Translingualism and Traumatic Memory: Estranging Perspectives in German-Language Literature from Eastern Europe

Abstract

The article investigates the relationship between traumatic memory and translingualism in German-language works of contemporary authors with a migratory background from Eastern Europe. It argues that a language “other” than one’s native tongue can provide an emotional estrangement suitable for representing unspeakable traumatic memories. The analysis focuses on three family novels that, in addition to reconstructing traumatic family memories, address multilingualism through metalinguistic reflections: Das besondere Gedächtnis der Rosa Masur (2001) by Vladimir Vertlib, Sogar Papageien überleben uns (2010) by Olga Martynova, and Das achte Leben (für Brilka) (2014) by Nino Haratischwili. Through self-translation, emotional distancing, and transcultural references, multilingual literature offers an alternative vision of history to traditional mono-national narratives, contributing to the understanding and overcoming of both collective and individual trauma.