Zum literarischen (Poly)System des hanseatischen Raums im Spätmittelalter

Defining ‘Middle Low German literature’ is a challenging task. This study grapples with a plethora of difficulties in pursuit of this goal. Some of these are inherent in the impossibility of identifying a specific geographical area where Middle Low German flourished as a literary language. A second set of challenges relates to the seminal studies on the subject, which mostly make an inventory of the texts at our disposal rather than critically engage in linking them. By avoiding definitional bottlenecks, the author proposes a polysystemic approach to Middle Low German literary production. Drawing upon Even-Zohar’s theories as a methodological reference, the present research revolutionises our understanding of Middle Low German literature, conceived here as a dynamic and multilayered system rather than a mere collection of texts.