Kritische Texte und Deutungen

Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830-1916) is recognized as one of the leading German-speaking prose writers but she began her writing with historical tragedies. For the first time, this edition presents a complete and critical genesis of the texts, based on handwritten manuscripts and printed versions. It provides the two completed tragedies with their textual changes and her authorized version as well as the historical plays that remained fragments: »Maria Stuart in Schottland«, »Marie Roland«, »Richelieu« und »Jacobäa«. With the exception of the virtual ruler of France, Richelieu, Ebner-Eschenbach chose as heroines powerful women in historically turbulent times and portrayed them in their greatness and weakness, thereby providing an alternate female perspective on history.

Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830‑1916) was not only a novelist, but also a dramatist who wrote pieces for the theatre from early on. Following the historical tragedies already published in this series, with this volume the entire dramatic oeuvre of this author is available for the first time. Ebner-Eschenbach wrote social and artist dramas, comedies, one-act plays and experimented with genres such as the novel in dialogue form. The thematic diversity of her dramas offers vivid insight into the society of her time.

This volume supplies Germanic studies researchers with the first-ever comprehensive bibliographic tool on the life and work of Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830-1916). Over 1,200 chronologically arranged main headings list both the primary and secondary literature up to and including the year 1998, divided into publications 'In vita' and 'postuma'. Of major note here, alongside selected contemporary reviews, are first publications established as such for the first time and mirroring the artistic development of the author. Detailed indexes of persons and works facilitate the use of the bibliography.

This supplementary volume to the critical edition of Ebner-Eschenbach's works contains her correspondence with Theo Schücking (Lewin Schücking's daughter) and also includes other documents: writings by Theo Schücking and selections from her correspondence with other women writers and the short narrative »Die letzte Sekunde« by Ebner-Eschenbach herself. The commentaries and studies revolve around the existence and impact of women writers in the 19th century, Theo Schücking's own almost prototypic fate in this respect and subjects otherwise hardly touched upon at all by Ebner-Eschenbach: the Rome experience, attitudes toward salons and critics, affiliations to the women's movement. The volume makes a notable contribution to cultural studies.