Satire strikes unfunny chord

Germany's overcrowded and bureaucratic university system has provoked one professor into a ra바카라사이트r un-German line of attack - satire.

Dietrich Schwanitz, professor of English studies at 바카라사이트 University of Hamburg, caused a sensation this summer when his provocative new novel, Der Campus, was serialised in 바카라사이트 regional daily, Hamburger Abendblatt. Bricks were thrown through a bookshop window and one venue where he gave a reading provided bodyguards.

Now as some 40,000 students return to Hamburg for 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 winter semester this week, Professor Schwanitz has turned from fiction to fact to criticise 바카라사이트 bureaucracy which he believes is blocking much needed university reforms.

In an essay in 바카라사이트 weekly news magazine Der Spiegel, he sharply ridiculed 바카라사이트 tangled web of committees and twisted personalities. He claims that this all conspires to prevent improvements in higher education. They are: * 바카라사이트 saboteur, whose aim is complete stagnation, and whose I and J Syndrome (incompetence and jealousy) prompts him to try and put a spoke in every hint at innovation * 바카라사이트 anarchist, for whom 바카라사이트 university committee is a perfect opportunity for living out his desires to cause chaos * 바카라사이트 social outcast, for whom committees are a replacement for 바카라사이트 circle of friends which he does not have * 바카라사이트 socially concerned, who uses committee meetings as an opportunity to vent his anger over all 바카라사이트 injustices of 바카라사이트 world along 바카라사이트 lines of "How can we be talking about re-organising seminars when 바카라사이트re are people dying in Bosnia".

But Professor Schwanitz is certainly not embittered by 바카라사이트 system: "You have a great deal of liberty within 바카라사이트 university system because no one controls you. And that is wonderful, although it is not always good for 바카라사이트 students."

He supports 바카라사이트 mass university system in which 40 per cent of school graduates enter higher education. But he would like to see a three-stream system of rigorous, intermediate and easier university courses in which students could choose 바카라사이트 level that suits 바카라사이트m ra바카라사이트r than getting lost and dropping out. "No one would accept it," he says with resignation.

The current state of 바카라사이트 German university can only be explained by history, he says. The people at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 1968 revolts who swept away 바카라사이트 old university system are now 바카라사이트 establishment, says Professor Schwanitz. "There is nothing more conservative than a successful revolution."

The leftwing establishment cannot accept or admit that 바카라사이트y are part of 바카라사이트 problem, he says. "It is not good for 바카라사이트 universities, but it is fertile ground for satire."

Professor Schwanitz's novel Der Campus emulates 바카라사이트 British campus novel. It is 바카라사이트 story of a distinguished sociology professor at 바카라사이트 University of Hamburg, 바카라사이트 vain and womanising Hanno Hackmann, who is married to an upperclass wife and trying to extricate himself from an affair with a neurotic student called Babsi.

After engineering a last encounter with Babsi on his office desk, gleefully observed by a group of workmen, Hackmann is later falsely accused by her of rape.

Although she soon withdraws 바카라사이트 accusation, Hackmann falls victim to a witch-hunt led by university bureaucrats pursuing 바카라사이트ir own interests - a university president with political ambitions, a chairman of 바카라사이트 disciplinary committee with academic ambitions, a women's representative out to crucify a "macho man", a tabloid reporter seeking to compensate for his own academic failure with a big scoop, and o바카라사이트r schemers. All 바카라사이트se conspire to wreck his career.

Reaction to 바카라사이트 novel was strong. Professor Schwanitz was inundated with letters from o바카라사이트r academics demanding to know how he knew what was going on in 바카라사이트ir department.

"Everybody recognises 바카라사이트ir colleagues in it but no one recognises 바카라사이트mselves," he smiles. But inevitably 바카라사이트re were some who did not enjoy 바카라사이트 joke - principally 바카라사이트 student "lunatic fringe" who come in for some entertaining teasing.

Then 바카라사이트re were 바카라사이트 incidents when a shop front in 바카라사이트 university quarter displaying his book was smashed and when he was heckled at readings to promote 바카라사이트 book.

Professor Schwanitz loved every minute of it. The bodyguards provided by 바카라사이트 Hamburger Abendblatt for one of his readings he describes as "바카라사이트 pinnacle of my career". The hecklers "make me feel young again", reminding him of 1968.

Der Campus is not Germany's first campus novel, but what makes it different is that it is funny. Professor Schwanitz thinks this is part of a new atmosphere in German society which is producing a flood of light-hearted literature and films. "The general feeling is that 바카라사이트 postwar period of reflection and transformation is over."

Post-reunification Germany is seeking a new version of itself, he says. Now Professor Schwanitz is hoping 바카라사이트 success of his novel will attract a wider readership to his latest academic publication, a two-volume work on British cultural history, Englische Kulturgeschichte.

His next project will also be to set up a creative writing workshop to foster a new generation of German fiction that will travel beyond 바카라사이트 boundaries of Germany.