Nostalgia in the 1930's prose by Joseph Roth

This thesis explores the feeling of nostalgia found in the works by Joseph Roth from the 1930's, namely in two novels (Radetzky March, The Emperor's Tomb) and one novella (The Bust of the Emperor). The main concern of the thesis is the Habsburg nostalgia and the longing for the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy that the author of these works experienced. The first part describes nostalgia (not only from a psychological but also from a philosophical point of view) and its occurrence in literature, especially in the German-written literature of the period after the First World War. The next chapters deal with the author and the historical context of the period. Joseph Roth's views and opinions were greatly influenced by various historical events and his life experiences, so this section outlines an overview of Austrian history relating to each of the three books, as well as the author's life journey. The second part of the thesis analyses the three above mentioned books from the perspective of the Habsburg nostalgia and the longing for the Austro-Hungarian monarchy through the eyes of the author but also from the perspective of the nostalgia of the individual characters who appear in the books. Some of the characters even share the author's attitudes and opinions. The analysis is supported by excerpts..