“Group 47” at Princeton

Abstract

The article examines the meeting of the “Group 47” at Princeton University (USA), organized by Victor Lange in 1966, the background to this trip, and the interaction between German and American writers in the 1960s. Despite the protests of the writers of the “Group 47” against US policy in Vietnam, as well as differences within the group over a number of political and literary issues, H.W. Richter accepts the invitation to Princeton, provided that the trip was private and the “Group 47” would participate as a literary association and not under the auspices of the Government. The meeting included a private discussion of the works by the “Group 47” members (no reporters were permitted) and the two-day conference, open to the public – members of the press, American and German emigrant writers. The paper studies the proceedings of the Princeton meeting, considers controversial statements and reports by G. Grass, P. Weiß, E. Fried et al., analyzes memories and correspondence of the “Group 47” members. The meeting failed to become a significant cultural event and the American press published few reviews on the “Group 47” at Princeton (except G. Grass, who became a favorite of discussions). The debates got little recognition among the invited American writers which demonstrated their little interest in the European experience and the importance of the new guidelines for the American literature. The course of the discussions that took place during the Princeton meeting helps to trace the evolution of the views of the “Group 47” members, highlights the existing and emerging conflicts within the group, both personal and political.

Keywords

• “group 47”
• literature of west germany
• hans werner richter
• günter grass
• victor lange
• peter weiß
• princeton university
• american literature.