Dylan: big in Germany!

I should know better by now: on my frequent trips to German-speaking Europe, I’m always surprised that Dylan’s had such a big impact. I should have realized long ago that Germany/Austria/Switzerland is a one of the major Dylan markets – much bigger, for example, than France or Spain.

An indication of strong German-speaking interest in Zim can be gauged in any good bookshop. On a recent trip to Vienna, I picked up five Dylan books completely new to me:

* Biermann, Wolf,
Bob Dylan Eleven Outlined Epitaphs/Elf Entwurfe fur meinen Grabspruch, Koln, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, hbk, 2003, 156pp.

* Rosteck, Jens,
Bob Dylan: Leben, Werk, Wirkung, Frankfurt, Suhrkamp BasisBiographie, pbk, 2006, 160pp.

* Honneth, Axel et al,
Bob Dylan Ein Kongress: Ergebnisse Des Internationalen Bob Dylan-Kongresses 2006 In Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Suhrkamp, pbk, 2007, 346pp.

* Williams, Christian (trans),
Bob Dylan In Eigenen Worten, Heidelberg, Palmyra, hbk, 2001, 153pp.

* Stein, Georg,
Bob Dylan, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers And Roger McGuinn: Temples In Flames, Heidelberg, Palmyra, hbk, 1989, 94pp.

The Dylan Daily would be pleased to learn from German-speaking readers just how big Dylan really is in Germany/Austria/Switzerland.

I’d also like to hear about recommended German-language books I’ve missed.




Gerry Smith