“Unsere mutigen Feiglinge”: Remembrance of Austrian Wehrmacht Deserters in Hanna Sukare’s Schwedenreiter

This article examines Schwedenreiter (2018), the second novel by German-Austrian writer Hanna Sukare (b. 1957). It focuses on eponymous grandson of a Wehrmacht deserter and his quest for grandfather’s story to be rehabilitated in village from which he originated. comes wake rehabilitation deserters Austria at national level 2009, is explicitly thematized narrative. The analysis draws specifically Marianne Hirsch’s concept post-memory, Ute Frevert’s thinking shaming humiliation, historical scholarship pertaining Austrian context, relevant memorials memorialization. Ultimately, this argues that Sukare’s presents continuing fault lines process coming terms with legacy deserters, are shown persist, especially local level, despite ostensible line sand regard official rehabilitation.