Saisonbeginn

The short story "Saisonbeginn" by Elisabeth Langgässer, which was published in 1947 as a part of the collection "Der Torso", is about the antisemitism of the inhabitants of a small town, which is brought out through the installation of a sign at the entrance to the town. The story is classified as Trümmerliteratur, or literature that was written immediately following the Second World War.

The main plot of the story deals with finding the best place for the sign. At the beginning of the story, the small town is described: it is a small, mountain town preparing for the onset of tourist season. Because the sign should serve as the first sight for all those visiting the town, the workmen finally decide that the sign should be placed next to the wooden crucifix. While the workmen place the sign, they are helped by schoolchildren, who happen by. When the sign is finally in place, nuns, men and women come by to admire it. For most of them it makes no difference what the sign says; for others, it is a source of amusement.

At the end of the story the sign is standing firmly in the ground. The three workmen look again at the sign, pleased; on the sign they read, "In this town Jews are unwanted."

Interpretations

The story describes not only the placement of the sign, but also the reactions of the residents of the town; these are those who are not against the erection of the sign.

Elisabeth Langgässer describes the town in an exaggeratedly beautiful manner so that the contrast to the "hate" of the sign and its implications are especially emphasized. Another conflict unfolds through this literary technique is that the town on the one hand should be open to "everyone," but on the other hand Jews are now unwanted.

The message of the sign is even deeper problematized, because the workers want to place it right next to a crucifix. Jesus is bound to the crucifix, and over him that inscription "I.N.R.I." that in English means "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Paradoxically the workers must, due to lack of space, place the sign that Jews are not wanted outside of the same town outside of which stands a crucifix; this is notable that Christianity and its teaching of neighborly love and charity no longer have a place in the town, in which certain people groups are unwanted.

The Motive of Antisemitism

The focus of this story lies in the reactions of the people to the sign and in their antisemitism. After all, the sign should be a symbol for the people, since it has been placed at the entrance of the town. On the sign is an antisemitic sentence; instead of saying something against it, the townspeople ignore it, are unconcerned by it or are amused by it.

One can draw parallels from the life of Elisabeth Langgässer to this story; she was classified as half Jewish and her daughter was Jewish.

In "Saisonbeginn," Langgässer criticizes the duplicitous double standard of the town residents, who from the outside appear to be good Christians but at the same time discriminate against Jews.

"This article was translated from the German Wikipedia"

Literature

* P. Dormagen: "Moderne Erzähler 2". Paderborn 1958.

* Axel Vieregg, in: "Klassische deutsche Kurzgeschichten. Interpretationen". Hrsg. von Werner Bellmann. Reclam, Stuttgart 2004. S. 28-38.

External links

*http://www.haha-online.de