
scholars benefit from learning about other traditions and histories. The
analysis of works by Turkish-German writers, for example, lacks depth if a
scholar is unable to discuss the presence or absence of Turkish material in
their texts. Bicultural artists might also draw on several languages in their
works, and unfamiliarity with these languages inevitably limits the extent of
the analysis. Just as medievalists need Latin to gain access to medieval German
culture, scholars who study multicultural contemporary Germany would benefit
from proficiency in, for example, Turkish and Turkish history.

Artifacts reflecting a multicultural or intercultural experience have been
produced for centuries in the German-language context as a result of
emigration, immigration, tourism, and colonialism, among other things. Because
of the tendency of German Studies to remain focused on the nation-state
context, we still lack the mind-set to engage the full range of comparative
cultural knowledge necessary for productive discussions of transnational
cultural artifacts.

2. Transnationalism with regard to literature and culture produced in language
contexts other than German.

Substantial cultural production exists that engages with Germany in one way or
another but was not written (or painted or filmed) for a German-language
audience. Reactions to Germans during the colonial period, to specific aspects
of German history (such as the Holocaust), or to a period of a person’s life
that was spent in Germany provide insights into the image of Germany from a
wide range of perspectives. Swahili historiographic poetry about German
colonial rule in East Africa, for example, is poignant testimony to a cruel
occupation, chronicling battles, death, and destruction and articulating a deep
sense of humiliation, anger at defeat, and helplessness in light of an
overwhelming occupying power. Drawing variously on the Swahili traditions of
praise poems and narrative poems, this material offers an articulate critique
of German colonial rule. Other examples of writings about the German colonial
period can be found in countries such as Cameroon, Togo, and Namibia. Much of
this material, which often draws on oral tradition, still needs to be located
and published. These artifacts are highly relevant for understanding the
history of colonialism in Africa; without them, the German understanding of
this era remains largely limited to self-representations.

Other writing that is transnational in scope includes autobiographies such as
Hans J. Massaquoi’s account of his childhood in Germany (_Destined to Witness:
Growing Up Black in Nazi Germany_, 1999). Aly Diallo’s autobiographical novel
_Die Täuschung_ [_The Deceit_, 1987] and novels by Amma Darko, among them _Der
verkaufte Traum_ [1991; published in English as _Beyond the Horizon_, 1995] and
_Spinnweben_ [_Cobwebs_, 1996], also belong to this body of texts about
Germany. The texts by Diallo and Darko were originally written in French and
English but first published in German.

German Studies scholars might find the reception of works by German writers,
artists, and thinkers in other cultural contexts illuminating. The influence of
Herder on the early thinkers of the Pan-African movement, for example, might
add a substantial dimension to our understanding of the German philosopher. The
worldwide reception of Grass’s _Tin Drum_ reveals aspects that a discussion of
the text within the established parameters of German studies does not yield. A
study on the importance of Brecht in Turkish-German theater sheds greater light
on contemporary Turkish-German theater. By opening the scope of what we
consider legitimate objects of investigation, German Studies could be
revitalized in many ways.

Conclusion
The question of interdisciplinarity is crucial to a transnational German
Studies. An interdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue will be necessary to
enable the recognition of the transnational dimensions of German Studies. But
here we find the most rigorous resistance, institutionally and intellectually.
Interdisciplinarity, as much as it is hailed and promoted, still makes scholars
uneasy. Most of us have been trained in the methodologies of a single
discipline and hesitate to venture into new territories. This hesitation is
founded on legitimate fears--it is difficult enough to become a specialist in
one area; how daunting to undertake learning an entirely new field. I believe,
however, that reasonable shortcuts are possible and that methodologies can be
developed to facilitate this broadening of horizons. Remaining focused on the
national context carries its own dangers and produces knowledge that is
potentially limited and often irrelevant or short-lived. An intellectual
climate that is honest about the limitations and the benefits of
interdisciplinary research would enable us to venture farther into
understanding the transnational dimensions of German Studies.

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