Aspects of Censorship in the Work of Karoline von Günderrode

This article examines aspects of "gendered censorship" in the work of Karoline von Günderrode (1780-1806), especially in her dramas. To understand the phenomenon, it is necessary to view censorship from both the outside and within. Eighteenth-century drama and theater were taboo fields for women. Consequently, Gunderrode reacted with a three-fold form of self-censorship: in her form of self-expression, in her determination to write under two pseudonyms (Tian and Ion), and in her decision to leave a number of the dramas unfinished. (DvH)