Xianlin Ji Livres

In contemporary China, the Cultural Revolution remains a delicate topic, little discussed, but if a Chinese citizen has read one book on the subject, it is likely to be Ji's memoir. When The Cowshed was published in China in 1998, it quickly became a bestseller. The Cultural Revolution had nearly disappeared from the collective memory. Prominent intellectuals rarely spoke openly about the revolution, and books on the subject were almost nonexistent. By the time of Ji's death in 2009, little had changed, and despite its popularity, The Cowshed remains one of the only testimonies of its kind.

TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks, as well as studies that provide new insights by approaching language from an interdisciplinary perspective. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing. To discuss your book idea or submit a proposal, please contact Birgit Sievert.

Der kürzlich verstorbene chinesische Gelehrte Ji Xianlin hat das Deutschlandbild von Generationen von Chinesen bis heute maßgeblich beeinflusst. Über seine Zeit in Göttingen von 1935 – 1945 schrieb er in den 80er Jahren ein Buch, in dem er, trotz negativer Erfahrungen während der nationalsozialistischen Diktatur, ein differenziertes Bild von Deutschland und der Göttinger Wissenschaft zeichnet. Dies führte zu einem starken Anstieg der Zahl der Studierenden aus China in Göttingen, die im Jahr 2008 bei 400 lag. In seinen Erinnerungen, die im Oktober zur Frankfurter Buchmesse erstmals in deutscher Übersetzung erschienen sind, bezeichnet Prof. Dr. Ji Göttingen und seine Universität als zweite Heimat.