“How Franz and Greta Went to Russia” by Bertha Lask and the Image of Soviet Russia as it was Presented in German Proletarian Children’s Literature in 1920s

Abstract

Proletarian children's literature was developing in Germany in 1920-ies. Stories about Soviet Union as well as travelogue were among popular genres. These books were a obvious propaganda. Stories about the first socialist state had as their main goal to set a positive example for the young readers to follow in the class struggle as well as served as a proof of the inevitability of the proletarian revolution worldwide. German communist writer Bertha Lask in her book “How Franz and Gretha went to Russia” (1926) has told about a trip of two young proletarian children, members of the young Spartacus league, through Russia – from Leningrad and Moscow to Ukraine and Crimea. Young readers learned from the book not only about Soviet achievements, but also about obstacles in the construction of the new society: class struggle, hunger, homeless children. The author depicted the achievements of socialism in opposition to capitalist oppression. Bertha Lask demonstrated a new attitude to children and considered them to be equal partners of the adults, her young heroes are engaged in the construction of socialism and are armed with progressive communist ideology.

Bertha Lask has worked out in her book the main principles of interpretation of characters and events which will become common for all travelogues about the USSR addressed to young readers.

Key words: Proletarian children’s literature in Germany in 1920-ies, Bertha Lask, children’s books about Soviet Russia