Das Bild des Fürsten Imre Thökölys und Ungarns in der deutschsprachigen Literatur am Ende des 17. Jahrhunderts

Abstract

Hungary as a topic has been present in the German-speaking literature, although the 17th century represented a turning point of the perception of Hungary. At this time the war was a constant part in the everyday life of the society: firstly the Thirty Year’s War (1618–1648), secondly the English Civil War (1640– 1688) and last but not least the great Turkish War in Hungary (1683–1699). So the domestic problems of these countries were discussed intensively in the international press. The home affairs of Hungary were a main topic in the German-speaking journals: in the portfolio of the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel approximately 1,500 titles can be found, which high-lighted Hungary, the Hungarian circumstances as the great Turkish War, Magnates’ Conspiracy or the Thököly-betray. Eberhard Werner Happel’s Der Ungarische Kriegs-Roman, which has 6 parts, is – due to its genre and length – a very special article in the HAB’s collection. Eberhard Werner Happel (1647–1690) was one of the most productive and hardworking author of the later baroque era, who was neglected in the German literature in the following decades and century. The following paper would like to introduce what kind of Hungaryimage Happel could create. The main question of this presentation is: how does Happel display the Thököly-betrayal? The international publicity was scandalized at this step and Thököly’s disloyal behavior was put forward. The intensive presence of these topics impressed Happel, who worked from secondary sources. So Thököly and his policy appear with a great focus in Happel’s novel and Hungary-image.