What is it about?
English and American Studies, and their journal, struggled to establish themselves in the early GDR, while both academia and the publishing industry underwent radical changes imposed by the new political authorities. By tracing its roots back to 19th-century German traditions, it shows just how profound these transformations were.
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Why is it important?
Moving beyond the printed page, this article combines archival research, periodical analysis, and insights from related fields, going further than many previous studies on periodicals. It provides a broader view of what happens 'behind' the artifact.
Perspectives
I hope this article helps fill the gap in the early history of English and American Studies in the GDR, while showing how its scholars learned to navigate the system to secure their fragile position.
Michael Lörch
Johannes Gutenberg Universitat Mainz
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: 1953, Conquering a Place in the Periphery: Anglistik-Amerikanistik and the Transformations of Academia and Publishing Industry, October 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004739352_004.
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