German and Austrian exile literature in Belgium 1933-1945 : topography and perspectives

This essay is devoted to a survey of German and Austrian exile literature in Belgium from 1933 to 1945, a field that has been unexplored so far. Belgium happens to be quite a difficult case study, because of the provisional and transitory character of exile for writers attracted largely by the neighboring countries of France and the Netherlands. However, it is possible to organize a significant volume of materials outlining a topography of exile following, on the one hand, the geographical principle of settlement (Brussels, Antwerp, Ostende), and on the other hand, the principle of political networks (communist, “humanist”). Particular attention will be paid to the Austrian presence following the Anschluss in 1938, including not only Jean Améry but also the forgotten roman à clef of Hertha Ligeti, Die Sterne verlöschen nicht (1959). At another level the Belgian case, and especially Améry and Ligeti's works, will help contribute to a reflection on shifting identities and boundaries in literature of the exile in contrast to travel literature