| Abstract [eng] |
This thesis aims to discuss the image of Lithuania from a literary point of view as presented in the German travel guide by DuMont. The following is an attempt to find out in what form the Lithuanian literary landscape is shaped to German readers. The chosen approach draws on both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis. After it is proven that travel guides play an essential role in cultural exchange, attention is drawn to a large variety of travel guides about Lithuania on the German travel guide market. It was then found that the DuMont travel guide contained numerous examples of literary content in all four different subtexts. In addition to this, they exhibited a very strong heterogeneity in terms of their geographical distribution, linguistic landscape and the amount of text dedicated to them. A total of 31 authors appear in this travel guide, primarily in the Vilnius and Klaipėda areas and represent a variety of linguistic backgrounds: There were not only Germans and Lithuanians, but also Russian, Polish, Latin and French-speaking authors. However, a noticeable dominance of the representatives of the German-speaking world can be observed in the travel guide in question: among them are primarily Mann, Sudermann and Dach. Although some attention is given to Lithuanians as well, they are usually mentioned outside of Vilnius and other larger cities, which primarily included mentions of foreign authors, such as Mickiewicz, who is mentioned 3 times in the travel guide. The Polish poet, along with Maironis, Baranauskas and Milosz, also belong to the group of people most extensively described throughout the text. The amount of text dedicated to the authors varies greatly - some descriptions convey only a very limited amount of information. To summarize, it can be concluded that the DuMont travel guide on Lithuania is characterized by the prevalence of numerous literature-related elements. The literary landscape of Lithuania shows a strong heterogeneity and serves to create the impression of being cosmopolitan. The example of DuMont illustrates that some travel guides targeting average German tourists without any particular interest in literature, also dedicate a significant amount of attention to literature when describing the country in question. |
