This essay will attempt to explore esoteric elements and connections in Hermann Hesses' final novel Das Glasperlenspiel and whether the narratives and beliefs held by the fictional realm of Castalia and the protagonist Josef Knecht fit into the tradition of western esotericism as defined by Kocku von Stuckrad and Antoine Faivre respectively. An attempt will also be made to explore why the novel has come to influence modern esoteric movements in what Wouter Hanegraaff defines as "New Age religion".

This paper aims to investigate how far it is possible to analyze Hermann Hesse’s The Steppenwolf regarding two perspectives. The first one concerns the text’s social criticism and the other one concerns if it is possible to analyze the protagonist’s debaucherous way of life psychoanalytically. The answer to the first question is inconclusive and the answer to the second question is positive. / Diese Arbeit versucht zwei Fragestellungen in Hinsicht auf Hermann Hesses Buch Der Steppenwolf zu beantworten, nämlich inwiefern der Text die gesellschaftliche Unruhe der Zeit spiegelt und ob die Ausschweifungen des Protagonisten Material für Psychoanalyse sind. Die erste Frage konnte unschlüssig beantwortet werden und die andere Frage ist mit einem positiven Ergebnis beantwortet worden.

The diploma thesis is dealing with the issue of tinnitus which is defined as the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound. The thesis describes classification, etiology, symptomatology, diagnosis and therapy of tinnitus. The focus lies particularly in the description of various therapeutic approaches. Empirical part of the thesis presents the case studies of 12 respondents with tinnitus. Using qualitative research methods, the answers received from German respondents from Hesse region are compared to the answers of respondents living in the Czech Republic. The research focuses on the tinnitus diagnose, cooperation with experts, possibilities of therapy and their results, ways of funding, satisfaction of respondents with the therapy and contribution of self-help group for people with tinnitus.

The theoretical part of this master thesis is based on the literary genre of the initiation novel, as presented by Daniela Hodrová. In an effort to gain a deeper insight into the novel's typical figures and spatial motifs, the theoretical part also contains a summary of archetypes described by C. G. Jung. In the practical part, principles of the initiation genre are demonstrated on the novels Demian and Steppenwolf written by the German author Hermann Hesse. The aim of the thesis is to provide a proof that the two novels can be assigned to the initiation novel genre and also to make use of the means presented in the theoretical part for an analysis of the initiation of the protagonists. The initiation in Demian is presented as a precursor of the initiation described in Steppenwolf. Therefore, the result of this thesis is also an attempt to present the philosophical connection between the analysed novels. KEYWORDS Demian, Steppenwolf, Hermann Hesse, initiation novel, Daniela Hodrová, archetype

The purpose of this thesis is to show the elements of Buddhism, exerted in Siddhartha.These elements are important to the plot, despite the fact that Hesse did not intend to write an authentic Buddhist work, but to express his own belief. The conclusion shows that certain Buddhist teachings have in various ways directly shaped the work.

The purpose of this thesis is to establish the pattern of Joseph Knecht's awakening in Hermann Hesse's The Glass Bead Game. Based on the premise that Knecht, unlike Hesse's previous protagonists, is an integrated individual living within a disintegrated and segregated environment, a secondary intent of this paper is to examine the paradox of Knecht's Castalian existence. Each chapter concentrates on a stage of Knecht's development, both formally as a Castalian, and psychologically as an individual who is committed to serving the highest authority. This authority is not the rigid, one-dimensional Castalia but rather the dynamic force which governs all life. Knecht compares himself to music and perceives his life as a process of becoming. As he ascends the ladder of Castalian hierarchy, Knecht's own consciousness develops through the intervention of several antithetical figures who challenge him to reconcile the subjective nature of Truth and the transience of all forms. When he can no longer justify serving an Order which is governed by the pretense of perfection and permanence, Knecht feels obligated to warn Castalia of its own temporality and to resign his position as Magister Ludi. Knecht's leap beyond Castalia and into the deadly lake at Belpunt serves two purposes; not only does he take the first step toward integrating Castalia and the outside world, but he fulfills his own life by sacrificing himself to his pupil Tito.

Research submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, March 2017 / The creative component of the research project explores, through the medium of sculpture, the notion of the liminal, with a particular focus on themes of the absurd and the unstable as characteristics of liminality. These themes may be useful for investigating and providing a valuable source for critical assessment, so as to allow for the opening of and extending of debates on reading and thinking about art regarded as ‘in-between’ the poles of a binary opposition. Broadly, it seeks to explore the historical trajectory of the 1960s artist Eva Hesse in relation to these themes, and how it resonates with my own sculpture-making and development. The aim of the written research is, therefore, through engaging with a close critical and theoretically informed reading of selected examples of Hesse’s work, to identify themes and approaches which may inform and advance the understanding of my own work produced in the context of this study. Connections will be drawn to the way in which these themes facilitate a favourable space in which the making of art flourishes. As far as viewers are concerned, such work may encourage the viewer to be an active participant in a dimension of human experience potentially not yet encountered, thereby liberating viewers’ fixed and rigid perceptual constructs. Entering into a discussion of the themes of liminality, the absurd and unstable, serves this aim. / XL2018

No description available.

No description available.

This literary study examines Hermann Hesse's Peter Camenzind from a social psychological perspective. The focus is on examining the protagonist's personal changes as a result of influences by important relationships. Other characters and the social categorization are examined with regard to their influence on the protagonist's life path and identity formation. The analysis is divided into the sub-categories of childhood, youth, becoming adult, adulthood and exploration in order to make a chronological sequence of development clear. It could be shown that certain characters and circumstances have a strong impact on Peters Camenzind's life. Most notable are the parents, the social background, Richard and the carpenter family, but other characters also played a part in the protagonist's remarkable development. For future research, it would be interesting to examine the protagonist’s alcoholism and depressive tendencies from both a linguistic and psychological perspective.