Abstract:
The “Polnische Bibliothek” – launched by the Polish Cultural Institute in Darmstadt, cofunded by the Robert Bosch Foundation and published by Suhrkamp Verlag – represents
a unique attempt to introduce Polish literature to the German-language book market.
Zajas examines the project’s historical, political and institutional context. Drawing on
unpublished correspondence between contributors he highlight understudied processes
pertaining to the transfer of Polish literature into the German-language cultural field and
addresses the need for a conceptualisation of such phenomena. His methodological
framework is based on the notion of histoire croisée, adapted in this case to the study
of a translation’s production. The point of departure is the work of the many individuals
involved, their conflicts and their attempts to solve them.
