On the Cultural and Historical Background of Mechtilde Lichnowsky`s Critique of Language
On the Cultural and Historical Background of Mechtilde Lichnowsky`s Critique of Language

Summary/Abstract: This study deals with Mechtilde LICHNOWSKY’s critique of language, especially with the cultural and historical background, in which this critique emerged. It is shown that there are at least four relevant contexts to be taken into account: 1) philosophical critique of language (Friedrich NIETZSCHE, Fritz MAUTHNER and others); 2) the crisis of language within literary modernism (Hugo von HOFMANNSTHAL, Christian MORGENSTERN and others); 3) normative stylistics (Gustav WUSTMANN, Eduard ENGEL and others); 4) criticism of national socialist language use (Victor KLEMPERER, STERNBERGER/STORZ/SÜSKIND). Special attention is paid to the evaluation of LICHNOWSKY’s contribution to normative stylistics, her book “Worte über Wörter” (1949).

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