Bellizismus eines Pazifisten. Stefan Zweig und der Insel-Verlag im Ersten Weltkrieg

Abstract

The paper describes correspondence between a publisher from Leipzig, Anton Kibbengerg, and an Austrian author and literary adviser, Stefan Zweig. None of the letters, which date from WWI, have been published before. It has been conventionally accepted in the literature that the years 1915-16 marked a borderline between Zweig’s involvement in the war and his later pacificist stance resulting in emigration to Switzerland. Contrary to that statement, the letters to Katharina and Anton Kippenberg provide evidence for the overall ambiguous attitude of Zweig, therefore the alleged turning point is questionable. Zweig’s motivations in opposing to the publishing of Polish literature by Insel-Verlag, his nationalist and patriotic vocabulary as well as his advances towards a post in the occupied Belgium show that following 1915 he displayed a conformist stance. Moreover, being an important connection in the literary exchange of the time, Zweig was able to skillfully manipulate the circumstances of the war and the rhetoric it entailed.