State Actors Theatrality and terrorism in F.C. Delius' triology Deutscher Herbst

Abstract

The following article discusses various aspects of theatrality in F.C. Delius' novels Ein Held der inneren Sicherheit, Mogadischu Fensterplatz and Himmelfahrt eines Staatsfeindes, in which the author deals with the events and developments in the Federal Republic concerning the terrorism by the Red Army Faction (RAF) in autumn 1977 using different perspectives. The essay makes use of the categories of the theatralic, which have been applied as a thematical model to the cultural studies especially by Erika Fischer-Lichte. It is shown, that not only the terrorist activities and the countermeasures by the state can be seen as theatralic staging for the public, but also, that individual perception and the practices of the protagonists follow theatralic patterns. Delius in particular emphazises and criticizes the role of the entertainment industry, which defines these patterns and at the same time considers all public action under the aspect of media and commercial useability.