Herman Bang og det sydøstlige Europa – med særligt henblik på Østrig

Abstract

This article presents an in-depth account of the Danish writer Herman Bang’s preoccupation with southeastern Europe and, in particular, Austria. Visiting the various countries served as a source of artistic inspiration but also presented Bang with material which he, also being a prolific journalist, could utilise for writing articles for various Danish newspapers. These articles, a large selection of which are quoted in the present article, contain snapshots of picturesque sceneries and cultural sites as well as commentaries on political issues during a period when a number of countries under the Austrian-Hungarian Empire were in the process of gaining national independence. Furthermore, the present article has traced and documented the instances where Bang in his fictional work includes observations from his many journeys to the southeastern countries as well as Austria. The article concludes with the first bibliography listing Bang’s works which over the years have been translated from Danish to Bulgarian, Czech, Hungarian and Romanian as well as texts published in Austria.