Through literary criticism and poetry, the UD professor emeritus reflects on political violence and collective memory

Heinz-Uwe Haus, professor emeritus in the University of Delaware’s Department of Theatre and Dance, was recently featured in Lumina Lina with the publication of his essay, “The victim never lets go of the crime – Nightmare Stories and their Endings.”

In the essay, Haus examines two contemporary works that confront the enduring psychological consequences of life under the former German Democratic Republic (GDR): Gabriele Eckart’s short story collection Oh You, and Udo Jeschke’s memoir The Nightmare of the GDR. Published almost simultaneously, both books revisit a shared history of repression and surveillance that continues to shape personal and collective memory decades after German reunification.

Haus situates these works within the lived experiences of their authors, both of whom grew up in households connected to the Stasi and later broke away from that environment. Their writing, he argues, is especially powerful because it raises questions that are often avoided, including fear, mistrust, depression, aggression, and psychological trauma under Communist rule.

Drawing on research, Haus notes that more than 35 years after reunification, the long-term effects of political traumatization remain visible, with significantly higher rates of anxiety disorders and suicide in eastern Germany. Trauma, he emphasizes, is not easily resolved; it can become a lifelong force shaping identity, behavior, and memory.

In addition to his scholarly work, Haus was also featured in Gracious Light, which published seven of his poems translated into Romanian by writer Clelia Ifrim. The poems originate from his collection Loreley, first released a decade ago in connection with his staging of Goethe’s Faust I with UD’s Resident Ensemble Players. Haus publishes his nonacademic writing and visual art under the pseudonym Jean Bodin.