Vom Beobachten und ›Schreiben‹ einer literarischen Kultur. Ruhm und metaphorische Räume in J.M.R. Lenzens Pandämonium Germanicum

Summary

J.M.R. Lenz’ satirical drama Pandämonium Germanicum comes out at the turning point between a morally bound literature that is seen as a branch of inherited knowledge and a newly conceived ›autonomous literature‹ written by genies. It is also designed to convey Lenz’ concept of a new tragedy or epic inspired by Christianism. This is effected by transforming traditional metaphors of the Parnass and other literary landscapes in a way that can be illustrated by the use of analogous metaphors in later social studies of science. In particular, the transformations of the concept of fame that seem necessary to emancipate literature from moral restrictions follow the dynamics of replacement of ›old‹ by ›new‹ knowledge which Bruno Latour has illustrated by his metaphor Janus — which in itself ressembles a ›remake‹ of fama.