Abstract:
The Bessarabian Germans (1814-1940) had their own literature - poems, stories, short stories, which they published in the periodicals between 19181940. Many texts by local German authors can be found in the annual publication "Deutscher Volkskalender für Bessarabien", some of which are known in the entourage of this minority also after their relocation to Germany in 1940. A relevant example would be the poem „Home”/„Do you know that land where the acacias bloom” by Christian Idler, which became an unofficial anthem of the Bessarabian Germans and their descendants scattered around the world. The anthem dedicated to the native lands of Bessarabia is also an example of a productive reception of the famous Goethe’s poem "Mignon's song" from the Bildungsroman "Wilhelm Meister's apprenticeship". The article performs the comparative analysis of both poems, highlighting the specifics of Ch. Idler's poetry related to the value system of the Bessarabian Germans.
