Carl Hanser Verlag as an intermediary of Polish literature in West Germany between 1945 and 1990

The cultural transfer of Polish literature to West Germany would be/is inconceivable without Carl Hanser Verlag

The Munich-based Carl Hanser Verlag was one of the most important publishers in the 1950s and 1960s when it came to promoting Polish literature in West Germany. The fact that - from the 1950s onwards (after a period of German classics' editions) - the Hanser Verlag focused also on Polish literature seems to be baffling. However, this decision was all the more important, because Polish literature in translation often built bridges to Poland's neighbors after the end of World War II and paved the way for a new phase in the German-Polish dialogue aimed at reconciliation. This publishing policy was maintained over the following decades. Daniel Pietrek analyzes and describes this unique cultural transfer in his study.