Coal Texts. Coal as an Energy Source in German-Language Literature after 1945

Habilitation (second book)

• worked out by Antonia Villinger
• Cohort 1 (since 2022)

Coal Texts. Coal as an Energy Source in German-Language Literature after 1945

The climate crisis and the demand for an energy transition are significantly shaping the current socio-political discourse. In this context, questions about energy supply in particular are taking center stage, which is why the choice of different energy sources and the resulting effects on the environment, society and the economy are being discussed intensively. This change can be clearly observed in the public reception of coal as an energy source; after all, there is a controversial debate about whether closed down coal mines should be put back into operation.

Literature also plays a central role in these discussions, as it critically examines the relationship between humans and the environment and reflects on socio-historical and cultural-political issues. The research project is dedicated to these social, economic and ecological transformation processes and the resulting contemporary cultures. Following research contributions from the Environmental and Energy Humanities, Material Studies and Ecocriticism, the research project’s aim is to comprehensively examine the representation of coal as an energy source in German-language literature after 1945.