Representation of the Space of Germany in “Journey” by W.K. Küchelbecker

Abstract

The paper deals with the spatial images of Germany presented in the Russian literature traditions at the turn of the 18th – 19th centuries in the "Journey" by W.K. Küchelbecker. The common elements between these traditions of the depiction of territories of Germany and W.K. Küchelbecker’s text are the liminality of Baltics and Alsace, the motif of the monotonous travel through Prussia, representation of Saxony as the idyllic land whereas Prussia is antiidyllic, as well as labeling Germany as a land of European prominent cultural figures. Moreover, at the same time, unlike to sentimentalism discourse the romanticist W.K. Küchelbecker is more prone to depicting of contrasts in the image of Germany in his works. His picture of Königsberg is remarkably unusual combining traditional German (medieval-Gothic) and non-German typical features. The characteristic romanticism elements connected with the landscapes of Germany in the “Journey” are the rejection of the mechanistic civilization and worship of nature. In addition, W.K. Küchelbecker represents Germany as the battlefield for freedom of Europe.