Luminous Munich and beyond

the "Schwabinger bohème"

Margit Dirscherl

pp. 223-245

in: Richard Hibbitt (ed), Other capitals of the nineteenth century, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2017

Abstract

1800–1900: within a century, Munich's suburb Schwabing emerged as a multi-faceted cultural centre, located between Berlin and Vienna. While "Munich Modernism" may have lacked aesthetic manifestos and milestones such as Hofmannsthal's Lord Chandos Letter, and theorists such as Benjamin or Kracauer, it had a remarkably strong resonance at the time and lasting influence on subsequent literary movements. The chapter sheds light on the political and economic dynamics that shaped the city and reflects on the attractiveness of Munich as a cultural hub. It discusses three texts that evaluate Munich and its role as a Kunststadt, focusing on their engagement with (sexual) morals, art commerce and the anachronisms so typical of the Prince Regent Period: Wedekind's Lulu, Thomas Mann's Gladius Dei and Kubin's Die andere Seite.

Cited authors

Mann Thomas