CC BY
10Y^K 172.4
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MEMOIRS OF H. KOTTANNER AND E. JELOVSEK WITH S. ZIZEK'S ARTICLE FROM ANTIGONE TO JOAN OF ARC
M.M. Blazic
University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) A. Zimmermann
Vienna, Austria
The similarities between Helene Kottanner and Ernestina Jelovsek include the fact that they wrote their memoirs in German, on in the Middle Ages and the other in the Modern Period. H. Kottanner wrote the first medieval memories, and E. Jelovsek the first (Slovenian) modern memories. The first author has received a great deal of controversy in European literature and in non-literary circles because she has interfered with the political developments of Central Europe through her actions. Ernestina Jelovsek is better known as the only surviving child of the Slovenian national poet France Preseren. Regarding Preseren, especially his romantic love for the rich and prestigious Julija Primic is glorified, while the mother of their three children, Ana Jelovsek, is belittled. The romanticization of love between Preseren and Julija, unfortunately, overshadowed many other aspects of Preseren.
Keywords: Helene Kottanner, Ernestina Jelovsek, Memoirs, Slavoj Zizek, Oedipus, Brecht.
Helene Kottanner (1400-1457)
Helene Kottanner was a court lady and confidant of the Hungarian Queen Elizabeth, daughter of Barbara of Cilli (1392-1451) and Sigismund of Luxembourg (1368-1537). She implemented the plan of Ulrich II of Cilli (1406-1456) who attended the coronation of the three-month Ladislas (15 May 1440). The Memoirs of Helene Kottanner represent the first medieval women's memory (1439/40) and describe three dramatic events: 1) the only child, the daughter of Barbara of Cilli, Queen Elizabeth of Luxembourg, entrusted to her
© Blazic M.M., Zimmermann A., 2020
court lady Helene Kottanner (1400-1470) the theft of the Crown of St. Stephen (20-21 February 1440); 2) the birth of Ladislas the Posthumus; and 3) the coronation of the three-month-old Ladislas (15 May 1440) as the king of Hungary. Dramatic period - three months (15 May 1440), is part of a large literary fresco of Central Europe, with the participation of the Counts of Cilli - Ulrich II, Barbara of Cilli, Elizabeth of Luxembourg, and Helene Kottanner.
Dramatic times have been the subject of much debate, but it is a literary fact that the court lady and confidant, Helene Kottanner, wrote her memoirs, later titled The Memoirs of Helene Kottanner, where she described these dramatic events. From the point of view of the subjectivation of the authors, her Memoirs are valuable because she expresses herself in the Middle Ages as a subject: Me, Helene Kottanner. In addition to narrative style, descriptions of dramatic events, she added subtle elements (first-person self), a high level of literacy and etiquette (my gracious lady; the noble Count Urlich of Cilli; the noble queen; the noble queen with her young daughter; Miss Elizabeth; the Crown, which I carefully wrapped in cloth and placed it in the cradle; the noble king). Elizabeth, also called the 'Young Queen' by Helene, addressed Helene as her mother. There are many self-references considering the relatively short Memoirs (26 manuscript pages), and the nature of medieval times, probably because of the dramatic events, the personal attitude and the talent, e.g.: me, Helene Kottanner; However, ladies and maids, we are sitting around noble lineage, etc. Based on the textual signals in her Memoirs, it is evident that Helene was aware of both the responsibility and the addressee.
«But you should know that the Archbishop put the Holy Crown on his head and held it, and that the child held his head as strong as if he was already a year old, which is rarely seen in children at the age of twelve week. Thus, when the noble King Lassla was crowned in my lap at the altar of Saint Stephen, I took the noble king high up to the small steps, as is customary. [...] But know this, red and white came together again only by accident» [1, s. 76].
Helene also wrote:
«And if the crown had remained in Vysehrad, it would surely have come into the hands of the one from Poland, as
you will later hear. You see here how industrious the Devil was at the beginning and the end» [1, s. 72]. In her Memoirs, Elizabeth was also written down as generous, giving Helen a hand, saying that she deservedly earned the recognition, and acknowledges Helena that she would not have wanted or could have done it.
«Then the noble queen offered me her hand and said, "Stand up! If such be the will of God and all things shall work out well and peace comes, then I will exalt you and all your kindred; You have deserved all this, and you have done something for me and my children, which I myself would not have wanted or could have done". Then I bowed again and thanked her grace for her good prospects» [1, s. 77].
The Memoirs of Helene Kottanner, 1439-40
The court lady Helene Kottanner (1400-1470) lived in the late Middle Ages and was associated in her life and work with Barbara of Cilli (1392-1451), and especially with her daughter, Elizabeth of Luxembourg (1409-1442). Elizabeth gave birth to the princess Elizabeth of Austria (1436-1505), Anna of Austria (1433-1462) and Ladislas the Posthumus (1440-1457).
Helene, née Wolfram (1400-14571) was the daughter of a lower nobleman born in Odenburg (Sopron). In 1431, she married Johann Kottanner, a burgher from Vienna, and in 1436 she became a court lady and confidant at the court of King Albert II of Germany, king of Germany and Hungary. Helene became the court lady of Queen Elizabeth (1409-1442). Albert II died on 27 October 1439, when Helene began to write her memoirs because Elizabeth was five months pregnant and the courtiers wanted to immediately marry her to the sixteen-year-old Polish king Wladyslaw III. She refused to marry, stating that the doctor had confirmed that she would have a son, so she and the Counts of Cilli planned to have her court lady and confidant
1 Margaret C. Schaus. Women and Gender in Medieval Europe (Schaus 2006, 445). The secondary literature mentions various records of Helena's (second) surname, namely Kottanner, Kottannerin, etc., as well as of the name Helena or Ilona, even the years of her birth and death are open. Here, the year mentioned in the encyclopedia is used.
Helena Kottanner steal the closely guarded crown from the vault. The narrative is dramatic as it was February and they needed to cover some 40 km by sleigh across a frozen lake, etc. Helena had two anonymous assistants.
«When the time came, the one who shared the problems with me came through the chapel to the door and knocked. [...] He took with him a servant who was supposed to help him, and his baptismal name was the same as his. [...] I was so scared that I did not know what to do, as things could fail just because of the lights (candles)» [1, s. 62].
«The one who shared the hardships with me» and «some servant» - Helena kept their names carefully hidden, because breaking into the fort was risky. It was necessary to physically break into the strictly guarded vault. The description of the burglary is remarkable, picturesque, dramatic, intense - literary. Helena hid the Crown of Saint Stephen in a pillow, but their journey was not linear, as the heavy-laden sleigh fell into a frozen lake. The most dramatic event is the description of childbirth - Elizabeth gave birth to a son only one hour after Helena brought him the crown. The midwife, who refused or was not allowed to participate in childbirth, also prevented the story to unravel in a linear manner. Thus, the event itself was described picturesquely: the stealing of the crown; the pregnant widow; the fall of the sleigh through the ice on the lake; the childbirth; the coronation of a twelve-week-old baby around whom, in difficult weather conditions, they stood in a form of a living shield. This event described by Helene Kottanner in her Memoirs is historical, as is her narrative style (I, know that, I have thus, I shall.), and the description of childbirth is anthological (e.g. chair used at childbirth).
Her memoirs, entitled The Memoirs of Helene Kottanner, represent the first memorial literature written in the Middle Ages (Grdina, 1999, 10) and describe three dramatic events, 1) the daughter of Barbara of Cilli, Queen Elizabeth of Luxembourg, entrusted her Chamber Woman (Kammerfrau) Helene Kottanner with the theft of the Crown of St. Stephen (20-21 February 1440), 2) the birth of Ladislas the Posthumous (22 February 1440-1452) and 3) the crowning of the three-months-old Ladislas (15 May 1440) as the king of Hungary. This dramatic period of three months (15 May 1440) was a part of a large literary fresco in Central Europe, which included the Counts of 23
Cilli - Ulrich II, Barbara of Cilli, Queen Elizabeth of Luxembourg and Helene Kottanner.
According to Hungarian customs from the beginning of the 15 th century, a legitimate crowning is one that fulfills the following three conditions, 1) the Crown of St. Stephen must be used, 2) crowning must take place in Szekesfehervar on the tomb of St. Stephen, and 3) coronation must be carried out by the Hungarian Primate, the Archbishop of Esztergom. Elizabeth of Luxembourg, with the help of Helene Kottanner, met all three conditions. These dramatic times are the subject of numerous debates however the literary and historical fact is that the court lady Helen Kottanner described these dramatic events in a picturesque manner. From the point of view of sub-jectivation of authors, her Memoirs are valuable because she frankly expressed herself as a subject already in the Renaissance period.
The Memoirs of Helene Kottanner would require a special discussion, due to its literary - historical elements. There are many symbols in the text that are characteristic of the author. The special value of her picturesque Memoirs is due to the marked subjectivation of the author (I, Helene Kottanner ...). There are numerous descriptions of emotions (then, I experienced great fear; this pleased the noble queen; she mourned the dear prince), trust («Why, all the time when I was at the castle, I did not sleep peacefully for one night because of the great thing I was entrusted with, and I experienced many night-mares» [1, s. 65]), loyalty («Dear and faithful Kottannerin, take care of my daughter and also of the treasury, do not let anyone in, except for you and my daughter. [...] And she also placed in my care the crown and collar as well as other valuables; I kept all this in the room that one needed to pass on the way to the Holy Crown». Grdi-na, 1999, 59; and «Go there and take care of my dearest treasure which I have under the sun, and if I had but one pfennig, I would share it with you» [1, s. 83].
Helene Kottanner describes the appearance the three-months-old Ladislas in a picturesque manner:
«When they wanted to baptize the noble king then, they removed the black dress from the young Queen, lady Elizabeth, in which she mourned her dear prince, King Albrecht, and dressed her in a golden dress adorned with a red embroidery [...]» [1, s. 67].
«And it was a beautiful and large coat that was the cloak of Emperor Sigmund and it was red and gold, with embroidered silver and white pieces; this was to be cut, and from this they made King Ladislas'2 first garment he was to put on under the Holy Crown. See now, if this is not proof of his rightful reign over his heirdom, the land of his grandfather and father who both had red and white colours in their coat of arms. I myself sewed small utensils, the alb and humeral veil, and the stole and the maniple and gloves and shoes; and I had to do everything in secret, in the chapel, behind locked door» [1, s. 72].
In the text, the character of Elizabeth of Luxembourg is picturesquely depicted:
«In all of this, the noble queen acted prudently and wisely [...]».
«But as the wise and noble queen understood this, she began to think about the Holy Crown [...]».
«Thus, she was advised by her secret wisdom [...]».
The actions of both Helene Kottanner and Elizabeth of Luxembourg are also picturesquely described:
«I said that I shall assume responsibility myself [...]».
«[A]ll this you honestly earned and did for me and my children what I myself would not or would not have been able to do. [...]».
«But the noble Count of Cilli had a sword by his hand that was strapped with silver and gold, and there was an inscription on it that read 'invincible,' and he gave this sword to the young king in order to knight him. Then I, Helene Kottanner, took the king in my arms» [1, s. 75].
In The Memoirs of Helene Kottanner, fictionalized emotional-poetic elements of dramatic events are placed in a linguistic, literary and cultural context. The birth is picturesquely and dramatically described:
«When the little girl was laid in bed and no one watched over her anymore, I knelt in front of her and told the noble queen, "Noble lady, your grace is obliged to praise God for the
2 There are different versions of the child's name - e.g. Ladislaus or Ladislas the Posthumus. 25
rest of your life because of the great mercy and miracles of the Almighty, enabling the king and the Holy Crown to come together at the same time"» [1, s. 67].
Helene Kottanner is a highly responsible person, aware of the socio-cultural and political responsibilities of the plan, so she says:
«Then my gracious lady thought of me, that I should do it, that no one is as well acquainted with the matter or worthy of such trust as I am» [1, s. 61].
The Memoirs of Helene Kottanner are summed up in a dramatic period of three months from February to May 1440, even though the introductory period from November/December 1439 is also mentioned, when Elizabeth learned of the death of her husband Albert II during the fifth month of pregnancy and was informed of the plans for her immediate new wedding. Helene Kottanner describes the events retrospectively in her Memoirs and mentions three groundbreaking events. The first such event was the stealing of the crown.
«Then he removed the robe that was sealed on the latch and was installed by the Count of the castle, and he opened it and went in with his servant and began to work on other locks, so that the breaking and sawing became almost too loud [...]» [1, s. 63].
The second groundbreaking event was the birth of the child:
«I then noticed certain signs that led me to realize that the child's birth was near. [...] [A]nd it did not last even half an hour before the Almighty God has given us the young king. King Ladislas was born at the same time as the Holy Crown was brought from Vysehrad to Komarom [...]» [1, s. 66].
The second groundbreaking event was the crowning of the three-months-old child:
«Thus, her ladyship took the oath instead of her son, the noble king, because on that day his grace was just twelve weeks old. [...] Then I took one of the blankets from his cradle, which was red and gold and was lined with ermine, so that everything could happen as required by custom» [1, s. 76].
Helene Kottanner was closely linked in her life and work with Queen Elizabeth of Luxembourg, the daughter of Barbara of Cilli.
Her memoirs, entitled The Memoirs of Helene Kottanner, are a picturesque depiction of groundbreaking events. In the German original and the English translation, the subjectification of Helene Kottanner is more emphasized than in the Slovenian translation:
Da nam ich Elena Kottannerinn den Jungen Kung tragen... [2, p. 44].
I, Helene Kottanner, had to carry the young king...
Milostljiva gospa, mladega kralja drzim v rokah... [1, s. 67].
Ernestina Jelovsek (1842-1917)
In accordance with the 19th century convention, Preseren's poem about him or the implied illegitimate father was titled Nezakonska mati [The Unwed Mother], whereas it should have read Unmarried Father, because he wrote the poem about himself by attributing the attributes of the motherhood to his anima or soul. Slovenian literary history should look at Ana Jelovsek from a sociocultural aspect, as an expression of time and space, her pregnancy, her sociocultural and emotional position, her mourning for the deceased children: her six-month-old daughter Teresa and her 10-year-old son France. The only one who survived her childhood was their daughter Ernestina. Given her actual poverty and death in the poorhouse, the criteria of Slovene society came to the fore. On the one hand, glorifying the socioeconomic status of Julija and reducing the importance and shifting responsibility for children to
Slovene society in the 19th century, besides the glorification of Preseren, could take care of his The Unwed Mother, who died of pneumonia in Vienna, and was buried in a common tomb which was later dug up without leaving a trace. Ernestina also died in a poor-house, which casts a poor light on the double standards of Slovenian society. Ernestina wrote Spomini na Preserna (Memories of Preseren), in German Erinnerungen an Dr. Franz Presiren, in 1883, which is interesting because in the Slovenian title Preseren's title (Dr.) was 'lost in translation' (Memories of Preseren, 1903). In Memories of Preseren and in her literary sketches Ernestina Jelovsek thematizes and corresponds on a symbolic level with Preseren, for example in the literary sketch The Unwed Mother.
Ernestina Jelovsek published Memoirs of Preseren (in German, 1903) in which she explained the motifs why she wrote the book. She devoted the central part to her father, France Preseren, to his life, his attitude towards women, his idealized attitude towards Julija Primic and problematized relationship with Ana Jelovsek, the society. In Memories, written in accordance with the expectations of traditional society, she subjectivised her attitude towards her father, the longing for his recognition. It is less well known that E. Jelovsek also wrote certain literary sketches published in a meaningful addition to the monograph by J. Music Sila spomina (The Force of Remembrance, 1986), namely: Bilo je (It Was), Nezakonska mati (The Unwed Mother), V temacnih urah (In the Hours of Despair), Slavec (Nightingale), Ujeti slavec (Captured Nightingale), and V samotni uri (In a Solitary Hour) in which she writes about the memories of her father, and where one can find motif-thematic elements of her own literary creativity, e.g. in Nightingale there is a fairy tale element when the nightingale speaks. There are many intertextualities in Memories of Preseren, e.g. the title The Unwed Mother is the same for Preseren's poem and Ernestina's literary sketch; Ernestina's sketches Nightingale and Captured Nightingale are an intertextual comment on Preseren's literary symbols.
Slavoj Zizek, From Antigone to Joan of Arc, 2004
In the article From Antigone to Joan of Arc [3], Zizek stated that in Greek tragedy women had two choices to move from the domestic into the public sphere. The first type of subjectivation is the unconditional 1) self-sacrifice for a husband or a father (e.g. Iphigenia, Polixena), while 2) the other is the destructive type (e.g. Hecuba, Medea, Phaedra). Zizek claims that the first type is a formal act of subjectivation in the name of the great Other, for posthumous fame. The second type is the type of inhuman woman who takes the paternal law as a foundation and becomes inhuman due to monstrous revenge. According to Zizek, Antigone belongs to the first type and adopts a sublime gesture of self-sacrifice in accordance with the law, in contrast to destructive furies, e.g. the already mentioned Medea. The characteristic of the first type, i.e. Antigone, is its inner calmness and tranquility, while the characteristic of Elektra is the «hysterical theater», self-pity and satisfaction, which is the confirmation of libid-
inal satisfaction. According to Zizek, Electra is the second type - destructive fury, because she expresses inner pain with neurotic feelings which have the function of public spectacle, hysterical lust for revenge and enjoying the symptom. Among the ancient heroines of Antigone, Iphigenia and Medea, Antigone has the sublime status of an ethical heroine. She does not oppose the law because of a gesture or an offense, but in the name of other law. With her actions, Antigone establishes an internal law of the symbolic order with socio-symbolic coordinates. Zizek refers to Hegel, who also locates the conflict within the socio-symbolic order. Zizek understands Antigone in accordance with Kant. In his words, Antigone could be labeled as a pure desire, free of pathological motivation, and a moral subject. Helene Kottanner could also be defined in the same way, as a pure desire, although written during the Middle Ages.
Helene Kottanner could also be compared to Zizek's Joan of Arc, since both are medieval heroines, and represent new characters of women's intervention into politics. He points out that Joan of Arc is a political figure, as could also be said of Helene Kottanner, in the pure sense of the word - for the good of the community and against particular interests. Joan, dressed as a man, is not a symbol of unstable gender identity, and Helene, together with her two helpers, breaks in and steals the crown on behalf of the supreme law. What is essential here is that they both carried out their actions as women [3, p. 57].
Helena, similar to Joan of Arc, consciously entered politics for political reasons, so they betrayed her. Betrayal is also a prerequisite for later canonization in the national interest and in the determined social order. Joan's political intervention has feminine attributes, also Helen's, as it focuses on pregnancy, birth, childbirth, and the baby, in addition to stealing the crown, breaking into the vault, and the coronation of a 3-month-old baby. Helena remains loyal to Queen Elizabeth and God to whom she often refers and seeks confirmation or justification from.
At the end of the article, Zizek classifies six types of women/mothers, namely: 1) Oedipal mother; 2) Revolutionary mother (Brecht); 3) Passive-aggressive mother who quietly sacrifices herself for family and children; 4) Conservative mother characterized by stability of home; 5) Postmodern feminist mother who educates chil-
dren in the spirit of tolerance and has a career; and 6) Ecological «Mother Earth».
On the basis of Zizek's classification, Helena Kottanner could be defined as the second type - the revolutionary woman who intervenes in the historical events. Ernestina Jelovsek, on the other hand, would belong to the first type, the Oedipal mother. Based on the reading of Memories of Preseren, it is evident that Ernestina longed for recognition, respect, that she herself, in the misery in which she lived, romanticized the image of her father and did not criticize him. Perhaps only in her literary sketches, especially in the one titled The Unwed Mother, but despite all her potential literary talent she could only survive in the given sociocultural environment by idealizing her father's image at the expense of her mother's.
«He often said to my mother, "I will raise my daughter alone. I'll take care of her myself, because you don't know how! And he was right, as always! Due to my mother, I could go astray if I wished. Not that she was not strict and attentive enough, but rather the opposite: She was even extremely cruel and ice-cold to me!"» [4, s. 114].
In the following chapter of the Memories, entitled H karakteristiki Presernove dobe [To the Characteristics of the Preseren Era], Ernestina explicitly expressed her Oedipal attitude toward her father:
«To the reader of this book it may seem that I am trying to show my father in a gentler light than he really was, but I do not believe this because I try to be as objective as possible. Nevertheless, these lines are written by the hand of a daughter who wants others to get to know her beloved, good father. It is the hand of a loving daughter who draws and paints her father's image, for love is the sun of life» [4, s. 63]
«At this point I can repeat what I wrote dr. Razlag six years ago. Whoever gets gets his hands on these "Memories" - I hope he becomes my father's worshiper, even though he is not my personal friend. I want to tell you what is known to me, to paint to you what I know, to paint to you the image of a father who lives in my heart. Meet Preseren as I know him; you may start to love him too!» [4, s. 3]
In order to glorify the Oedipus image of her father in Memories, Ernestina diminished the importance of her mother, Ana Jelovsek:
«I never really got along with my mother; and as far as I can remember, she was only nice to me twice. Later, shortly before her death, she confessed that I got my serious and wise character, my unwavering conscientiousness, and my joy for independence after my father. But in her mind, I never had a heart» [4, s. 114].
Based on the Memories of Preseren, 1903, it is evident that Ernestina Jelovsek was proficient as she quoted Slovenian intellectuals, e.g,. «Mr. Levec begins his article with the same words as I do in my "Erinnerungen"» [4, s. VII].
«I have also given some motifs from my notes to Mr. Govekar for his novel Mala rokavicarica [The Little Glove-maker] which he published in Presernov album [Preseren's Album]» [4, s. VII].
Less known is the fact that Slavoj Zizek also published his own play entitled Antigone. In his play, Zizek also discusses the internal laws governing the actions of Helene Kottanner who act similarly as Antigone herself [5].
Just like Sophocles' Antigone (5th century BC), Zizek's Antigone (2015) and Joan of Arc also meet a tragic end because they are based on a mythical and not fairy tale tradition - as opposed to, for example, Alencica, Gregceva sestrica and Vasilisa Popova, who are subjective literary figures. Although a figure from the 19th century, Vasi-lisa Popova has all the attributes of the subject which may also be based on Orthodoxy, since she was the daughter of a priest of the Orthodox Church who can marry and is not bound to celibacy. In The Ballad of Mulan the eponymous heroine remains a traditional figure, but for a limited time, for a period of ten years, as she was allowed to be brave when she fought for her father/homeland/Han dynasty or for patriarchal values that are explicitly expressed, because «she did not demand/expect anything in return».
Summary
Both authors, Helene Kottanner and Ernestina Jelovsek, wrote memoirs based on an autobiography. In addition to the dramatic medieval events of Helena Kottanner's time and the romantic conception of the national poet F. Preseren, both memoirs are dominated by the subjectivity of both authors. Both authors use self-referentiality,
are aware of their readership, of the addressees, of the fact that they do not narrate in a vacuum, but to an interested public. In the medieval Memoirs of Helene Kottanner, the author's very distinctive sub-jectivation is very innovative (I, myself, I shall, I am...), and she had an imaginary reader in mind (you will find out later...). In addition to Preseren's biography, which is more or less similar to the official biography and romantic conception of the national poet, in the undertone, Ernestina writes her redefined autobiography - about a child who wanted to be recognized all her life, a child who wanted to be acknowledged by her father, whom she also idealized and wrote, «My father is my ideal, according to which I judge everyone who approaches me» [4, s. X].
In addition to presenting the medieval Memoirs of Helena Kottaner 1439-1440 and the modern Memoirs of Preseren 1883, 1903, which was originally written in German, the purpose of this article was to look for similarities and differences in style.
Both female authors, Helene Kottanner and Ernestina Jelovsek, emphasized the so-called psycho-poetic values (love, trust, loyalty) compared to the socio-poetic values of the male authors (honor, reputation, generosity) [6].
References
1. Grdina I., Stih P. Spomini Helene Kottaner: zenski glas iz srednjega veka. Ljubljana: Nova revija, 1999. 124 s.
2. Bijvoet Williamson M. The Memoirs of Helene Kottanner (14391440). Translated from the German with Introduction, Intepretative Essay and Notes. The Library of Medieval Women. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1998. 91 p.
3. ZizekS. From Antigone to Joan of Arc // Helios. 2004. Vol. 31, no. 1/2. P. 51-62.
4. JelovsekE. Spomini na Presérna. Ljubljana: L. Schwentner, 1903. 147 s.
5. Zizek S. Antigona. - London: Bloomsbury Academic. - 2016. 72 p.
6. The Troubadours: An Introduction / ed. by S. Gaunt, S. Kay. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1999. 348 p.
СРАВНИТЕЛЬНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ ВОСПОМИНАНИЙ Е. КОТТАНЕР И Э. ЕЛОВШЕК СО СТАТЬЕЙ С. ЖИЖЕКА «ОТ АНТИГОНЫ ДО ЖАННЫ Д'АРК»
М.М. Блажич
Люблянский университет (Словения) А. Циммерман Вена, Австрия
И Елена Коттанер и Эрнестина Еловшек писали свои мемуары на немецком языке, однако первая - в средние века, а вторая - в XIX в. Е. Коттанер написала первые средневековые мемуары, а Э. Еловшек -первые (словенские) современные мемуары. Личность первого автора вызывает много споров поскольку своими действиями она вмешивалась в политическое развитие Центральной Европы. Э. Еловшек больше известна как единственный выживший ребенок словенского национального поэта Франса Прешерена. Что касается Прешерена, то широко известна его романтическая любовь к дочери богатого купца Юлии Примич, однако мать их троих детей, Анна Еловшек, известна гораздо меньше. Романтизация любви Прешерена и Примич несправедливо затмила многие другие аспекты жизни Прешерена.
Ключевые слова: Елена Коттанер, Эрнестина Еловшек, мемуары, Славой Жижек, Эдип, Брехт.
