Focus Scientific Research

Wider research context: Albert Drach (1902–1995) rates among the most eminent Austrian writers of the 20th century. The first scholarly commented edition of his complete works in 10 volumes – compiled on the basis of FWF-financed research projects and published by the prestigious Viennese publisher Paul Zsolnay – shall be finished by 2022. It shows Drach not only as the renowned prose writer, but also as an impressive playwright. Since his dramas have been out of print for so many decades, Drach is hardly known as a playwright. Apart from the two-volume-edition of his dramas (2022), there are still eight unpublished dramas.

Hypotheses: The late drama texts relate well-known narrative material derived from mythology, fairy tales or legends to contemporary matters and comprise a self-contained group of themes. Publishing these dramas in a third volume by Zsolnay, Drach’s dramatic art can be conceived as entity, yet subdivided into three groups: historical plays (“outward disguises”), abstract plays (“inward disguises”) and political plays based on traditional narrative material (“fairy plays”). In a monograph on Drach’s dramas the overall concept of his dramatic art is made visible, as well as its manifold intertextual relations and Drach as an eminent political writer.

Methods: The late dramas will be edited for the first time, based on the final versions available in Drach’s estate at the Literary Archives of the Austrian National Library. The epilogue includes the description of the genesis of the texts, a textual commentary, the biographical and historic context, intertextual relations, a bibliography, and facsimiles. The epilogue and parts of the primary texts, will be
accessible online.
The monograph, to be edited by a special publisher as well as by open access, consists of four parts: a comparative analysis working out the specific aesthetic features of each of the three drama groups; an intratextual analysis outlining the historic and contemporary references, the main topics of Drach’s complete works and their participation in contemporary discourse; an intertextual analysis relating the dramas to world literature. The specific comic and erotic elements of his dramas, his cynicism and anarchic moral philosophy are examined to make Drach evident as a political writer.

Innovation: The project brings the study edition to a conclusion and gives a profound introduction into Drach's complete dramas. The monograph outlines their comical devices and political aspects and contextualizes them in post-exile literature. It is also a dramaturgical compendium for practical theatre work.

Primary researchers involved: The project will be performed by Alexandra Millner with the
cooperation of Eva Schobel at the Institute of Language Arts.