."Zettels Traum", illustrations

Illustrations of the eight chapters of the experimental book by Arno Schmidt "Zettels Traum" from 1970

"The years collect within us, what we collect, we collect on scaps of paper. So in old age one become wise - and yet knows nothing."
"Fantasie is the only weapon against reality."
Arno Schmidt, Zettels Traum


"Zettel's Dream" by Arno Schmidt is a monumental work of post-war German literature and is considered one of the most significant works of experimental literature in the 20th century. The book consists of a variety of text elements, including essays, poetry, literary quotes, and notes collected on loose scraps of paper. The different text fragments are connected in unconventional ways, forming a complex web of meanings, associations, and allusions. The work is a meditation on language, literature, and the human experience, exploring themes such as identity, memory, death, and the nature of reality. Through its multifaceted and demanding structure, "Zettel's Dream" places high demands on the reader and challenges them to actively participate in the construction of meaning.