From Magic Columns to Cyberspace : Time and Space in German Literature, Art, and Theory

Ever since Aristotle pointed out how closely time, space, and plot are linked in literary texts, the study of time and space not only in literature but in the arts in general has been at the heart of Western European poetics. This has been particularly apparent in recent years, when interest in time has been joined by a ‘spatial turn’ in cultural studies and the German Kulturwissenschaften. This anthology of research in German studies bears witness to these developments. Drawing on the work of theorists such as Mikhail Bakhtin and Gabriel Zoran, the contributors cover a range of topics including simultaneity in medieval narrative, Paul Klee''s understanding of the line, and the cyberliterature of Thomas Hettche and Botho Strauß. Together, the essays show that the study of time and space is an interdisciplinary undertaking and reflect the extent to which concepts of time and space are subject to historical change and vary across media.

Ever since Aristotle pointed out how closely time, space, and plot are linked in literary texts, the study of time and space not only in literature but in the arts in general has been at the heart of Western European poetics. This has been particularly apparent in recent years, when interest in time has been joined by a ‘spatial turn’ in cultural studies and the German Kulturwissenschaften. This anthology of research in German studies bears witness to these developments. Drawing on the work of theorists such as Mikhail Bakhtin and Gabriel Zoran, the contributors cover a range of topics including simultaneity in medieval narrative, Paul Klee's understanding of the line, and the cyberliterature of Thomas Hettche and Botho Strauß. Together, the essays show that the study of time and space is an interdisciplinary undertaking and reflect the extent to which concepts of time and space are subject to historical change and vary across media.