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„Sie haben keine Seele“ wirft Heinrich Mann den jungen um 1900 geborenen Literaten vor. Für die Schützengräben des Ersten Weltkrieges waren sie zu jung; die Brutalität und Verrohung des Krieges traf die Heranwachsenden mit voller Wucht. Dazu gehören Schriftsteller wie Ödön von Horváth, Bertolt Brecht, Marieluise Fleißer und Erich Kästner. Die „seelenlose Verfassung der Jugend"In seinem Roman „Jugend ohne Gott“ nimmt sich Ödön von Horváth der Seelenlage einer ganzen Generation an. Inzwischen ist er 35 Jahre alt und richtet sein Augenmerk auf die kurz nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg Geborenen. Ihre Kindheit erlebten sie in der Demokratie, ihre Pubertät bereits in der Diktatur. Es geht um die „seelenlose Verfassung der Jugend, die, abseits von Wahrheit und Gerechtigkeit, in einer unheimlichen Kälte heranwächst“, so der Klappentext der Erstausgabe des Romans. „Jugend ohne Gott“ spielt 1936 in Nazi-Deutschland. Schüler werden zu Menschenverachtung, Gehorsam und Rassenhass erzogen. Bei Geländeübungen und Lagerfeuerromantik erlernen sie das Kriegshandwerk. Obrigkeitshörige, selbstsüchtige und opportunistische Erwachsene geben sich am Rande des Abgrunds der Genusssucht hin. Würde, individuelle Freiheit und geistige Unabhängigkeit gelten nichts mehr. Thematisiert werden das Verlorensein einsamer Menschen, die in der Lüge leben, und der Weg zur Wahrheit, den sie im Erleben von Solidarität finden. Es ist „die Tragödie einer Jugend, die, ohne Liebe zu Gott und Achtung vor den Menschen, in Verachtung all dessen aufwächst, was früheren Generationen heilig war.“ Einer der wichtigsten Antikriegsromane„Jugend ohne Gott“ erschien 1937 im Exil-Verlag Allert de Lange in Amsterdam und begründete den internationalen Ruf Ödön von Horváths. Sogleich wurde der Roman in mehrere Sprachen übersetzt und entwickelte sich zu einem der wichtigsten Bücher im Kanon der Antikriegsromane. 1938 setzten ihn die Nationalsozialisten wegen seiner „pazifistischen Tendenzen“ auf die „Liste des schädlichen und unerwünschten Schrifttums“. Hörbuchtipp:Buchtipp:
"Jugend ohne Gott" - auch heute aktuell75 Jahre nach seinem Erscheinen hat das Buch wenig an Aktualität eingebüßt. „Jugend ohne Gott“ heißt heute: Jugend ohne Orientierung, ohne Anteilnahme, ohne Zivilcourage. Woher bezog Horváth den Stoff für seine Geschichte? Welche autobiographischen Spuren lassen sich in seinem Roman verfolgen? Was wurde aus dieser verlorenen Generation im Zweiten Weltkrieg? Woher rührt ihre Seelenlosigkeit? Diesen Fragen geht Elisabeth Tworek nach.
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Worst Case Scenario Whenever a religion demonstrates its inadequacy to account for the contemporary facts of life, be sure that another religion is on the way to fill the vacuum. It too will fail but only after increasing the quantum of human misery significantly. The impulse toward religion seems irresistible. Why? Comfort? Despair? A desire for justice or revenge? It seems that the evil which permeates the world demands a response. Religion is that response. Without religion there
is no hope Whenever a religion demonstrates its inadequacy to account for the contemporary facts of life, be sure that another religion is on the way to fill the vacuum. It too will fail but only after increasing the quantum of human misery significantly. The impulse toward religion seems irresistible. Why? Comfort? Despair? A desire for justice or revenge? It seems that the evil which permeates the world
demands a response. Religion is that response. Without religion there is no hope. Or so it might seem. Religion rationalises evil as a temporary aberration, something to be endured for a higher achievement - heaven, nirvana, the respect of the gods, self-satisfaction. Ultimately justice will prevail and evil will be overcome, or at least relativised as the error religion claims injustice to be. Since it is evil that necessitates God, he is automatically recruited to the cause of
combatting the designated evil - the black man, the immigrant, the political opponent, the religious opponent, the opponent of any sort. These are unjust by definition and must be corrected by their elimination as God commands.* Youth is never without religion, which it inherits from its parents, and therefore youth is never without God. Religion is strongest in youth, for whom the correcting of injustice is of obsessive concern since youth feels no other real responsibilities except
obtaining justice for itself. Youth, fortunately, is constrained in its religious duties by a lack of power and so seeks out and combats evil primarily among its own ranks. Some remain youthful throughout their lives, maintaining their religion as a guiding force as the scope of their adult power expands. They may redefine what constitutes evil, and consequently adapt their religion to the times as they advance in age. Unsurprisingly, religion tends to become increasingly conservative with age among those who cherish it. This adapted religion, more repressive from generation to generation, they in turn pass on to youth, with God as guide and constant ally. Those who discover in adulthood that religion is mythical, that God is dead, may worry that evil will be consequently unconstrained. At least this is the story they hear from the religionists. They don’t realise that it is the existence of evil which has prompted the creation of God; and that the death of one’s God means the life of another God, fighting some other purported evil. This might provoke despair but shouldn’t be surprising. One God’s Mede is another God’s Persian. As the translator says somewhat defensively in his introduction to Youth Without God: “A man does not need to be a fervent believer to sense the absence of God, or to detect the presence of darker agency.” He thinks we live in a godless age and suffer, or are at least confused, on account of it. But it is clear that Horváth knows that the racist, nationalist, militant Nazism which his protagonist experiences is anything but godless. The title represents a hope not a concern. The new National Socialist God justifies justice of an entirely different sort than the old God; but there is justice nonetheless. So that it is incorrect to claim that “No divine justice will come: not before death, and not after it; not for the old, and not for the young.” This is not the “worst case scenario.” Far worse is the new theological regime which thrives on a divinely ordained justice of a different sort of human repression. Perhaps it’s time to realise that justice can’t be defined elsewhere than in human community. *This is essentially an extrapolation of Alain Badiou’s thesis that the designation of the Good and Human Rights as the opposite of perceived Evil is a very dangerous business. I don’t know if Horváth’s story influenced Badiou, but it certainly demonstrates the importance of Badiou’s insight. See: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more
On the side of the plot Youth Without God is a detective story but actually the novel is about society and those whom society tramples under its feet…
Which one will you choose Bread or death?
Such an interesting, diffrent way to write a crime novel.
Sep 22, 2017 Missy J rated it really liked it Jugend Ohne Gott, literally means Youth Without God. I read this ages ago when I was in
secondary school. It was such a long time ago, but when I re-read this book in the last few days, some pieces of it came back to me. The protagonist is a teacher in Germany right before WWII. He teaches geography and history and is annoyed by the fanatic and extremist tendencies of his students. Their essays are just repetitions of the propaganda they hear from the radio and newspapers. Students have to atten The protagonist is a teacher in Germany right before WWII. He teaches geography and history and is annoyed by the fanatic and extremist tendencies of his students. Their essays are just repetitions of the propaganda they hear from the radio and newspapers. Students have to attend marches. The
teacher even accompanies the class to a "military class trip" that becomes mandatory for every student. During that class trip a murder happens. We go through the entire mystery and the teacher continuously asks himself where is God? Did He abandon the youths? Why do they have to suffer through these horrible times, which inevitably forces them to become horrible people to each other? The novel is a fast read and touches upon some interesting aspects - guilt, speaking the truth, peer
pressure. A lot of this is happening now again in this "post-fact" society.
The Verdict: Fantastic, Excellent, Superb, the Best,........... About the novella: Though it is structurally small and contains relatively less pages, the themes presented in it are grand
ones, such as, the nature of guilt, the life in the totalitarian (Nazi) society, the question of God/Truth. And the greatness stems from the fact that these themes are treated with a few revealing insights and are captured in simple sentences containing a few words. But the choice of words is very accurate. Abou About the novella: Though it is structurally small and
contains relatively less pages, the themes presented in it are grand ones, such as, the nature of guilt, the life in the totalitarian (Nazi) society, the question of God/Truth. And the greatness stems from the fact that these themes are treated with a few revealing insights and are captured in simple sentences containing a few words. But the choice of words is very accurate. About the title: The title is provocative. But then as a reader one finds God as one of the main characters
present in the novel. God does not speak.....He just appears every now and then......And at the end the main protagonist, who at the beginning of the novel is shown as the one struggling for belief, admits to the presence of God. But as a believer when one reads and comes to the end passages the revelation that comes has the nature of a redeeming grace.... A Final Note: I have not said much about the novella in the way of its plot, characterization, genre, or any other thing related
to literary field. Because, I do not know how to say it. I still can not escape from the admirable feel that Horvath had created in this novel...... Lately I have realized that I have written many of my reviews in such manner, that is, immediately after reading a novel and before having myself released from the impact the book gave me. I should change my policy of writing the review immediately after reading the book....If only I could do that for this novel........!!!!!!!!!!!!
Two month wandering in Europe. Pilgrimage in Bavaria, pilgrimage at Ludwig's castle. Long stay at Murnau, behind the lake. I wanted to visit Gabriele Munter's and Franz Marc's house. But Odon
von Horwath, I don't remember very well. I have seen many years before « Tales from the Vienna wood » and it was a good memories Berlin 30th athmosphere. Handke said it was the best author of his generation. Horwath came very often at Murnau where lived his parents. In 1930, he mets here Hitler and disputed Two month wandering in Europe. Pilgrimage in Bavaria, pilgrimage at Ludwig's castle. Long stay at Murnau, behind the lake. I wanted to
visit Gabriele Munter's and Franz Marc's house. But Odon von Horwath, I don't remember very well. I have seen many years before « Tales from the Vienna wood » and it was a good memories Berlin 30th athmosphere. Handke said it was the best author of his generation. Horwath came very often at Murnau where lived his parents. In 1930, he mets here Hitler and disputed with him. He fighted againt Nazis in a coffee. I find the place, it is now a bank office. This book make me think to the
Erich Maria Remarque's one. That also start in a highschool. Violence is present ready to explose. The professeur is the last rempart against barbary.. His disparture give way to Nazis. Look at the August Sander's photo. All this normal people...
Very fascinating. Enjoyed the setting of the totalitarian regime and the characters, though it took me a while to get into.
The book is an exceptional account of the distorted times people have existed in and still do. In the absence of a safety blanket, the absurdness of ‘being and nothingness’
overlap to a kaleidoscope of raging pandemonium. The unnamed narrator is no exception. The novel is a poignant tale with wry yet subtle humour and sublime mystery at the heart of it along the lines of Dostoevsky and Kafka. This is a fable to be treasured and revisited for generations to come. Since the very existence of human society, the need for self-preservation has driven men to commit crimes. But those crimes were secret deeds, men hushed them up and were ashamed of them. SOME ONE OUGHT TO INVENT A WEAPON which should nullify the effectiveness of any other weapon—the opposite of a weapon, in fact. Ah, if only I were an inventor, what wouldn’t I invent! What a happy place I’d make the world. So ran
my thoughts as I swallowed my sixth schnapps. “How can you ask that of them—to believe in God?” I felt a longing for my home as I saw this. “Only very seldom,” he went on, “does a man become a saint if he has never been wicked. Only very seldom do we find wisdom in one who has never been foolish. And if it weren’t for the little stupidities of life, we shouldn’t find ourselves in the world at all.” Funny, that—I believe
in the Devil, but not in a loving God! Though I’m not sure. I think, rather, that I refuse Him my belief. With my free will. “We are punished and we do not know the reasons for our punishment.” Charming were the thoughts that pierced my heart. My mind had bred them. Apparelled so
becomingly, they danced along and scarcely touched the ground. A ball, a fashionable ball. In pairs they went gliding through the moonlight. Cowardice with Courage, Lies with Uprightness, Wretchedness with Strength, Malice with Valour. Only Reason and Understanding did not join in the dance. Reason and Understanding were wretchedly drunk. They had lost their virtue. But the dance went on, and I listened to the music. The paths of guilt cross each other and intertwine. A maze, a labyrinth—with distorting mirrors at every corner. From my window too, a flag was waving. I noticed it with a certain gratification: I had hung it out the night before. For if you are ruled by the lawless and the debased you had better adopt their methods or they might flay you alive. You must drape your home with flags—even if you’ve a home no longer. When submissiveness is the solitary trait in the human character that those who rule will tolerate, truth flies away and lies creep in—the lies that engender sin. But don’t wait—hang out the flags. Better bread than death. “And so you sit there in your club pouring your scorn on everything, I suppose?” The boy who had wanted to steal the secrets of life and death stood there like an idiot—and as if he were listening to something. “Where are you going?” Wait, my gentle doe! Snow will fall soon, you’ll run nearer to men. But I’ll drive you back into the forest, where the snow lies fathom deep. You’ll stay and hunger there, in ice and frost. Look at me once again, I’ll speak. Birth and death and all that lay between—he must know everything. He would have probed into every secret, but only to remain aloof, with his own contempt. He knew no awe: it was only cowardice which composed his fear. His love for reality was but a hatred for the truth. Suddenly she smiled again and nodded to me.
Aug 03, 2021 lydia rated it it was amazing I thank God for this masterpiece - the best book i've ever read. 😌🤌✨ I thank God for this masterpiece - the best book i've ever read. 😌🤌✨ ...more
Falls squarely into the "should have cut the first 50 pages" basket. The first few chapters contain some fine polemic ("someone should invent a weapon that nullifies other weapons"), but the book really gets going once our narrator stops looking outward, and starts looking at himself. Despite the fascism, the anomy, the picture of disgusting youth (still relevant), the murder, and the turpitude of the narrator, this is ultimately a kind of farcical comedy: the narrator confesses to his wrongdoin Falls squarely into the "should have cut the first 50 pages" basket. The first few chapters contain some fine polemic ("someone should invent a weapon that nullifies other weapons"), but the book really gets going once our narrator stops looking outward, and starts looking at himself. Despite the fascism, the anomy, the picture of disgusting youth (still relevant), the murder, and the turpitude of the narrator, this is ultimately a kind of farcical comedy: the narrator confesses to his wrongdoing, and that confession itself leads, after some time, to a kind of justice. As befits a man who fled the Nazis to Paris but was killed by a falling tree limb in 1939, the justice is bloody and discomforting, but justice nonetheless. The narrator himself enters a life of penitence, which will make very many contemporary readers very uncomfortable, and not in the silly "art must make us uncomfortable" way--instead, in the "life makes me rather too uncomfortable" way. ...more
Situated at the time between the world wars and narrated by an unnamed teacher who struggles with his profession as he slowly watches himself become instrument to the promotion of propaganda - this dark fable belongs to the best books I have ever read. It speaks about the nature of guilt and the meaning of such a term in a perverted/corrupted society, brutalised by a war that lies behind and a holocaust
yet to come. Horvárth's language is simple yet extremely poignant, some of he images he provok It speaks about the nature of guilt and the meaning of such a term in a perverted/corrupted
society, brutalised by a war that lies behind and a holocaust yet to come. Horvárth's language is simple yet extremely poignant, some of he images he provokes will forever be glued to my inner lens and in very short chapters and an artful understatement he drives the story foreward, circeling one of it's main theme's, the existence of god, or of such a thing as meaning in a world that seems to have a become a statement of the absence of both. I am not sure whether Michael Haneke has in
part been inspired by this novella when writing and filming his Oscar winning movie 'Das weiße Band' ( The White Ribbon). However when reading this book, this film would be great company. Both of them I would whole-heartedly recommend.
Aug 13, 2017 Linda rated it liked it 3,5/5. There are some books that most literature lovers think are amazing, but I
cannot quite seem to understand why. This is one of them. The themes are big: truth, God, how youth grew up after WWI, and, as a side-theme (the writer himself establishes in a letter to his friend), the rise of fascism. Also, the book contains some interesting thoughts, and the use of language is poetic at times. This is what is good about the book, and for that, I would give it four stars. However, somehow the sto The themes are big: truth, God, how youth grew up after WWI, and, as a side-theme (the writer himself establishes in a letter to his friend), the rise of fascism. Also, the book contains some interesting thoughts, and the use of language is poetic at times. This is what is good about the book, and for that, I would give it four stars. However, somehow the story
written to support these big themes to me is not enough. Not enough to contemplate thoroughly on the big themes laid out, it also didn't move me enough. I wish it were different, but it isn't. And so this is one of the books that, when reading the excellent critics, makes me wonder: what am I missing?
What is more powerful than truth, and where is God when the truth has been oppressed? These are the questions posed by Horvath's uncharacteristically dark novel. Here we see a world where even the most heroic among us cannot live without being forced to suppress the truth and act often without morality. We also see a line drawn between the crimes and motives of children and those of adults, and which is, in the end, often more terrifying. Deliverance for any of them (or us) can only be found onc What is more powerful than truth, and where is God when the truth has been oppressed? These are the questions posed by Horvath's uncharacteristically dark novel. Here we see a world where even the most heroic among us cannot live without being forced to suppress the truth and act often without morality. We also see a line drawn between the crimes and motives of children and those of adults, and which is, in the end, often more terrifying. Deliverance for any of them (or us) can only be found once we have left that world, either through an emigration of truth or an immigration of the self. ...more
Jun 18, 2019 AlinaC rated it really liked it I thourougly enjoyed this work. It is a book one can read again and
again and each time you will percieve it differently. The reason for giving it 4 out of 5 stars is because I am still forming my own ideas and thoughts and whilst it is a treat to read a, as mentioned before, "ever changing" book, it does present a hassle when one has to rate it. So for now I am reserving (withholding) one star. Overall I really liked this story and would definitly recommend it. I think it is a piece that was res Overall I really liked this story and would definitly recommend it. I think it is a piece that was resonant back
when it came out in the 1930s and it is resonant today. It provides insights on us as individuals and our priorities as well on us as a society. The teacher transforms from a man who withholds himself of critically engaging himself with students, into a man who puts everything on the line for truth. Maybe it is his newfound belive in god or maybe it was just a mere impuls. (SPOILERS - references and qoutes) We see everything through the teachers eyes but little snippets from conversation give us insight on him and his character. For instance when the pupil says:" Die Ansichten des Herrn Lehrers waren mir oft zu jung.(...) Weil der Herr Lehrer immer nur sagte, wie es auf der Welt sein sollte, und nie, wie es wirklich ist." (p.83) The teacher does however hold impact, his sincerity results in the truth of another: "Und wenn der Lehrer nicht die Wahrheit gesagt hätte? (...) Dann hätte ich auch geschwiegen" (p.97) (SPOILER ENDS) For now I will halt here but of course there are several further aspects of relevance e.g. the characters relationship with god, the parents, the allocation of responsibilty etc. ...more
I found this a deeply moving book. It can be regarded as a study of the moral diminution of the generation of young people of Hitler Youth, but that perspective would unfairly limit its
significance. It also raises questions of philosophy and faith and an individual's moral integrity. Von Horváth's book is written from a first-person perspective, the narrator being a teacher who sees students being corrupted by their conformity to a godless, totalitarian state. The teacher wrestles with his own l Von Horváth's book is written from a first-person perspective, the narrator being a teacher who sees students being corrupted by their conformity to a godless, totalitarian state. The teacher wrestles with his own lack of faith; one character says to him, "God is the most terrible thing in the world". For those of us who have a Christian
faith, the book confronts us with the difficult question as to how a good God can allow injustice to afflict the innocent so grossly and cruelly. The Neversink Library edition of this book has a thoughtful introduction by Liesl Schillinger which concludes, "In Youth Without God, with unique sincerity and unique power, von Horváth suggests that men who play God are more terrible still." A significant element of the book's power derives from its depiction of the teacher's confronting of his
own moral cowardice. For me, the high point of the book, emotionally and intellectually, is the chapter in which the teacher resolves that when he takes the stand as a witness in court, he will tell the whole truth despite the certainty that doing so will be at considerable personal cost. Yet far more valuable than whatever he might lose in terms of his job and his reputation is the liberation this decision gives him in following the truth with integrity. The book is thus deeply
thought-provoking and profoundly challenging.
I had never heard of Horvath before this year, and now this is the second book I've read by him? I'm totally blaming Neversink Library. So yes, this is another selection from Neversink LIbrary at Melville House Books. I
tell you, their website is dangerous. Six of the books I've read this year were published by them, five of which I bought (one was from the library), and I have at least one more on my shelves and at least two on back-order. (I'm afraid if I check on the back-orders, I'll end up b So yes, this is
another selection from Neversink LIbrary at Melville House Books. I tell you, their website is dangerous. Six of the books I've read this year were published by them, five of which I bought (one was from the library), and I have at least one more on my shelves and at least two on back-order. (I'm afraid if I check on the back-orders, I'll end up buying five more books, so it's best just to wait.) Okay, so I loved this one. Much more accessible than The Eternal Philistine,
this is a dark, dark story, even without the seedy satire. Youth WIthout God reads more like classic morality tales from Kafka and Camus. It is all the more impressive for its depiction of the heartlessness of the rising Nazi state when one is reminded that it was written before either Germany's annexation of Austria or its invasion of Poland. It's a place where the cruelty of schoolchildren isn't corrected, but encouraged as long as it is in the direction of the scapegoats of the state.
Opinions contrary to official propaganda are suppressed and erased. Individual morality and conscience disappear. So where is there room for God? It would be easy to read this story as simplistic and shallow, because it is so accessible. But there is a lot going on here just under the surface. Mediations on culpability, conviction and man's capacity for evil. A rewarding, but disturbing read.
Jun 28, 2019 Masha rated it it was amazing One of the best books I have ever read! Humanity is definitely not overrated and is actually the only acceptable modus vivendi i. e. way of life. There is no point in education if it does not create open-minded individuals who can think for themselves.
This is a story about guilt and responsibility and the consequence of certain actions. But it is also a story about power and dependency and conformism and emancipation and self-determination. However, Ödön von Horváth is able to integrate all those big themes into a well-paced interesting mystery story. The writing style of this novel is very interesting and unique. Short sentences. Quick dialogues. Short snippets of thoughts. It feels rather hectic and uneasy which nicely adds to the anxious a This is a story about guilt and responsibility and the consequence of certain actions. But it is also a story about power and dependency and conformism and emancipation and self-determination. However, Ödön von Horváth is able to integrate all those big themes into a well-paced interesting mystery story. The writing style of this novel is very interesting and unique. Short sentences. Quick dialogues. Short snippets of thoughts. It feels rather hectic and uneasy which nicely adds to the anxious and tense atmosphere. ...more
Jun 21, 2018 Yvonne rated it really liked it This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 7 out of 10 stars. Interesting little story with a lot of thoughts and symbolism going on. In the end I found it a bit harder to follow as the amount of leaps in the story became a bit too much and it all got a smell of magical realism - besides being a short detective novel as well. It's so nice to pick up reading in German again. 7 out of 10 stars. Interesting little story with a lot of thoughts and symbolism going on. In the end I found it a bit harder to follow as the amount of leaps in the story became a bit too much and it all got a smell of magical realism - besides being a short detective novel as well. It's so nice to pick up reading in German again. ...more
Excellent book. One of the best siren calls for opposing cynicism and fascism I have read. The amorality of capital and the absence of critical thought is heavily skewered here. Why this book and author is not more well-known, I do not know.
This was my first
von Horváth book and I really enjoyed it. A great insight into the mindset of the 1930's German youth. "Sadfact": a lot of things happening in this book reminded me of the world today.. "Sadfact": a lot of things happening in this book reminded me of the world today..
Amazing book - read it in one day :)
It was booooooooring Only two chapters caught my attention
Unwarrantedly confusing. The use of Letters instead of names fucked me up. The overuse of the N word is disturbing. I couldn't grasp what's "revolutionary" about this, like wow basic human decency!! Clap for this white man ;) Unwarrantedly confusing. The use of Letters instead of names fucked me up. The overuse of the N word is disturbing. I couldn't grasp what's "revolutionary" about this, like wow basic human decency!! Clap for this white man ;) ...more
Time Travel One of my favorite aspects of reading is the way it scoops you up and envelopes you in a new culture, setting, or era. I’m a white male. I live in Seattle. My experience is pretty limited. But there’s a small way in which reading fiction from around the globe and from different eras gives me a little bit of perspective from outside myself. Ödön von Horváth’s Youth
Without God offers such a perspective when he excoriates fascism from the inside out. Touching Touchy Subjects Youth Without One of my favorite aspects of reading is the way it scoops you up and envelopes you in a new culture, setting, or era. I’m a white male. I live in Seattle. My experience is pretty limited. But there’s a small way in which reading fiction from around
the globe and from different eras gives me a little bit of perspective from outside myself. Ödön von Horváth’s Youth Without God offers such a perspective when he excoriates fascism from the inside out. Touching Touchy Subjects Youth Without God touches on some touchy subjects. It begins with an unnamed narrator, a schoolteacher charged with shaping the young minds of the next generation. Having graded recent papers, the teacher feels called
to admonish a student for using racist remarks. In all honesty, our narrator was pretty nice about it. This item does not go over well. Facing pressure from the child’s parents, the school
administration, and his students for sabotaging the Fatherland, the teacher must back down or lose his comfortable pension. After this ordeal, the group of students goes on a trip for nationalism training—a good mind needs to know how to fire a gun, so they say. With a neutered authority, the teacher faces a difficult task when a murder occurs. What was his role in the crime? What is he willing to give up for the sake of truth? Horrors of History What’s
interesting about this tale is its connection to the horrors of history. Horváth wrote Youth Without God while in exile from Nazi-ruled Germany. While in many ways allegorical, Youth Without God offers some insights into fascist rule and the indoctrination of the young. All of these horrors circle around a rather negative existential viewpoint. Horváth often repeats the phrase: In essence, the reader
perceives the crushing weight of a system in which God honors the worst in us. We were born sinful and we continue to sin. God’s role in allowing it makes him terrible. Youth Without God sheds light on a horrifying time in our history. Horváth had the opportunity to view fascism up close and his allegorical take on the indoctrination of the young is terrifying and valuable from a perspective basis. Youth Without God isn’t the best book I’ve ever read from a literary
perspective, but it’s certainly worth reading and celebrating as a milepost in world history. Originally published at http://www.wherepenmeetspaper.com
The story of a teacher during the rise of fascism in Germany who is struggling against the requirements of the state to say only certain state-approved
things in the classroom and the growing conviction that his students are all against him, care for nothing but warmongering, and are pretty much soulless little enemies. He goes along as something of a chaperon on a camping trip that is intended to teach the boys how to march, camp, etc. in preparation for war. But an intrigue occurs between two The story of a teacher during the rise of fascism in Germany who is struggling against the requirements
of the state to say only certain state-approved things in the classroom and the growing conviction that his students are all against him, care for nothing but warmongering, and are pretty much soulless little enemies. He goes along as something of a chaperon on a camping trip that is intended to teach the boys how to march, camp, etc. in preparation for war. But an intrigue occurs between two students. All the students are named only by their first initial. The intrigue is between N., who has
proven that he detests the teacher and who is a thoughtless racist, and Z., a somewhat secretive and intelligent boy. The teacher gets sucked in, reads one student's diary, winds up spying on them, and when one student winds up murdered, he is faced with the decision of whether or not to admit what he's done and lose his job or keep silent and protect himself. During the course of these events, he reflects on whether God is present in the midst of all this fascism and if so, in what way. Events
seem to bear out one conclusion on this subject. Maybe it's because the students are only called by their first names, but this slender tale seems more of a thought exercise than a fully-fledged story. It's more atmospheric and philosophical than character-rich. Which I find interesting once in a while, but it's ultimately not the kind of thing I find that sustaining. There was a week or two when I wasn't reading it. I don't fault this tale for anything in its execution, only that this kind of
story is is not my favorite type of fiction. Ödön von Horváth was a German-writing Austro-Hungarian-born playwright and novelist. Important topics in Horváth's works were popular
culture, politics and history. He especially tried to warn of the dawn of fascism and its dangers. Among Horváth's most enduringly popular works, Jugend ohne Gott describes the youth in Nazi Germany from a disgruntled teacher's point of view, who, himself at first a Ödön von Horváth was a German-writing Austro-Hungarian-born playwright and novelist. Important topics in Horváth's works were popular culture, politics and history. He especially
tried to warn of the dawn of fascism and its dangers. Among Horváth's most enduringly popular works, Jugend ohne Gott describes the youth in Nazi Germany from a disgruntled teacher's point of view, who, himself at first an opportunist, is helpless against the racist and militaristic Nazi propaganda that his pupils are subjected to and that de-humanizes them and, at last, loses his job but gains his identity. Having always lived in fear of being struck by lightning, in Paris Horváth was
hit by a falling branch and killed during a thunderstorm on the Champs-Élysées, opposite the Théâtre Marigny. Ödön von Horváth was buried in Saint-Ouen cemetery in northern Paris. In 1988, on the 50th anniversary of his death, his remains were transferred to Vienna and reinterred at the Heiligenstädter Friedhof. Christopher Hampton's play Tales from Hollywood (1984, adapted for television in 1992) portrays a fictional Horváth. He survives the falling branch and moves to the United
States, where expatriate German authors such as Bertolt Brecht and Thomas Mann write for the motion picture industry. News & InterviewsThe college campus has been a popular setting for books since the days of ancient Greece. In fact, Aristotle once wrote a dark academic... “Wenn kein Charakter mehr geduldet wird, sondern nur der Gehorsam, geht die Wahrheit und die Lüge kommt. “Lieber als Arzt wollt ich Lehrer werden. Lieber als kranke heilen, wollte ich gesunden etwas mitgeben, einen winzigen Stein für den Bau einer schönen Zukunft.” — 6 likes More quotes…Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Was ist das Hauptthema von Jugend ohne Gott?Das zentrale Thema ist der Konflikt zwischen Individuum und Gesellschaft in einem totalitären Staat. Am Ende des Romans, der auch von mystisch-religiöser Erfahrung geprägt ist, steht die Erkenntnis, dass Gott gleichbedeutend mit Wahrheit ist. Horváths Stil ist einfach und schnörkellos, dabei bildhaft und assoziativ.
Warum wurde das Buch Jugend ohne Gott verboten?Die Nationalsozialisten verboten Jugend ohne Gott – wegen seiner „pazifistischen Tendenz“ wurde er auf die „Liste des schädlichen und unerwünschten Schrifttums“ gesetzt.
Welche Rolle spielt Gott im Buch Jugend ohne Gott?Gott spielt zwar eine sehr wichtige Rolle in diesem Roman. Dennoch ist Jugend ohne Gott nicht unbedingt ein religiöses Buch. Gott steht hier für die Wahrheit und für das Gewissen des Einzelnen. Die Jugend wird als gottlos bezeichnet, weil sie ohne Gerechtigkeitsempfinden und ohne Mut zur Wahrheit aufwächst.
Was ist mit dem Zeitalter der Fische gemeint?Das Fischezeitalter ist in der Astrologie der Monat im Weltenjahr, der durch den Durchzug des Frühlingspunktes durch den Himmelssektor der Fische (nicht deckungsgleich mit dem Sternbild Fische und nicht zu verwechseln mit dem Tierkreiszeichen) definiert wird.
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Ödön von horvath jugend ohne gott
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