Surrealism’s Undercurrents: German Connections and Affinities

Otago German Studies, Vol. 32 (March 2025)

This edited volume marks the centennial of Surrealism with a focus on its ties to German culture. Essays in German and English explore the movement’s roots in German Romanticism, particularly through Novalis, and its reception by German critics and writers such as Walter Benjamin and Walter Serner. Contributors examine Surrealism’s intersections with avant-garde currents like Dada and New Objectivity, as well as the artistic innovations of Max Ernst. The volume also features a personal narrative, inspired by Walter Benjamin’s “profane illumination,” recounting early encounters with surrealist books in remainder markets. A concluding essay analyzes Surrealism’s influence on the aesthetics of the TV series Hannibal.

The collection opens with an original German story by Benedikt Wolf, followed by an interview with the author, and is complemented by a cover painting by Manfred Melitta Poppe, adding a creative dimension to this scholarly work. Extending this artistic engagement, the volume closes with an insert featuring a selection of original photographs by Chicago-based artist Tom Denlinger, and a short exegesis.