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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Widerspruch als konstitutives Element der Wissensvermittlung in literarischen Texten des späten 16. Jahrhunderts

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In the second half of the sixteenth century, the transfer of knowledge is a con- flict situation: on the one hand, there is a generalised thirst for knowledge but, on the other, a fear of the circulation of new ideas on the part of both the secular and religious authorities. This was especially the case with regard to informa- tion related to the areas of medicine, astronomy, and alchemy-magic which was banned or censored. This paper argues that many authors relied on a Poetics of Contradiction in order to be able to transmit this information. Despite appa- rently opposing statements or thanks to their apparent opposition, they trans- mitted a meaningful message and allowed attentive, elitist readers to partake of and acquire significant knowledge. The examples considered here mostly come from Fischart’s Geschichtklitterung, Rollenhagen’s Froschmeuseler, and the anonymous Wagnerbuch.