The “tactful revolution” or the representation of the 25th of April in the novel Schwerenöter (1987) by Hanns-Josef Ortheil

Abstract

At a time when the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April is still being celebrated, it seems appropriate to revive the memory of the reception of such a relevant historical event in German literature. Consequently, this study revisits the novel Schwerenöter (1987), by Hanns-Josef Ortheil, one of the German literary works with a most significant focus on the image of Lisbon and Portugal. The study will analyze the fundamental aspects of the historical-fictional representation of the Carnation Revolution, which is perceived by the narrator and protagonist with utopian contours when he experiences in the Portuguese capital a particularly captivating phase of his long and troubled formative career as an artist and representative of the conditio germaniae.