Peter Demetz

Peter Demetz ist der letzte Zeuge einer Stadt, die wie keine andere über Jahrhunderte für das fruchtbare Miteinander der verschiedenen europäischen Kulturen stand. Deutsche, Tschechen und Juden verband in Prag eine wechselhafte gemeinsame Geschichte, die mit Hitler endgültig zu Ende ging. Der Zeit der deutschen Okkupation zwischen 1939 und 1945, zugleich die finstersten Jahre, die er in seiner Heimatstadt verbrachte, hat Peter Demetz nun endlich ein großes Erinnerungsbuch gewidmet, das ein einzigartiges Licht auf eine alles verändernde Epoche der europäischen Geschichte wirft.

Published for the first time in English, Panorama is a superb rediscovered novel of the Holocaust by a neglected modern master. One of a handful of death camp survivors to fictionalize his experiences in German, H. G. Adler is an essential author--referenced by W. G. Sebald in his classic novel "Austerlitz," and a direct literary descendant of Kafka. When "The Journey" was discovered in a Harvard bookshop and translated by Peter Filkins, it began a major reassessment of the Prague-born H. G. Adler by literary critics and historians alike. Known for his monumental "Theresienstadt 1941-1945," a day-by-day account of his experiences in the Nazi slave-labor community before he was sent to Auschwitz, Adler also wrote six novels. The very depiction of the Holocaust in fiction caused furious debate and delays in their publication. Now "Panorama," his first novel, written in 1948, is finally available to convey the kinds of truths that only fiction can. A brilliant epic, "Panorama" is a portrait of a place and people soon to be destroyed, as seen through the eyes of young Josef Kramer. Told in ten distinct scenes, it begins in pastoral Word War I-era Bohemia, where the boy passively witnesses the "wonders of the world" in a thrilling panorama display; follows him to a German boarding school full of creeping xenophobia and prejudice; and finds him in young adulthood sent to a labor camp and then to one of the infamous extermination camps, before he chooses exile abroad after the war. Josef's philosophical journey mirrors the author's own: from a stoic acceptance of events to a realization that "the viewer is also the participant" and that action must be taken in life, if only to make sure the dead are not forgotten. Achieving a stream-of-consciousness power reminiscent of James Joyce and Gertrude Stein, H. G. Adler is a modern artist with unique historical importance. "Panorama" is lasting evidence of both the torment of his life and the triumph of his gifts. "From the Hardcover edition."

Brecht: A Collection of Critical Essays by Peter Demetz is a comprehensive compilation of critical essays on the life and works of Bertolt Brecht, a German playwright, poet, and theatre director. The book contains essays written by various scholars and critics who have analyzed Brecht's works from different angles and perspectives. The book begins with an introduction by Demetz, which provides a brief overview of Brecht's life and career, and sets the stage for the subsequent essays. The essays in the book cover a wide range of topics, including Brecht's early plays, his theories of theatre, his political activism, and his influence on contemporary theatre. Some of the essays focus on specific plays, such as The Threepenny Opera, Mother Courage and Her Children, and The Good Person of Szechwan. Others explore Brecht's ideas about theatre, such as his concept of the alienation effect, which aimed to prevent the audience from becoming emotionally involved in the play and instead encouraged them to think critically about the social and political issues presented. The book also includes essays that examine Brecht's political activism and his role in the Communist Party, as well as his influence on contemporary theatre and his legacy. Overall, Brecht: A Collection of Critical Essays provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of one of the most important figures in modern theatre, making it an essential resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in the history and theory of theatre. Contributing Authors Include Sergey Tretiakov, Hannah Arendt, Eric Bentley And Many Others. Brecht's Theory Of The Stage, World Famous Today, But All Two Often Misunderstood, Is Contrasted With The Rules Of Classic Theater And The Method Of Stanislawsky. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

From the Velvet Revolution to the disturbing world of Franz Kafka, from the devestation of the Thirty Years War to the musical elegance of Mozart and Dvorak, Prague is steeped in a wealth of history and culture. PRAGUE IN BLACK AND GOLD is a first class history of this unique city, allowing us to unravel layer upon layer of startlingly symbolic sites and buidings to reveal the real Prague. "PRAGUE IN BLACK AND GOLD is an exceptional work - and exceptionally reliable ... I am sure that thiswill be an important and exciting guide for all who wish to learn more about the famous people and important events in the history of the Czech lands and their capital" Ivan Klima, The Times

Prague is at the core of everything both wonderful and terrible in Western history, but few people truly understand this city's unique culture. In "Prague in Black and Gold," Peter Demetz strips away sentimentalities and distortions and shows how Czechs, Germans, Italians, and Jews have lived and worked together for over a thousand years. .