Vzkaz v láhvi: Paul Celan a Martin Heidegger
Message in a bottle: Paul Celan and Martin Heidegger

Summary/Abstract: The article deals with the problematic relationship between Paul Celan and Martin Heidegger. The two knew and respected each other intellectually, but the obstacle in their relationship was Heidegger’s involvement in the Nazi movement, which was unacceptable to Celan as a direct witness to the Holocaust. The main difference between them was in their view of the role of language: Heidegger wanted to use ‘poetic’ thought to overcome the crisis of metaphysics and reformulate the question of being, while Celan to give a voice to all the martyred. Though Celan never succeeded in getting Heidegger to apologize in any way for his involvement with the Nazis, his moral superiority – both in his thought world and during their mutual encounters – is obvious.

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