THE EAST IN WESTERN CONTEXT: ADAPTATION OF ORIENTAL IMAGES IN GERMAN LITERATURE OF THE 19TH-20TH CENTURIES

Abstract

This article examines the processes of penetration and adaptation of Oriental images in German literature of the 19th-20th centuries. The focus is on historical and cultural factors that contributed to the integration of Eastern imagery, as well as their influence on the development of German literature and the formation of new aesthetic paradigms. The paper analyzes the role of translations, the influence of Eastern philosophy and literature, and the significance of Romanticism as a movement that opened Western authors to the perception of Eastern themes. The works of authors such as Goethe, Heine, Ruckert, Rilke, and Celan are examined in the context of their engagement with Eastern traditions. The research establishes that Oriental images in German literature served not only as tools for aestheticization but also as means for understanding global philosophical and cultural issues, enriching Germany's literary heritage.