Keepers of the motherland

Keepers of the Motherland is the first comprehensive study of German and Austrian Jewish women authors. Dagmar Lorenz begins with Yiddish author Glikl Hamil, whose works date from the late-seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, and progresses to contemporary writers like Grete Weil, Katja Behrens, and Ruth Klüger. She examines a remarkable range of distinguished authors, including Else Lasker-Schüler, Rosa Luxemburg, Nelly Sachs, and Gertrud Kolmar. While highlighting each author's individuality, Lorenz unifies her study by focusing on how these writers reflect on their identities as Jews and women. She argues that the themes and characters in their texts resist patriarchal structures. The term "motherland" represents the Jewish woman's native language, transcending political or ethnic boundaries, while "fatherland" refers to the power structures of the nation or state. Lorenz describes a vital, diverse, and largely dissident literary tradition—a brilliant countertradition that has persisted despite oppression and genocide. By combining meticulous research with inspired synthesis, Lorenz offers an indispensable resource for students of German, Jewish, and women’s writings.