The German Section of the Department of Modern Languages
and Literatures
Sweet Briar College in German Literature
Sweet Briar College, the Virginia Center of Creative Arts
and Central Virginia appear in the latest poetic work of the Leipzig poet,
Ralph Grüneberger.
Sweet Briar German Professor, Ronald Horwege, worked with the poet and provided
the English translations of the poems .
Professor Horwege reads with Grüneberger
at the Leipzig Bookfair
Ralph Grüneberger
Those German teachers who participated in the Sweet Briar-Goethe Institut
Immersion Weekend in 1997 will perhaps remember Ralph Grüneberger,
the poet from Leipzig who assisted during the day and who treated the group
to a poetry reading on Saturday evening. During the month of October, 1999,
he was again be in Virginia and made an appearance at the Sweet Briar-Goethe-Institute
Immersion Weekend (October 8-10) as well as at the AATG-FLAVA Convention
in Richmond (October 29-30). From October 16 to November 1, he was at Sweet
Briar College and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts as an Artist-Teacher
in Residence.
News Articles
German Poet
Dedicates a Poem to the Local Mill
German Poet
is Fellow in Residence at Sweet Briar College
Since his last visit to Virginia Grüneberger has published a collection
of the poems he wrote during his 1997 stay at the Virginia Center for Creative
Arts. This volume is entitled
Das Geheimnis ist: Du bist und du bist nicht /The
Mystery is: You Are and You Are Not
Amerika-Gedichte / American Poems
Berlin: Aphaia Verlag 1999.
It is a bilingual edition with commentary and the English translations supplied
by Dr. Ronald Horwege, Professor of German at Sweet Briar College, and a
further commentary supplied by Professor Dr. Walfried Hartinger of the University
of Halle. In addition the volume contains graphic art by Katrin Kunert,
an artist from Leipzig.
The book is now available through the Sweet Briar College Bookshop or
from Professor Horwege. A special numbered limited edition is available
for $69.50. This contains original graphic art signed by Katrin Kunert as
well as the signature of the poet. There are only 85 of these special numbered
editions (Vorzugsausgaben) available. The normal edition is available for
$16.75.
Ralph Grüneberger reading his poety
at the Sweet Briar College-Goethe Institute Immersion Weekend 1997
During his stay at Sweet Briar College Grüneberger gave two poetry
readings and offered a workshop on poetry writing for students in the German
program. During these sessions as well as at the FLAVA meeting and at the
Immersion Weekend this book and others by him were available for purchase.
Grüneberger's Life and Works
Ralph Grüneberger was born in Leipzig in 1951. He studied at the
Institut für Literatur "J.R. Becher" in Leipzig from 1978
until 1982. In 1986 he won the "Debütpreis des Schriftstellerverbandes
der DDR ". He received a stipend in 1994 from the State of Lower Saxony
for a stay at "Künstlerhof Schreyahn, in 1997 a stipend from Saxony
for a stay at the "Künstlerhaus Schloß Wiepersdorf"
in 1997 a stipend from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Virginia
and in 1995 and 1998 stipends from the "Stiftung Kulturaustausch Niederlande/Deutschland."
Since 1996 he has been the Chairman of the "Gesellschaft für zeitgenössische
Lyrik e. V." His works include "Poesiealbum" (Nr. 198), Berlin
1984; "Frühstück im Stehen," Gedichte, Halle-Leipzig
1986; "Stadt, Name, Land." Gedichte, Halle-Leipzig 1989; "3
X Leipzig" City Guide, Cologne 1990; " Demonteure. Biographien
des Leipziger Herbst," Bielefeld 1992 (with Bernd Linder); "Die
Risse in der Liebe der Bewohner", Gedichte, Pfaffenweiler 1993; "Zweihundertster
Tag des Jahres", Gedichte, Bergen (Holland) 1995; "Dieselbe Straße,
ein anderes Land. Gedichte 1977-1996." Magdeburg 1996/97; "Frühlingswinter.
Wiepersdorfer Gedichte", Berlin 1998.
Ein Auzzug aus dem Nachwort von Ronald
Horwege (English Version)
Ein Kolumbus aus Leipzig
Über 40 Jahrelang gab es eine Grenze zwischen Osten und Westen, die
Deutschland in der Mitte teilte and die eine Trennung der Menschen, Institutionen
und Ideen verursachte. Menschen an beiden Seiten dieses sogenannten eisernen
Vorhangs wußten wenig voneinander und hatten kaum Gelegenheiten, einander
kennenzulernen. Außerdem war es sehr schwer, kulturelle Beziehungen
zwischen den beiden Seiten zu pflegen.
Aber während der letzten Jahre vor dem Fall der Berliner Mauer und
der Wiedervereinigung Deutschlands und in den ersten Jahren der Wiedervereinigung
sind viele Kulturaustausche zwischen Künstlern, Dichtern und Komponisten
aus dem ehemaligen Ost- und Westblock hergestellt worden. Eine Organisation
in den U.S.A., die viel zur Förderung der Kontakte unter diesen Künstlern
geleistet hat, ist das "Virginia Center for Creative Arts" auf
dem Campus von Sweet Briar College, ein College für Frauen in der Nähe
von Lynchburg, Virginia. Durch ihre Bemühungen sind viele Verbindungen
mit Künstlergruppen in der ehemaligen Sowjetunion und in Osteuropa
hergestellt worden, und die Möglichkeiten sind den Künstlern in
den USA und im Ausland geschaffen worden, sich kennenzulernen und miteinander
zu arbeiten. Sweet Briar College hat aus diesen Vereinbarungen viel Nutzen
gezogen, denn viele der Gastkünstler an dem VCCA haben Verbindungen
zum College aufgenommen, um Studentinnen und Professoren kennenzulernen
und mit denen zu arbeiten .
Durch diese Verbindungen zwischen dem College und dem VCCA habe ich als
Professor für Germanistik an dem College viele Gelegenheiten gehabt,
Künstler und Schriftsteller aus deutschsprachigen Ländern kennenzulernen,
aber bis vor kurzem nur die aus dem Westen. Dann kam im August 1997 einen
Anruf vom VCCA, bei dem man von der Ankunft am Center von einem deutschen
Dichter aus einem der neuen Bundesländer erzählte, der vorhatte,
einige Wochen in Virginia zu verbringen, und der möglicherweise mich
und einige von meinen Studentinnen kennenlernen möchte. Ich rief zurück
und wurde so Ralph Grüneberger vorgestellt.
Grüneberger akzeptierte bereitwillig eine Einladung zum Abendessen
mit mir und einigen Studentinnen in der Mensa am College. Nach dem Essen
las er für uns einige von seinen Gedichten vor. Einige von den Teilnehmerinnen
halten noch von diesem Abend für einen von den angenehmsten Abenden,
den sie überhaupt auf Sweet Briar College verbracht haben . Wer würde
letzen Endes erwarten, auf einem kleinen Frauen-College in Virginia die
Gelegenheit zu bekommen, einen deutschen Dichter aus einem der fünf
neuen Bundesländer kennenzulernen.
Am darauffolgenden Wochenende veranstaltete Sweet Briar College in Zusammenarbeit
mit dem Goethe Hause in New York City ein Seminar für Deutschlehrer,
bei dem die Teilnehmer die ganze Zeit nur Deutsch sprechen durften (immersion
Weekend) Für dieses Wochenende sollten dreißig Deutschlehrer
von verschiedenen Oberschulen und Hochschulen in Virginia zwei Tage auf
dem Campus verbringen, an Seminar Aktivitäten teilnehmen und natürlich
Deutsch sprechen. Als Grüneberger hörte, daß das Thema des
Seminars "Die deutschen Bundesländer" sein sollte, und daß
eine der Gruppen beim Seminar vorhatte, Informationen über Sachsen
zu sammeln, meldete er sich sofort freiwillig, an den Aktivitäten des
Wochenendes teilzunehmen. Das machte er auch und noch mehr.
Nachdem er am Samstag den ganzen Tag mit den Deutschlehrern gearbeitet hatte,
nahm der Dichter eine Einladung an, am Abend einige von seinen Gedichten
vorzulesen. Bei einigen Flaschen Wein und einigen Snacks am späten
Abend hielt Grüneberger für die Seminarteilnehmer eine Dichterlesung
and nahm mit ihnen dann an einer etwas langen Diskussion über die Situation
in den neuen Bundesländeren und andere verwandten und nicht verwandten
Themen teil. Durch seine Teilnahme an diesem Unternehmen lernte er seine
erste amerikanische Germanistengruppe kennen, und viele dieser Deutschlehrer
verbrachten zum ersten Mal einen Abend mit einem deutschen Dichter aus der
ehemaligen DDR. So wurde er mit seinen Werken amerikanischen Deutschlehrern
vorgestellt.
Die Gedichte, die Ralph Grüneberger in Virginia verfaßt hat,
sollten sowohl den deutschen als auch den amerikanischen Leser interessieren.
Die Frische seiner Beobachtungen ist auffallend, und er bietet dem Leser
auch viele Überraschungen. ----------- Man könnte möglicherweise
in Grünebergers Lyrik auch Einflüsse von modernen amerikanischen
Dichtern spüren. Wer z.B.Werke von Dichtern wie Allen Ginsberg(1926-1997),
William Carlos Williams (1883-1963) oder Frank O'Hara (1926-1966) kennt,
könnte wahrscheinlich ohne zuviele Schwierigketien Verbindungen zu
der Lyrik von Grüneberger feststellen. In gewisser Hinsicht könnte
man dann auch die These vertreten, daß Grünebergers Gedichte
auch formell Amerika-Gedichte sind, d.h. Gedichte, die eine Verwandtschaft
mit amerikanischer Gegenwartslyrik haben. Zu untersuchen ist, inwieweit
ein Dichter, der in der DDR aufgewachsen ist und wohl erst als Erwachsener
seinen Anschluß an den Westen gefunden hat, von Dichtern aus dem Westen
beeinflußt wurde und inwieweit er von ihnen entlehnte Ideen weiterentwickelt
hat.--------------
Ralph Grünebergers erstes Abenteuer in Amerika brachte diese kleine
Gedichtsammlung zur Sprache. Man kann hoffen, daß weitere Reisen noch
viele weitere frische, neue, durch seine "östlichen Augen"
gemachten Beobachtungen zur Sprache bringen werden.
English Version
(German Version)
A Columbus from Leipzig
For over forty years there existed a dividing line between East and West
which divided Germany down the middle and which brought about a separation
of people, institutions and ideas. People on both sides of this so-called
iron curtain knew little about each other and had little opportunity to
get to know each other. In addition it was very difficult to establish and
maintain cultural contacts between the two sides.
But during the last years before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification
of Germany and in the years since the reunificationtseveral cultural exchanges
have been established between artists, writers and composers from the former
Eastern and Western Block countries. One Organization in the U.S.A. which
has done much to promote contacts among these artists is the Virginia Center
for the Creative Arts located on the campus of Sweet Briar College, a college
for Women near Lynchburg, Virginia. Through its efforts many contacts have
been established with artist groups in the former Soviet Union and in Eastern
Europe and possibilities have been artists from the U.S.A. and abroad to
meet and work together. Sweet Briar College has benefitted greatly from
this arrangement because many of the guest artists at the VCCA have established
contacts with the College in order to meet and work with the students and
professors.
Through these contacts between the College and the VCCA, I as Professor
of German at the College have had many opportunities to meet artists and
writers from the German-speaking world, but until recently only artists
from the West. Then sometime during the month of August 1997 a telephone
call came from the VCCA telling of the arrival at the Center of a German
poet from one of the new German States, who planned to spend several weeks
working in Virginia and who would probably like to meet me and some of my
students I returned the call and was thus introduced to Ralph Grüneberger.
Grüneberger readily accepted an invitation to dinner with me and some
students in the College cafeteria. After dinner he read some of his poems
for us.Some of the participants still consider this evening to be one of
their most pleasant evenings they have spent at Sweet Briar College.. After
all, who would expect at a small woman's college in Virginia to have an
opportunity to meet a German poet from the former German Democratic Republic.
During the following weekend Sweet Briar College sponsored a German Teacher
Immersion Weekend on the campus in cooperation with the Goethe House in
New York City. For this weekend thirty German teachers from various secondary
schools and colleges in Virginia were to spend two days on the campus participating
in seminar activities and, of course, speaking German. When Grüneberger
heard that the topic of the seminar was to be "The German States"
and that one group was going to be gathering information about Saxony, he
immediately volunteered to participate in the weekend activities. That he
also did and more.
After working with the German teachers all day on Saturday the poet accepted
an invitation to give a poetry reading that evening. So over a few bottles
of Virginia wine and some late-evening snacks Grüneberger gave the
seminar participants a poetry-reading session and then participated with
them in a rather lengthy discussion about the situation in the new German
States and other related and unrelated topics. Through his participation
in this undertaking to met his first group of American German teachers,
and many of these teachers probably spent for the first time an first evening
with a German poet from the former German Democratic Republic. Thus he was
introduced with his works to American German teachers.
The poems that Ralph Grüneberger wrote in Virginia should be quite
interesting to both the German and the American reader. The freshness of
his observations is striking and he also gives the reader many surprises.
----- One could possibly also find in Grüneberger's poetry influences
from modern American poets. For example, whoever is familiar with works
from poets such as Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), William Carlos Williams (1883-1963)
or Frank O'Hara (1926-1966), could without too much difficulty probably
establish connections with Grüneberger. In a way one could defend the
thesis that Grüneberger's poems according to their structure are also
America poems, i.e poems, which have a relationship with contemporary American
poetry. One still has to investigate to what extent a poet, who grew up
in the German Democatic Republic and who probably did not find his connection
to the West until he was an adult, has been influenced by poets from the
West and to what extent he has further developed ideas he has taken from
them.-----
Ralph Grüneberger's first adventure in America brought forth this small
collection of poems. One can hope that further trips will bring forth many
more fresh new observations made through his "eastern eyes."
An English translation of two of the poems in Grüneberger's
new work.
Moment in Sweet Briar
The land is silent green
Insects alone send
Signals of the fathers.
Rattling landrovers
Whirl up dust
Otherwise no one. Nobody
imagines it could be
powder smoke.
Birds scream
Under the burden
Of midday.
After War
The house into which my friend D. M. from
Arlington, Virginia ten years ago
With his family moved, had been
Standing on the 7th of May, 1945, for four years.
The silver-leafed maple tree in the garden
And the sugar maple tree in the front yard
Had the height of a man. Well possible
That the previous owner on this day
Sat in the shade of his trees
And in reading the newspaper from
Norfolk, Virginia did not
Get past the front page.
A reprint of this newspaper from
May 7, 45 I bought in the History
Museum in Washington: NAZIS QUIT
The headline, under the fold
The length in days and the dead
In millions.
It is a newspaper like all others.
Farmland is advertised, gas
Heaters, men's trousers, cleansers
And croquet sets. A comic frame from the
Series "Captain Yank" shows steel
glistening bombs dropping.
The German army generals on page 1
Do not look as if they were coming from
The trench. Tomorrow, it is told,
They will sign the capitulation.
The year my Arlington friend's house was built
Is the year in which
Germany declared war on America,
The year, when my eighteen-year-old
Father's hair was cut off
Just beyond the Urals.
Translations by Ronald Horwege
Other Grüneberger Links
Return to: Immersion Weekend 1999
Return to: The German Department at SBC.
Return to: Sweet Briar College Main Site
http://www.german.sbc.edu/Grueneberger.html
This page is maintained by Dr. Ronald Horwege, Professor of German, Sweet
Briar College
Please direct comments and questions to:
Ronald Horwege, Professor of German, horwege@sbc.edu.
(804) 381-6188.
Last updated on October 4, 1999