Literaturrezeption und Leseverhalten bei den Deutschen in der Sowjetunion

Abstract

The role of literature (fictional and non-fictional) and its reflection on the reading process of Soviet Germans is closely connected with Soviet German history up to the present situation. Principally, two reasons are responsible for this: 1) the lack of a satisfying German language competence and of a general interest by the Germans and 2) many problems with the distribution of German language literature. This includes fictional and non-fictional texts. Another result on the basis of 21 in-depth interviews with Soviet German emigrants and of the analysis of the Soviet German press reveals that there exists only very little interest in the Soviet German literature. The Soviet German press, first of all the weekly "Neues Leben", functions as a forum of Soviet German questions dealing with Soviet German history, culture and literature. For many Soviet Germans, "Neues Leben" is the only German language source they read. In reading more literature from East and West Germany the interest in German language literature could raise. Closer connections of Soviet German writers to their readers could increase the interest in reading Soviet German literature and in using the German language.