Lexicon home-lang: understanding the relationship between mother-tongue and father-land among German-Jewish thinkers of the 20th century

Abstract

This lexicon compiles passages from the works of German-Jewish authors, such as Fritz Mauthner, Gustav Landauer, Franz Rosenzweig, Margarete Susman, Walter Benjamin, Elazar Benyöetz, and Rose Ausländer, which I have engaged with during my two-year MSCA project at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. The overarching objective of my research project is to demonstrate how these intellectuals developed a profound critique of linguistic autochthony, partially influenced by their plural, controversial, and nomadic identities. Additionally, it seeks to illustrate how their critique of narrow patriotism and their exploration of alternative perspectives on time and belonging can provide valuable insights for contemporary Alldiscussions. As a result, the entries in this lexicon revolve around four interconnected main axes: Autochthony, Community, Exile, Identity, Language, Translation. This lexicon presents texts in both German and English, with translations provided by me. However, if a text already has an existing translation from German, it will be included solely in English.