Definition
Exilliteratur (German for “exile literature”) denotes literary works produced by writers who are forced to leave their native country, particularly those who fled Germany and Austria during the National Socialist regime (1933–1945) and whose writings reflect the experience of displacement, persecution, and opposition to fascism.
Overview
The term primarily refers to the corpus of German‑language literature created in exile between 1933 and the early 1950s. After Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, many authors, journalists, playwrights, and poets—especially those of Jewish origin, political dissidents, and avant‑garde artists—sought refuge in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, and various Latin‑American nations. In exile they continued to write in German, often publishing in émigré presses, underground periodicals, or abroad‑based publishing houses (e.g., Querido Verlag, L’Institut für Deutsche Sprache).
Key figures include Thomas Mann, Anna Seghers, Bertolt Brecht, Lion Feuchtwanger, Erich Kästner, and Stefan Zweig, among others. Their works encompass novels, poetry, essays, journalism, and drama, and they frequently address themes of loss, identity, resistance, and the moral responsibilities of intellectuals. While some texts were intended for a German‑speaking exile audience, others aimed at a broader international readership to raise awareness of the Nazi atrocities.
After World War II, the study of Exilliteratur emerged as a distinct scholarly field, examining both the literary merit of the works and their historical-political significance. The corpus remains an important source for understanding cultural resistance and the diaspora experiences of the 20th century.
Etymology/Origin
The compound noun combines the German word Exil (from Latin exilium, meaning “exile”) and Literatur (from Latin literatura, “literature”). The specific academic usage of “Exilliteratur” appears in German literary studies in the 1950s, coinciding with post‑war efforts to catalogue and evaluate the output of displaced German‑language writers.
Characteristics
| Aspect | Typical Features |
|---|---|
| Language | Predominantly German, though some writers incorporated the language of their host country or produced bilingual texts. |
| Publication venues | émigré publishing houses, exile newspapers (e.g., Die Zeitung, Die neue Zeitung), foreign journals, and later, re‑issues by post‑war German presses. |
| Themes | Displacement, statelessness, critique of totalitarianism, preservation of cultural identity, moral responsibility, and the longing for a "home" that may no longer exist. |
| Genres | Novels, autobiographies, poetry, essays, theater, and reportage. |
| Audience | Initially targeted at fellow exiles and anti‑Nazi readers abroad; later reached wider German‑language audiences after the war. |
| Political stance | Generally anti‑fascist; many authors were actively involved in resistance activities, propaganda, or humanitarian aid. |
| Reception | Reception varied: some works achieved immediate international recognition (e.g., Anna Seghers’s Das siebte Kreuz), while others remained obscure until post‑war reevaluation. |
Related Topics
- Diaspora literature – literary production by communities living outside their ancestral homelands.
- Refugee literature – works focusing on the experiences of forced migration and asylum.
- German literature – the broader national literary tradition within which Exilliteratur is situated.
- Nazi Germany – the political regime whose persecution triggered the exile of many writers.
- Emigre publishing – the network of presses and periodicals that disseminated Exilliteratur.
- Cultural resistance – artistic and intellectual opposition to oppressive regimes.
Note: The information presented is based on established scholarly research on German‑language exile literature of the 20th century.