Saisonbeginn

The short story " beginning of the season " by Elisabeth Langgässer, which was published in " The Torso" in 1947, is about the anti-Semitism of the inhabitants of a spa that is brought by putting up a sign at the entrance to the expression. The story is attributable to the literary epoch of the debris literature. The story is mainly about finding a place where the sign comes to its best advantage. At the beginning of the story, the spa is described, which is in the mountains. The whole village, which makes important preparations shortly before the season starts, adjusts to the tourists who will arrive soon. Since the sign is intended to serve as a focal point for all tourists of the resort, the workers decide ultimately for asking the plate next to the wooden cross with Christ. While the workers put up the sign, help them schoolchildren who pass by. When the plate is then placed, nuns, women and gentlemen come by. For most of them it does not matter what the sign says, or they are amused. At the end of the story is the nameplate. All three workers look again satisfied on the plate back reads: " Jews are not wanted in this Town ".

Interpretation approach

The story mainly describes only the erection of the sign, but are the focus of the reactions of the residents of the spa; these are the ones that can not keep the other hand, that the workers put up the sign.

Elisabeth Langgässer here describes the spa in a beautiful way overdone, so this particularly pointing out the contrast to the " ugliness " of the shield and its implications. A contradiction arises from the fact that the spa one hand, " any " is to be open, but on the other hand, Jews are now undesirable.

The statement of the shield is still problematized in more depth, because the workers want to set it up right next to a crucifix. At this crucifix Jesus is stapled over it the inscription INRI, which in German means " Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Paradoxically, the workers for reasons of space have to set up the sign so that the cross outside the spa town where Jews are not coming to stand: it is thus also obviously a pointed way that Christianity with its teachings of charity and humanity no place more in places has, where certain groups of people considered undesirable.

In addition, the author of many biblical references in their history here, as for example with the following passage: " ... invited again to post on their shoulders," Jesus carried the cross ( = post) on the shoulders. Another obvious reference is the fact that all parties do not act against the formation of the cross. Thus, they actually do not know what a paradox they permit: A sign, which forbids the Jews to enter the village, next to the " King of the Jews ". Thus, a reference to Luke 23:34 is prepared which states as follows: " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"

The motive of anti-Semitism

The focus of this story lies in the reactions of people on the plate and on their anti-Semitism. After all, the sign should be right on top of the place a symbol for people. On this plate, however, there is a set of anti-Jewish, but instead of saying something about it, the residents ignore it, go further confused or laugh about it. In the short story parallels the life of Elisabeth Langgässer let them go, because she was half Jewish and her daughter Jewish. Langgässer criticized in " start of season " the hypocritical double standard of the inhabitants of the village, although they want to outwardly present themselves as good Christians, but at the same time discriminate against Jews.