‘Ein „Čeche“, der mehr thüringisch als deutsch und mehr deutsch als tschechisch spricht’: Eduard Rüffer as an Actor in the Czech and German Literary Field
| Pages | 37–51 |
|---|---|
| DOI | 10.37520/amnpsc.2025.011 |
| Keywords | book market – commercial literature – Czech-German relations – Eduard Rüffer – literary field |
| Type of Article | Peer-reviewed |
| Citation | FUTTERA, Ladislav. ‘Ein „Čeche“, der mehr thüringisch als deutsch und mehr deutsch als tschechisch spricht’: Eduard Rüffer as an Actor in the Czech and German Literary Field. Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae – Historia litterarum. Prague: National Museum, 2025, 70(3-4), 37–51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37520/amnpsc.2025.011. ISSN 2570-6861 (Print), 2570-687X (Online). Also available from: https://publikace.nm.cz/en/periodicals/acta-musei-nationalis-pragae-historia-litterarum/70-3-4/ein-ceche-der-mehr-thuringisch-als-deutsch-und-mehr-deutsch-als-tschechisch-spricht-eduard-ruffer-as-an-actor-in-the-czech-and-german-literary-field |
Eduard Rüffer (1835–1878), a German from Prussia who settled in Prague, is one of the forgotten writers of the nineteenth century. As a journalist, he collaborated for many years with Jan Stanislav Skrejšovský, the press magnate of the Old Czech Party (Staročeši). In addition, Rüffer published — both in German and in Czech translation — adventurous historical-political novels, opera libretti, theoretical and historical writings on military affairs, and contemporary journalistic overviews of ongoing armed conflicts. His work is characterised by a strong emphasis on quick economic return. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework, the study traces Rüffer’s position within the Czech and German literary fields. Using the example of a commercial author, it examines the internal segmentation of the Czech literary field, its transitions and points of reference to the German literary field, as well as the roles of art criticism and publishing houses. The artistic periphery in which Rüffer operated exhibits a far greater dynamism of relations and positions than the more stable central zones occupied by established and later canonised actors.