Causerie

The Causerie (Latin causa " (Ur) matter "; French causer " chat " ) is a fun, educated conversation in a literary or company form. In most cases these are short, informal essay work or lectures; mainly that is: in journalistic or literary themes.

Origin, History

The common throughout Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries expression originates from a famous collection of essays by the French writer and literary critic Charles -Augustin Sainte -Beuve ( 1804-1869 ), titled Causeries du lundi. This then 28 -volume collection first appeared continuously from 1849 to 1869 in a weekly column of approximately 3000 words. Her copy she brought a professorship, the appointed Senator and lasting fame (see article in the Encyclopedia Britannica ).

The literary device to convey ways of thinking of his characters through dialogue is referred to in Theodor Fontane as the technique of Causerie.

Contemporary examples

In today's succession of journalistic Causerie are eg the sidelight of the Süddeutsche Zeitung and the Political feuilleton in Germany Radio Berlin. In book form are exemplary some of the books Sir Peter Ustinov and the literary critical work Marcel Reich Ranicki - assign the. On the Internet, the match the more demanding among the blogs ( online diaries ).

In Switzerland ( especially in the German-speaking cantons ), and in France and Great Britain the term is very common for informal discussion groups and meetings. This ranges from maternal self-help groups to medium-sized corporate presentations to private viewings, soirees over Neoliberalism, literature circles, or jazz musicians mentioned Causerie sessions. In southern Germany and eastern Germany we find the term also active as a local social event. Here dominate institutional forms, eg, as an academic Causerie the Academy of Sciences, as a cultural Causerie the town clerk in Mainz ( Mainz town clerk ), litteraire as Causerie or musicale of the local community colleges. Even in Finland and in Japan, this term is a solid tradition of cultural exchange, what is the web research.