Examining the Fußreise in Wolfgang Büscher’s Berlin – Moskau : Eine Reise zu Fuß

1. Examining the Fußreise in Wolfgang Büscher’sBerlin – Moskau:EineReisezuFuß Amy Mulhall

2. Content History of the Fußreise Wolfgang Büscher the writer The motivation for Büscher’s journey The function of the Fußreise within Büscher’s narrative Summary

3. The History of the Fußreise: Kaschuba, ‘Die Fußreise. Von der ArbeitswanderungzurbürgerlichenBildungsbewegung’ 14th – 17th Century • Travelling by foot was dangerous. Journeys only undertaken when absolutely necessary and were simply a means to reach the destination. 18thCentury • Horse and cart quicker and safer and therefore the preferred method of travel for higher social classes. • The Fußreisebecame a method of transport associated with the lower classes and marginalised social groups. 19th Century onwards Enlightenment promotion of scientific discovery and ‘Bildung’ through travelling meant that from 1800 the Fußreise became the aim of the traveller rather than just the means by which to reach a destination.

4. Wolfgang Büscher Born in 1951 in Kessel. Works include: Drei Stunden Null. Deutsche Abenteuer. (1998) Berlin – Moskau. EineReisezuFuß. (2003) Deutschland, eineReise(2005) AsiatischeAbsencen. (2008) Hartland: ZuFußdurchAmerika. (2011) All have a focus on travel, and particularly travelling by foot.

5. Motivations for the Fußreise:‘Berlin Vergessen’ Büscher entitles the first section of his novel ‘Berlin Vergessen’: • ‘bald würdenAngestellte in breiter Formation in ihreBürosfahren. Damithatteichnichtsmehrzutun’ (11) And travel to the East: • ‘So wollteiches. Nichtbeachtetwerden, nichteinmalgesehen. TiefimOstenverschwinden.’ (97)

6. Discovering the East Büscher grew up in West Germany during the Cold War. The histories of Germany and Russia are inextricable from one another, yet the East was inaccessible to Western Europeans in the latter half of the 20th Century. • ‘[DieseLandschaft] lag hinterdemEisernenVorhang, und ich war nochnierichtigdort. Es war also fürmich auf der einenSeiteein von historischemWissenerfülltes Land, auf der anderenSeiteein von totalerErfahrungslosigkeitgeprägtes Land.’ (Büscher, interview 2005) Büscher follow in the footsteps of many Germans, who travelled east after the war to discover the history of this ‘Geschichtengrab’ (119) for themselves • ‘AllepaarMonateklingelteeindeutscherErinnerungskünstlerbeiihr [Lisa Gutkowitsch]’ (119) His journey also traces the path of the German army: • ‘«Den Wegnehmen die Deutschenimmer»’(84)

7. The role of his Grandfather Graves of unknown soldiers in Seelow recalls the memory of Büscher’s Grandfather. He feels a sense of duty to discover something about his Grandfather’s time spent in the army and on the Eastern front • ‘IchgingnachMoskau, und der Landsergingmit, [...] mitseinenEinflüsterungen von Granattrichtern und Gehenkten. Ichmussteihn nun fragen, wererdennsei, und ihn bitten, mehr von seinenGeschichtenzuerzählen, die historischeHöflichkeiterfordertedass.’ (17-18) And so he sets out following the same path taken by Napoleon and the German army to fulfill this wish • ‘seinWeg war meiner, und meinWeg war der Weg Napoleons und der HeeresgruppeMitte, und der letztewiederum war seiner gewesen’ (17)

8. Travelling by Foot: Reflection of motives The Fußreise as a method of travel reflects the historical and personal motives for Büscher’s journey. Like the German army, Büscherstruggles on foot against the East • ‘Es war einKampf. Ichginggegenden Sturm’ (161) • ‘Russlandspuktemichaus, espacktemich [...]schlugmir ins Gesicht’ (163) The Fußreiseis referred to in military terms: • IchbefandmichsechsTagesmärschevorMoskau’ (198) and and at times the narrative takes on a march-like rhythm: • ‘links und rechtsKiefernwald, Wald, Wald, Wald’ (109)

9. Journey rather than destination Travelling by foot also shifts the focus of the narrative on to the experience of the journey itself, not the destination. ‘Wäreesdarumgegangen, nurnachMoskauzufahren, dannhätteich das ganzeinfachmitdem Auto oderdem Zug erledigen [...] Wennman aber in dieses Land hineinwollte, dannging das nurzuFuß.’ (Büscher, interview 2005) • Vehicles portrayed negatively: Ichging in Abgasen [...] [ich] lief in schweren, schwarzenWolken, die [...]michvergifteten’ (199) • The final chapter: ‘Moskau!’ is only 4 pages long Walking enables greater descriptions of the small details of his journey: • ‘braune, schwarze, metallicgrünblaue Panzer, ganzeArmeenkleinerLeiber am Werk’ (14)

10. The Fußreise and encountering history The Fußreise facilitates and necessitates Büscher’s interactions with local area and people thereby uncovering local and European history in a natural way. • Was ichunbedingtvermeidenwollte war, dass die Geschichte die Machtüber den Text übernimmt [...]Wennich das zugelassenhätte, [...]hätteichzuHausebleiben und michdreiMonate ins Archivsetzen [...] können. [...]Andererseitswussteich, dassdiesegeschichtlichen Dinge kommenwürden[...] Man begegnetihnenunterwegseinfach.’ (Büscher, interview 2005)

11. Interaction with the local area The Fußreise allows Büscher to ‘stumble across’ Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Russian history as he travels through towns, villages and cities • ‘Ichsuchte den Waldrandab und fandüberalldieselberostigeWarnung’ (57) • ‘[ich] stieß auf Knochen, eineSchuhsole [...] eineschwarzeRippe’ (177) These are the remains of history which are easily missed by or inaccessible to those travelling through the land by car • ‘weresnichtweiß, fährtvorbei’ (177)

12. Interaction with the local people Fußreise also leads Büscher to encounter local people. • Personal accounts of history from those who experienced it, and from local stories passed down through generations • Chernobyl: ‘Anna PetrownasSchulweg war jetzteinPfad in die Wildnis, den Fußballplatz, auf demihreBrüdergespielthatten, hattedieseschongefressen’ (116) • ‘Die LiebeeinesDeutschenHauptmanns’ • ‘Die LiebeeinesrussischenPartisanen’ • ‘Die LiebeeinerPolnischenGräfin’ These personal, local stories feed into Büscher’s understanding of his grandfather’s past, as well as the wider historical context of Europe during the Second World War.

13. Summary • Unlike early Fußreisen, Büscher travels by foot out of choice rather than necessity • His motivations are driven by • The desire to escape everyday life in the West • Desire to uncover the East, which was previously inaccessible to him • The need to engage with the memory of his Grandfather • The Fußreise works within the narrative to • Reflect the militaristic nature of Büscher’s personal motivations for the journey • Emphasise the importance of the journey rather than destination • Provide a natural way to encounter and deal with the history of the East interaction through encounters with the local area and people

14. Bibliography Kaschuba, Wolfgang, ‘Die Fußreise. Von der ArbeitswanderungzurbürgerlichenBildungsbewegung’, in Bausinger, Hermann, Klaus Beyrerand Gottfried Korff, ed., Reisekultur. Von der PilgerfahrtzummodernenTourismus (Munich: C. H. Beck, 1991) pp.165-173 Büscher, Wolfgang, Berlin –Moskau: EineReisezuFuß(Hamburg: RohwohltTaschenbuchVerlag, 2003) Interview with Wolfgang Büscher, <http://www.literaturkritik.de/public/rezension.php?rez_id=9674> (Date accessed: 26.01.14)