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Chapter 3 Non-Simultaneity and its Corrective: Thomas Brussig’s Ambivalent Engagement with Reunification

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Ambivalent Literary Farewells to the German Democratic Republic
This chapter is in the book Ambivalent Literary Farewells to the German Democratic Republic
Chapter 3Non-Simultaneity and its Corrective:Thomas Brussig’s Ambivalent Engagementwith ReunificationThe first two chapters of this book examined authors who, while consistentlyevoking what we might call the dark side of authoritarian rule in the GermanDemocratic Republic, nevertheless focused either on the negative aspects of reuni-fication and expressed regret at this event (Grass, Wolf, and Braun) or highlightedthe positive elements of life and culture in East Germany, even if welcoming re-unification after the fact in public statements (Özdamar). The final three chapterswill focus on authors whose attitudes toward both the German Democratic Repub-lic in which they grew up, and toward reunification, were even more equivocal.Indeed, all three of these authors, Thomas Brussig, Ingo Schulze, and Uwe Tell-kamp, brought out the worst aspects of life in the GDR in their narratives. Theirevocation of the negative aspect of reunification, namely what was lost to EasternGermany as a result of the fall of the Wall, is expressed with great subtlety. Theirevocation of what was lost can only be unpacked through a careful reading oftheir works which deal with GDR life and the period of theWende.Noneex-pressed a more ambivalent attitude toward these circumstances than ThomasBrussig, the focus of the current chapter. In what follows, I will concentrate ontwo novels by Brussig,How It Glows(Wie es leuchtet,2004),andThat Does NotExist in any Russian Film(Das gibts in keinem Russenfilm2015). Based on thesenovels, I propose that Brussig’s perspective on reunification is the most ambiva-lent of any authors examined in the present book. Drawing on Ernst Bloch’scon-cept of non-simultaneity, which articulates how atavistic modes of precapitalisticlife among various classes triggered by war and financial crises come to the sur-face in 1930s Germany, I show how the novelHow It Glowsilluminates similardisruptions and distorted relationships during theWendecaused by reunifica-tion’s abruptness. Such non-simultaneities are cancelled inRussian Filmbecausethe novel constitutes an example of counterfactual fiction whereby reunificationitself is cancelled.Before beginning to look at Brussig’s work, it bears recalling that early intheWende, during the period from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the plebiscitein March 1990, German reunification was not a certainty. There was a deep di-vide among German intellectuals on both sides of the border as to whether acomplete fusion of the two discrete political entities, the Federal Republic ofGermany and the German Democratic Republic, should be embraced or resisted.https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110725032-004
© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Munich/Boston

Chapter 3Non-Simultaneity and its Corrective:Thomas Brussig’s Ambivalent Engagementwith ReunificationThe first two chapters of this book examined authors who, while consistentlyevoking what we might call the dark side of authoritarian rule in the GermanDemocratic Republic, nevertheless focused either on the negative aspects of reuni-fication and expressed regret at this event (Grass, Wolf, and Braun) or highlightedthe positive elements of life and culture in East Germany, even if welcoming re-unification after the fact in public statements (Özdamar). The final three chapterswill focus on authors whose attitudes toward both the German Democratic Repub-lic in which they grew up, and toward reunification, were even more equivocal.Indeed, all three of these authors, Thomas Brussig, Ingo Schulze, and Uwe Tell-kamp, brought out the worst aspects of life in the GDR in their narratives. Theirevocation of the negative aspect of reunification, namely what was lost to EasternGermany as a result of the fall of the Wall, is expressed with great subtlety. Theirevocation of what was lost can only be unpacked through a careful reading oftheir works which deal with GDR life and the period of theWende.Noneex-pressed a more ambivalent attitude toward these circumstances than ThomasBrussig, the focus of the current chapter. In what follows, I will concentrate ontwo novels by Brussig,How It Glows(Wie es leuchtet,2004),andThat Does NotExist in any Russian Film(Das gibts in keinem Russenfilm2015). Based on thesenovels, I propose that Brussig’s perspective on reunification is the most ambiva-lent of any authors examined in the present book. Drawing on Ernst Bloch’scon-cept of non-simultaneity, which articulates how atavistic modes of precapitalisticlife among various classes triggered by war and financial crises come to the sur-face in 1930s Germany, I show how the novelHow It Glowsilluminates similardisruptions and distorted relationships during theWendecaused by reunifica-tion’s abruptness. Such non-simultaneities are cancelled inRussian Filmbecausethe novel constitutes an example of counterfactual fiction whereby reunificationitself is cancelled.Before beginning to look at Brussig’s work, it bears recalling that early intheWende, during the period from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the plebiscitein March 1990, German reunification was not a certainty. There was a deep di-vide among German intellectuals on both sides of the border as to whether acomplete fusion of the two discrete political entities, the Federal Republic ofGermany and the German Democratic Republic, should be embraced or resisted.https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110725032-004
© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Munich/Boston

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Acknowledgements VII
  4. A Note on Translations IX
  5. Introduction 1
  6. Chapter 1 Literary Resistance to Reunification Perceived as Colonization in Novels by Günter Grass, Christa Wolf, and Volker Braun 25
  7. Chapter 2 Europe in East Berlin: Emine Sevgi Özdamar’s Ostalgic Constructions 61
  8. Chapter 3 Non-Simultaneity and its Corrective: Thomas Brussig’s Ambivalent Engagement with Reunification 84
  9. Chapter 4 Performing Reunification as Tragicomedy: Ingo Schulze 107
  10. Chapter 5 Time out of Joint in Uwe Tellkamp’s The Towe 138
  11. Coda: Contra Grass: The Embrace of Reunification by Martin Walser, Monika Maron, and Fritz Rudolf Fries as well as the Beginning of the End of Autobiographical Literary Farewells to the GDR 161
  12. Bibliography 181
  13. Index 193
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110725032-004

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Acknowledgements VII
  4. A Note on Translations IX
  5. Introduction 1
  6. Chapter 1 Literary Resistance to Reunification Perceived as Colonization in Novels by Günter Grass, Christa Wolf, and Volker Braun 25
  7. Chapter 2 Europe in East Berlin: Emine Sevgi Özdamar’s Ostalgic Constructions 61
  8. Chapter 3 Non-Simultaneity and its Corrective: Thomas Brussig’s Ambivalent Engagement with Reunification 84
  9. Chapter 4 Performing Reunification as Tragicomedy: Ingo Schulze 107
  10. Chapter 5 Time out of Joint in Uwe Tellkamp’s The Towe 138
  11. Coda: Contra Grass: The Embrace of Reunification by Martin Walser, Monika Maron, and Fritz Rudolf Fries as well as the Beginning of the End of Autobiographical Literary Farewells to the GDR 161
  12. Bibliography 181
  13. Index 193
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