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August von Kotzebues transnationales Erbe und die intersektionale Literaturgeschichtsschreibung

A fresh look at August von Kotzebue reveals how deeply transnational, mobile and complex the literary landscape around 1800 truly was. This new article challenges the narrow canon of “Weimar Classicism” by tracing Kotzebue’s international impact, his hybrid dramatic forms, and the gendered networks that shaped his reception. By approaching his career through an intersectional lens, it opens a path toward a more inclusive and European literary historiography. Presented at the GSA Seminar “Literaturgeschichte intersektional weiterschreiben” (Arlington, VA, 2025), the piece invites readers to rethink what—and who—belongs at the centre of literary history.

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August von Kotzebue – Der Spätheimkehrer, oder: Ubi bene, ibi patria?

What does “home” mean for a writer who moved with ease between Weimar, Vienna, St Petersburg and Berlin—celebrated on international stages yet increasingly mistrusted in his homeland? In this guest contribution, Frieder Sondermann (Sendai, Japan) explores August von Kotzebue’s letters to the Viennese theatre secretary Carl J. S. Escherich, uncovering a world of theatrical logistics, censorship politics, and finely tuned social manoeuvring.
Presented at “Kotzebue Picnic 2025: Homecoming,” the essay offers a vivid portrait of a restless author whose repeated returns only deepened the question: ubi bene, ibi patria? A rich glimpse into theatre culture around 1800—and into the emotional geography of a man navigating the shifting borders of his age.

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Verkleidung, Erinnerung und Versöhnung: Die virtuose Heimkehr in Kotzebues “Epigramm” (1798)

Blending the biblical parable of the prodigal son with echoes of Homer’s Odyssey, Kotzebue’s play “Das Epigramm” (1798) stages homecoming as disguise, recognition, and reconciliation. Discover how satire, sentiment, and autobiographical allusion converge in one of the playwright’s most inventive explorations of return.

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Verkleidet zurück: Odysseus und die Wiederkehr des Mythos bei Kotzebue

What happens when a long-lost husband steps out of the shadows—at a masked ball? In “Die Masken” (1813), August von Kotzebue transforms Homer’s Odysseus into a colonial returnee and places Penelope among the suitors once more. This blog post “Masked Returns and Mythical Echoes: Odysseus Reimagined “ explores Kotzebue’s rich and ironic reworkings of the homecoming motif, tracing explicit references to Penelope across his plays and prose. From theatrical disguises to literary homage, Kotzebue invites us to reencounter ancient myth in the domestic dramas of modernity.

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Das Heimkehrmotiv in Kotzebues Einaktern: Struktur und Bedeutung eines wiederkehrenden Themas

In this guest contribution, offered as a virtual gift for the Picnic, Dîlan Canan Çakir (Berlin) examines how Kotzebue skillfully weaves the motif of homecoming into his plays—not merely as a plot device, but as a reflection of social and cultural tensions. Drawing on research from the digital one-act play database (1740–1850), she reveals how this theme runs through Kotzebue’s work, shaping emotional intensity and driving dramatic resolutions. From heartfelt reunions to unexpected turns, discover how Kotzebue’s one-acts harness the theme of homecoming to ignite conflict, evoke emotion, and ultimately restore harmony—all within the tight, fast-moving world of the one-act play.

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Virtuelles Kotzebue-Picknick und Workshop: Heimkehr

For the first time, the Kotzebue Picnic will take place in the birthplace of the writer himself, focusing on the rich and complex theme of homecoming. The event will highlight literary, cultural, and performative perspectives, reflecting Kotzebue’s own ambivalent relationship with returning home – at once ironic, emotional, and socially charged. An international and interdisciplinary programme invites you to rediscover biographical moments, literary characters, and cultural ties through a fresh lens. Join us for an inspiring event where literature, history, and society come together for a truly engaging experience. Don’t miss this chance to explore the many layers of homecoming.

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Mitmachen! Kotzebue Picknick 2025

Join us for the third Kotzebue Picnic 2025: Homecoming on 17–18 July in Weimar and online. We invite short intellectual, artistic or performative contributions—live readings, pre-recorded presentations, workshop papers or written pieces—to enrich our scholarly gathering. Please submit a 300-word proposal by 7 June 2025 (indicating format and mode). Celebrate with us the spirit of return, remembrance and creative transformation.