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Sehnsucht nach den Bergen: Schriftstellerinnen im Gebirge
Thomas Mann und der Zauberberg? Nietzsche und das Gebirge um Sils-Maria? Wilhelmine von Hillerns Geier-Wally und die Ötztaler Alpen? Johanna Spyri und Heidi? Nicht nur!
Die Berge sind Quelle der Inspiration für viele Schriftstellerinnen. Es reizen sie Herausforderungen und Risiken, die stille Abgeschiedenheit – und die große Schönheit der steinernen Riesen. Es stören sie Touristenrummel und die Zerstörung der Natur, die "staubgesaugten Wiesen und polierten Berge" (Ingeborg Bachmann). Es locken sie Freiheit und Grenzenlosigkeit.
Einige, wie Annemarie Schwarzenbach und Elfriede Jelinek, leb(t)en in bergigen und hügeligen Landschaften. Andere fühlen sich leidenschaftlich von den Höhen und Tiefen angezogen und erzählen vom Rausch, wie George Sand. Berge erscheinen ihnen als Orte des Loslassens und der Ruhe, der Bedrohung und der Gefahr, der Träumerei und Sehnsucht, der Emanzipation und Regenerierung.
Die Berge sind Quelle der Inspiration für viele Schriftstellerinnen. Es reizen sie Herausforderungen und Risiken, die stille Abgeschiedenheit – und die große Schönheit der steinernen Riesen. Es stören sie Touristenrummel und die Zerstörung der Natur, die "staubgesaugten Wiesen und polierten Berge" (Ingeborg Bachmann). Es locken sie Freiheit und Grenzenlosigkeit.
Einige, wie Annemarie Schwarzenbach und Elfriede Jelinek, leb(t)en in bergigen und hügeligen Landschaften. Andere fühlen sich leidenschaftlich von den Höhen und Tiefen angezogen und erzählen vom Rausch, wie George Sand. Berge erscheinen ihnen als Orte des Loslassens und der Ruhe, der Bedrohung und der Gefahr, der Träumerei und Sehnsucht, der Emanzipation und Regenerierung.
188 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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September 8, 2023
Translation of the title into English: Yearning for mountains: women writers in the mountains. Note: German has two words for mountains. Berg, Berge = mountain, mountains (as in Mont Blanc). Gebirge = mountains, mountain range (as in The Alps).
This is an anthology of 28 texts (poems, essays, a radio play, extracts from novels and travelogues) by 25 white women from 8 countries and 3 centuries. As is the case for all anthologies, this one is of mixed quality. Some of the texts are boring, some are indifferent, some are quite nice, and some are wonderful. My favourites:
• Birgit Kempker, Was ist ein Berg? / What is a mountain? I chose this book as part of my 2023 quest to read book set in mountains. This is the first text that really gets into the mountain topic. Rather than setting an adventure or drama in a mountainscape, this one delves deep and looks at mountains not as backdrop but as things, riddles, energies. A great line: 'Der Berg ist spitz oder flach, in jedem Fall hoch.' / A mountain is pointed or flat, in any case high.'
• Natalia Ginzburg, Sommer / Summer. Reminds me that I might want to read more Ginzburg beyond the wonderful Lessico famigliare which I read so long ago I can't even remember anything beyond the atmosphere. This evokes the glory and boredom of holidays in the mountains, so precise, so astute, so surprising, so evocative.
• Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Der Säntis (early 19th C). Poem. This one grew on me as it goes through the seasons, each season ending in a direct address to the mountain 'The Säntis' - 'O du mein ernst gewalt'ger Greis, Mein Säntis, mit der Locke weiß!' Sort of kitschy, sort of wonderful.
• Charlotte von Ahlefeld, Sehnsucht nach den Bergen / Yearning for Mountains (early 19th C). Poem. Strangely resonant, atmospheric, emotionally rhymed.
• Lisa Fittko, Mein Weg über die Pyrenäen / My Path Across the Pyrenees. This is a stunning account of the author's role as mountain guide to refugees from fascist Germany, in particular, the walk across the border from France to Spain with a mother and her son, and with the cultural philosopher Walter Benjamin (who tragically committed suicide not long after reaching Spain, still clutching his precious and now-lost manuscript in the briefcase he shlepped across the Pyrenees). Very moving:
'"Gnädige Frau," sagte er, "entschuldigen Sie bitte die Störung, hoffentlich komme ich nicht ungelegen."
Die Welt gerät aus den Fugen, dachte ich, aber Benjamins Höflichkeit ist unerschütterlich.'
('"Dear lady," he said, "kindly excuse the interruption, I hope I do not come at an inconvenient time."
The world descends into chaos, I thought, but Benjamin's courtesy is unshakeable.')
• Ingeborg Drewitz, Der Mann im Eis/ The Man in the Ice. A radio play of a certain 'literary' pre-post-modern ilk, self-referential, a bit self-indulgent, a bit obviously playing with form but still somewhat haunting. That's how you do a slow reveal.
• Alfonsina Storni, Ins Gebirge / Into the Mountains. Poem. I'm beginning to think that short poems lend themselves to being included in anthologies.
• Henriette d'Angeville, Von der Eiswand zum Gipfel / From the Ice Wall to the Summit (19th C). Mainly interesting in that the author was the first woman to summit Mont Blanc. You sense her will and triumph, and the struggle against wanting to fall asleep every few steps in the oxygen-less heights.
• Vita Sackville-West, Zwölf Tage in den Bakhtiari-Bergen / Twelve Days in the Bakhtiari-Mountains. Nice for being set in Persia and a great description of sunrise in mountains.
• Johanna Spyri, extract from Heidi (1880). The ur-mountain story.
Also included: extracts from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein's, George Sand, Elizabeth von Arnim, Ricarda Huch, Bettina von Arnim, Elfriede Jelinek, Marina Zwetajewa and lesser lights.
Mountains are conducive to Romanticism. Mountains are interlocked with politics what with their challenging terrain; one can hide there; one can kill there.
Frustrating: the original dates of each text are not given. The photos that are included are nice (two of them are great, with women of yore atop heights) but mostly not relevant and bland. The font is interesting, with a spiked ß and g (uncredited).
This is an anthology of 28 texts (poems, essays, a radio play, extracts from novels and travelogues) by 25 white women from 8 countries and 3 centuries. As is the case for all anthologies, this one is of mixed quality. Some of the texts are boring, some are indifferent, some are quite nice, and some are wonderful. My favourites:
• Birgit Kempker, Was ist ein Berg? / What is a mountain? I chose this book as part of my 2023 quest to read book set in mountains. This is the first text that really gets into the mountain topic. Rather than setting an adventure or drama in a mountainscape, this one delves deep and looks at mountains not as backdrop but as things, riddles, energies. A great line: 'Der Berg ist spitz oder flach, in jedem Fall hoch.' / A mountain is pointed or flat, in any case high.'
• Natalia Ginzburg, Sommer / Summer. Reminds me that I might want to read more Ginzburg beyond the wonderful Lessico famigliare which I read so long ago I can't even remember anything beyond the atmosphere. This evokes the glory and boredom of holidays in the mountains, so precise, so astute, so surprising, so evocative.
• Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Der Säntis (early 19th C). Poem. This one grew on me as it goes through the seasons, each season ending in a direct address to the mountain 'The Säntis' - 'O du mein ernst gewalt'ger Greis, Mein Säntis, mit der Locke weiß!' Sort of kitschy, sort of wonderful.
• Charlotte von Ahlefeld, Sehnsucht nach den Bergen / Yearning for Mountains (early 19th C). Poem. Strangely resonant, atmospheric, emotionally rhymed.
• Lisa Fittko, Mein Weg über die Pyrenäen / My Path Across the Pyrenees. This is a stunning account of the author's role as mountain guide to refugees from fascist Germany, in particular, the walk across the border from France to Spain with a mother and her son, and with the cultural philosopher Walter Benjamin (who tragically committed suicide not long after reaching Spain, still clutching his precious and now-lost manuscript in the briefcase he shlepped across the Pyrenees). Very moving:
'"Gnädige Frau," sagte er, "entschuldigen Sie bitte die Störung, hoffentlich komme ich nicht ungelegen."
Die Welt gerät aus den Fugen, dachte ich, aber Benjamins Höflichkeit ist unerschütterlich.'
('"Dear lady," he said, "kindly excuse the interruption, I hope I do not come at an inconvenient time."
The world descends into chaos, I thought, but Benjamin's courtesy is unshakeable.')
• Ingeborg Drewitz, Der Mann im Eis/ The Man in the Ice. A radio play of a certain 'literary' pre-post-modern ilk, self-referential, a bit self-indulgent, a bit obviously playing with form but still somewhat haunting. That's how you do a slow reveal.
• Alfonsina Storni, Ins Gebirge / Into the Mountains. Poem. I'm beginning to think that short poems lend themselves to being included in anthologies.
• Henriette d'Angeville, Von der Eiswand zum Gipfel / From the Ice Wall to the Summit (19th C). Mainly interesting in that the author was the first woman to summit Mont Blanc. You sense her will and triumph, and the struggle against wanting to fall asleep every few steps in the oxygen-less heights.
• Vita Sackville-West, Zwölf Tage in den Bakhtiari-Bergen / Twelve Days in the Bakhtiari-Mountains. Nice for being set in Persia and a great description of sunrise in mountains.
• Johanna Spyri, extract from Heidi (1880). The ur-mountain story.
Also included: extracts from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein's, George Sand, Elizabeth von Arnim, Ricarda Huch, Bettina von Arnim, Elfriede Jelinek, Marina Zwetajewa and lesser lights.
Mountains are conducive to Romanticism. Mountains are interlocked with politics what with their challenging terrain; one can hide there; one can kill there.
Frustrating: the original dates of each text are not given. The photos that are included are nice (two of them are great, with women of yore atop heights) but mostly not relevant and bland. The font is interesting, with a spiked ß and g (uncredited).
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