Abstract


In the presentation, basic approaches and concepts of the German reader-response criticism
(Constance School) will be introduced and discussed. The thinking of the Constance School followed
two basic patterns: one focusing on literary history and “re-writing” it with regard to the
criterion of reader response rather than that of pre-established literary periods (represented by
Hans-Robert Jauss), and one focusing on the analysis of the reading process (represented by
Wolfgang Iser). The lecture will open with a brief presentation of basic concepts and ideas of the
Constance School. Main focus, however, will be put on the discussion of selected parts of papers by
Jauss and Iser (“Literary History as a Challenge to Literary Theory”, “Indeterminacy and the
Reader’s Response”).