The Topography of Violence in Kurzschlüsse. Wien by Ilse Aichinger

Abstract

The article examines Ilse Aichinger’s texts from Kurzschlüsse. Wien (2001), focusing on her depiction of Vienna’s topography during the Nazi regime. Aichinger’s topographical descriptions, along with subtle historical and cultural references, reveal latent traces of violence and trauma embedded within the cityscape. Through textual examples, this study aims to shed light on how Aichinger’s approach to topography and memory challenges the silence surrounding historical atrocities.