Documentation of literary Documentary Fiction

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[ Knižní tip Karin S. Wozonig ] Jürg Jenatsch (1596-1639) is a historical figure. He was a reformed pastor who became a freedom fighter in the battle for independence in the Grisons (Graubünden) during the Thirty Years’ War. Based on Jenatsch’s life, the Swiss author C. F. Meyer (born in 1825) wrote an interesting historical novel with psychologically complex characters. After Jenatsch loses his wife in an “honour killing”, which is depicted in a depressingly lapidary way - her family was Catholic and her brother shot the young woman while she was at her husband’s side –, he becomes fanatical about fighting for the liberation of his fatherland from Catholic oppression. What begins as the anger of a folk hero at the upper class develops, over the course of the novel, into a social climber’s craze for power - he plots and schemes his way up. Now more concerned with displaying his abilities and achievements, Jenatsch is increasingly indifferent to the welfare of the people, and this makes his vows to them no longer seem genuine. He’ll literally stop at nothing to raise his political esteem. This goal in mind, he even betrays the good and popular Duke of Rohan and, in a deal with the Habsburgs, switches sides confessionally.  The hero of the book is an unsympathetic character, but Meyer still succeeds in making the admiration plausible that even those who fear or see through him feel in his presence. No matter where he appears, Jenatsch is always the greatest, best looking and most courageous. And while the others may ride nervous mounts, Jenatsch is in command of his foaming black stallion. Even when a stormy gale sweeps the land he is confident of victory. It fits that Lucretia still loves Jenatsch even though he killed her father - as do the tears wept by his friend Waser, the future mayor, over the fact that Jenatsch has turned Catholic, to increase his fame. At the end of the novel there’s a revenge murder, and the ambivalent hero’s downfall is imminent when he ruthlessly disregards the opinions of everyone around him one last time and insists on holding a celebration in his honour.  In Jürg Jenatsch the narrator takes an aloof stance towards all the novel’s characters. This perspective makes the absurdity of this religious war and the brutality with which political interests were asserted extremely evident.

[ Informace ] Meyer, Conrad Ferdinand : Jürg Jenatsch. (original language: Deutsch) Insel, 1988 .