Target level: B1 and above
Description: In Franz Hohler’s short story “Die Rückeroberung” from 1982, the unnamed narrator describes how the city of Zürich is gradually taken over by animals and plants native to the area.
The narrative can be read literally, depicting displaced animals returning to the place where they were once at home, or as an allegory for climate change. As the residents of Zürich fail to address the changing conditions, some people flee to unknown places while others react with disinterest. Typical for the genre, the last line of the text leaves the ending open: “…ich sitze da und denke darüber nach, ob es jetzt noch einen Sinn hat, die Stadt zu verlassen, oder ob das alles nur der Anfang von etwas ist, das sich von hier aus uneindämmbar ausbreiten wird” (Hohler, 21). The short story works well to introduce students to ecocriticism and literary analysis in general.
Methods and Approaches: This reading guide is meant to be completed by students as they read and can be used to form the basis of an in-class discussion. Students fill out the table to keep track of the narrative and the types of plants and animals that appear in the city. In general, the short story is accessible to students, though they might need to look up the names of animals and plants. The reading guide should help them navigate these new words.
After comparing their responses on the reading guide, the instructor leads students in a group discussion about the form of a short story, the story’s title, and turning points in the narrative. Next, students work in pairs or small groups to do a close reading of several passages. To end the lesson, students do a short free writing activity and continue writing the story, deciding what happens next.
Work Cited:
Hohler, Franz. “Die Rückeroberung.” Die Rückeroberung: Erzählungen, Luchterhand, 1983, pp. 5-21.