A Modernist in Exile

H. G. Adler (Prague, 1910–London, 1988), a survivor of Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, and two other Nazi concentration camps, is unique for his scholarly and creative approach to the traumas of the Second World War. While Adler became a pioneer in the now well-established field of Holocaust studies, he was nearly forgotten as a prolific author of poetry and prose. The tables have turned in recent years. English translations of his major fictional works have led to an international literary reception. At the same time, his groundbreaking historical work deserves renewed attention.

This edited volume elucidates Adler’s complex reception history and is the first comprehensive interdisciplinary publication that responds to his new international acclaim. In addition to offering innovative perspectives on Adler’s individual works, the major intervention of the volume is the examination and contextualization of Adler’s significant contributions to literary modernism and scholarly investigations of persecution and genocide under National Socialism.

Lynn L. Wolff is Assistant Professor of German Studies at Michigan State University.