The literary scholar and President of the Hölderlin Society Sabine Doering has been awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study (NDIAS). In this interview, she talks about her research goals and explains what fascinates her about the poet Friedrich Hölderlin.
QUESTION: Mrs Doering, a question for the President of the Hölderlin Society: Does Hölderlin still have something to say to us today?
DOERING: Absolutely! Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843) is one of the most translated German poets today. Many of his great poems remained alien to his contemporaries; his forms and themes seemed too modern, too bold at the time. It was not until the 20th century that people began to develop a greater understanding and admiration for the importance and uniqueness of his poetry. Hölderlin consistently pursued the question of where the modern self can find orientation in a world in which familiar structures are restlessly changing.
QUESTION: Did he find answers?
DOERING: He searched for big, authoritative answers and endured the tension of not always having a suitable solution. Hölderlin created breathtaking historical-philosophical scenarios that connect antiquity with the present and relate the world of the Greek gods to Christianity. This is particularly interesting again today, when we are experiencing the conflicts that arise from the clash of different world views in a completely different constellation. In addition, Hölderlin was more convinced than almost anyone else that our modern, sober world urgently needs art and poetry. He summarised this in the famous question "Why poets in poor times?" Of course, this is still a burning issue, and not just for cultural policy. And very importantly, in Hölderlin's poetry we find some of the most successful, artistic and simply most beautiful poems we have in the German language.
QUESTION: You have been awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study (NDIAS) at the University of Notre Dame (Indiana, USA), beating 1,000 other applicants. What does that mean for you?
DOERING: This is a great honour and recognition of my research, which I am very pleased about. At the same time, it is also a strong obligation and an incentive to concentrate on my work, because such a selection also involves a great deal of responsibility. I also see it as a clear confirmation that German studies really is an international discipline. I have been working closely with colleagues from various countries, especially from the USA, for a long time. I am particularly looking forward to working closely with highly committed and renowned colleagues from various disciplines at the University of Notre Dame, which is known for its strong research policy. And, of course, I am also a little proud that our Carl von Ossietzky University has a good reputation at one of the leading US universities.
QUESTION: At the University of Notre Dame, you will be working on the topic of "Concepts of Blessing in Hölderlin's Poetry".
DOERING: This topic has been close to my heart for a long time. Hölderlin had received an excellent theological education, but he never wanted to become a pastor and never did. But as much as he distanced himself from many Christian dogmas and as unconventional as he thought in many ways, his world view was never entirely this-worldly. For him, there is always a sphere outside our empirical world that is beyond human influence. He often reflected on how dangerous it can be to get too close to the divine. On the other hand, for Hölderlin, the blessing is a sign of a successful connection between humans and that which is beyond or above our world. I would like to examine these ideas more closely and understand them in the context of the history of theology and literature.
QUESTION: How important are methodological questions to you?
DOERING: Very important. How can we speak of the concepts and experiences of Christian blessing in the modern world? What possibilities of referring to acts of blessing and experiences of blessing are possible today, even in the face of encounters and confrontations between different belief systems? When does talk of blessing become a metaphor, when does it become an empty phrase? What function can modern poetry in particular fulfil in conveying different experiences of blessing, and how can interpretations that are to be accepted by readers with different backgrounds react to this? These are questions that have a lot to do with Hölderlin and at the same time go far beyond him. Incidentally, the topic of "Hölderlin and religion" is highly topical. In June this year, we, the Hölderlin Society, are organising a major international conference on this very topic in Constance.
QUESTION: You are allowed to spend four months researching in the USA as part of the scholarship. What results and insights do you hope to gain from your stay?
DOERING: The working conditions there are ideal, if only because of the generous and intensive support in all practical matters and the extensive university library, which is outstandingly well equipped in the humanities and especially in theology and all related fields. But even more important will be the regular exchange with the other fellows and colleagues on site. Part of the NDIAS concept is the regular transdisciplinary exchange between the academics who work there. I am sure that this will open up new perspectives for me and that together, in an inspiring environment, we will achieve results that would be difficult to find on our own. The approach of the NDIAS is very appealing to me: it supports projects that open up large and fundamental questions, especially those of normative importance. This also includes the question of how religious experiences can be spoken of in poetry, how religion and art relate to each other. That's why I already know: The stimulating atmosphere there will advance my work.