Bridging Worlds: Anna-Halja Horbatsch's Literary Translation and the Construction of Ukrainian Cultural Memory

• In Event: Exploring Cultural Memory: Collection, Construction, and Continuity in Modern Ukrainian Literature

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to the analysis of the representation of Ukrainian cultural memory in the literary and critical works of Anna-Halja Horbatsch. By translating and analyzing Ukrainian literature for German-speaking audiences, Horbatsch played an important role in shaping the perception of Ukrainian literary heritage beyond national borders. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of cultural memory (Jan Assmann) and individual and collective memory (Maurice Halbwachs), this study also considers literary transfer as a form of intercultural mediation. The analysis highlights how Horbatsch’s paratexts and metatexts serve as mechanisms for preserving and transmitting Ukraine’s literary tradition. Her work not only sought to integrate Ukrainian literature into a broader European discourse but also emphasized the significance of memory in the intellectual and literary production of the Ukrainian diaspora.

Author

• Mariia Ivanytska, Taras Shevchenko National U of Kyiv (Ukraine)