Genre(less)ness of Berlin Childhood around 1900 by Walter Benjamin

Abstract

The aim of this article is to confront the problem of the unclear genre identity of the works that make up the cycle Berliner Kindheit um neunzehnhundert (Berlin Childhood around 1900) by the well-known German philosopher and writer Walter Benjamin. The short autobiographical prose forms included in this collection are sometimes referred to in German as Erinnerungsepisoden (reminiscence episodes), Denkbilder (images of thoughts) or Prosaminiaturen (prose miniatures), but basically none of the terms proposed by researchers conveys their specificity. According to the author, a possible reason for the “genrelessness” of these texts is to be found in the theory of memory adhered to by Benjamin, which lies at their genesis. The intellectual situation prevailing at the turn of the 20th century (a crisis of thinking about literature, especially prose, through the prism of genre norms, a “turn towards objects” in literature and phenomenology) also influenced their difficult genre classification. Benjamin himself referred to his works in his self-commentaries and correspondence as “Stücke” which can be translated as “fragments” or “pieces.” Thus, we are faced with an interesting case where the author himself creates a genre name for his own texts that did not previously exist in the tradition. These considerations lead to the conclusion that it was more important for the writer to present a specific thought, consisting of an object, place, or event from the author’s childhood recalled from his memories, which formed the basis of the works examined, than to fulfil the criteria of a particular genre. Indeed, Benjamin, wanting to focus solely on illustrating his memories, limited the number of factors that could distract the reader from the objects and situations to which he “gives voice.” He therefore turns away from giving the clear message that the choice of genre available in the genology carries with it.