Writing a new society: Aufbau in GDR literature 1949–1962

This PhD thesis explores the early literature of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) between 1949 and 1962, focusing on the concept of 'Aufbau' (reconstruction). It examines the political implications of cultural production during this period through an analysis of novels, plays, and poems. The study aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of early GDR literature by investigating how intellectuals engaged with and participated in political discourse, and how their creative works related to state-sanctioned aesthetics. The research applies Walter Benjamin's theories of allegory and symbol as a methodological framework to identify patterns in literary texts. This approach helps to differentiate between works that conform to socialist realism and those that deviate, offering insights into the potential for diverse political expression within socialist cultural production. The thesis examines texts based on their political and aesthetic conformity, exploring the 'authority trap' faced by intellectuals navigating between state demands and artistic autonomy. The analysis covers various literary forms and authors, including novels about refugees, plays by Inge and Heiner Müller, and experimental poetry. By examining these works, the thesis contributes to scholarship on early GDR literature by highlighting the complex relationship between art, politics, and intellectual life in an authoritarian socialist state.