Literary Vienna in Berta Zuckerkandl’s Osterreich intim

Abstract

Berta Zuckerkandl, a journalist and a writer, famous for her Viennese salon, was friends with the most important people during the fin de siècle, including popular writers such as Arthur Schnitzler, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, and Stefan Zweig. In her memoirs, Österreich intim. Erinnerungen 1892-1942, which she wrote during her exile in Algeria at the beginning of the 1940s, the author recalls her most important conversations, letters, and events. This paper concentrates on the literary figures described in Berta Zuckerkandl’s book. Besides the above-mentioned writers, Franz Werfel, Joseph Roth und Hermann Bahr are also taken into consideration. Furthermore, it is asked whether a simple analysis of the text is necessary in order to fully understand such a complex literary movement. I have come to the conclusion that, in this case, the historical and cultural contexts play a very important role and, therefore, should not be neglected.