Two Case Studies of 20th Century Literature: Stefan Zweig and Franz Kafka – a lecture series by Professor Mark H. Gelber (Ben-Gurion University, Israel)
The Concept of World Literature and Translation Studies ◊ Multilingualism and Interculturality. Two Case Studies of 20th Century Literature: Stefan Zweig and Franz Kafka – a lecture series by Professor Mark H. Gelber (Ben-Gurion University, Israel)
The School of Languages and Cultures had the privilege of hosting a lecture series by Visiting Professor Mark H. Gelber (Ph.D. Yale University), Director of the Centre for Austrian and German Studies at Ben-Gurion University in Israel. Professor Gelber is an eminent authority in the areas of Jewish-German literature, the literature of exile and emigration, multiculturalism and interculturality, and the cultural legacy of central European Jewry.
In his lectures, he took the original definition of "World Literature" or "Weltliteratur", which dates back to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's late conversations with Eckermann in the early 19th century, as a starting point for mapping out the development of a concept of vital importance to understanding multiculturalism and interculturality.
Gelber’s discussion on the diverse approaches to "World Literature" in Comparative Literature scholarship, and more recently in Translation Studies, made very clear that the crossing of linguistic and cultural boundaries, as well as the practice of literary translation, are crucial to understanding the essence of "World Literature" in a globalized 21st century world. Colleagues and students alike enjoyed the insights drawn from references to a wide range of texts by Elie Wiesel, Ruth Klüger, Stefan Zweig, and Franz Kafka.
Professor Mark H. Gelber’s lecture series was generously supported by the Goethe-Institut New Zealand and the Embassy of Israel in New Zealand.