Ludwig Thoma, the controversial man of letters – Bavaria

The 100th anniversary of Ludwig Thoma’s death (August 26th) once again fueled the debate about the controversial writer. Thoma has undoubtedly left lasting traces as a novelist, satirist and publicist; he was ennobled as a Bavarian poet during his lifetime. His novels, short stories and plays are still very popular. However, the author of the rascal stories, the Münchner im Himmel and the Holy Night, has two faces, which became known in the 80s. At that time, Thoma was the author of 170 inflammatory articles in the Miesbacher Anzeiger exposed. From then on, the question was whether streets and schools should continue to be named after him and whether his bust should remain in the Hall of Fame in Munich. The perplexity of how to deal with him continues.

Against this background, the journalist Franz-Josef Rigo and the literary scholar Klaus Wolf have now published a volume in which leading Thoma experts present the current state of scientific discussion. Last August, at a symposium in Miesbach, it became clear that Thomas’ work and, above all, his estate have by no means been completely researched. For this reason alone, Rigo demands: “We have to deal with Ludwig Thoma in a differentiated manner!”

Thoma certainly looked beyond the old Bavarian horizons

In the book he himself deals with Thoma as the protagonist of the German Fatherland Party, of which he was a founding member. This fact has also received little attention so far. In addition, many women’s stories and affairs stick to Thoma, the motives of which (unfulfilled dreams) Rigo and Gertrud Maria Rösch shed light on. Michael Stephan deals with the difficult relationship between the triumvirate Ganghofer, Thoma and Queri, Michael Pilz illuminates Thomas Fehde with his competitor Josef Ruederer (Thoma: “We didn’t like each other!”).

When one tries to get to the heart of Thomas’ work, many key terms come to mind, writes Rigo, but it can never succeed in capturing the totality of this person with all its contradictions. Thoma remains a figure full of ambivalences who died too early to recognize the chance of the new in the sinking of the old. Moreover, his oppressive anti-Semitism, which radicalized after 1918, was in no way due to a possible provinciality. Thoma had certainly looked beyond the old Bavarian horizons and even traveled to North Africa by bike. The cold-bloodedness that Rigo attests to him and the ability to write the Holy Night emphasize the ambivalence of this man.

In the assessment of Thomas, literary studies bear a great responsibility, write Rigo and Wolf. A damnatio memoriae, an annihilation, would, in view of Thomas’ continued popularity, fail to achieve good political intent in the sense of dangerous repression.

Franz-Josef Rigo, Klaus Wolf (Ed.): Ludwig Thoma. Between regulars and erotic, satire and poetry, Volk Verlag, 2021, 19.90 euros.

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