Feuchtwanger and remigration

More about the book

This volume presents selected proceedings from a conference organized by the International Feuchtwanger Society, titled ‘To Stay or not to Stay? German-speaking Exiles in Southern California after 1945’. The conference, held in September 2011 at the University of Southern California and Villa Aurora, examined the critical decision faced by German-speaking exiles in Southern California post-World War II: whether to return to Europe or remain in the United States. It begins with an analysis of remigrants' experiences as depicted in the exile publication Der Aufbau. Six chapters focus on Lion Feuchtwanger, exploring the circumstances that influenced his choice to stay in California after 1945. Following this, additional chapters provide fresh insights into other members of the German-speaking literary community in California. The discussion is further broadened by studies on remigration from the UK and the Soviet Union, as well as the challenges faced by exiled musicians in East Asia and Palestine. The volume concludes with an exploration of the experiences of remigrants in the media and film industry during the early post-war years.