Some of the key elements of Claudio Magris’ work as an academic surface in his writings on Friedrich Hebbel: the Danubian space, Trieste, the intersection between literature and law, totality, the relationship between literary theory and practice, revisionism of classics, the recovery of historicism as a hermeneutical tool, the legacy of György Lukacs and Scipio Slataper. In Danubio (1989) and in “Davanti alla legge” (2009), Magris discusses Hebbel’s Agnes Bernauer (1852) in terms of the power relations between the individual and the State, as a drama where history and chance work silently against the characters. The text captures Magris’ attention by virtue of Hebbel’s attempt to synthesize history and law in a tragic context. In 2009, Magris writes for Lorenza Rega’s (re)translation of Hebbel’s Tagebücher a short preface, which mainly focuses on Hebbel’s reception in Italy. Slataper, a key figure in Magris’ scientific writing, first translated the text to make Hebbel known to the general public. Hebbel’s mentions constitute solid evidence of how Magris’ work as a Germanist sustains both his prose and his politically engaged writing.
