New Eastern Europe Issue 1

14
Opinion and Analysis Martin Pollack, Where East Meets West
much better. In this sense, Grillparzer is quite up-to-date. The fact that this
great Austrian national poet, without many qualms, would write “Takatsch”
instead of “Takács” is not surprising; it’s the same old story.
Translated by Iwona Reichardt
Martin Pollack is an Austrian writer, journalist and translator of Polish
literature. He is the author of many books including: Der Tote im Bunker.
Bericht über meinen Vater (Death in the bunker. Th e story of my father) (2004),
and Kaiser von Amerika. Die große Flucht aus Galizien (Emperor of America.
Th e great escape from Galicia) (2010).