Défis et Enjeux d’une historiographie littéraire comparatiste: « Histoire comparée des littératures de langues européennes » et Neohelicon

Abstract

The year 1973 was marked by two important events concerning comparative studies in Europe: the publication of the first volume of a project initiated by the International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA), a « Comparative History of Literatures in European Languages » (John Benjamins); and the launch of a new journal, the aim of which was the « presentation of epochs, periods, trends and currents from a comparative point of view ». The journal of Akadémiai Kiadó (in collaboration with other Publisher) was closely linked to this series as a ‘workshop for reflection’ and, at the same time, continued the tradition of two earlier pioneering Hungarian journals: Hugó Lomnitzi Meltzl's Acta comparationis litterarum universarum (1877-1888) and of Helicon. Revue internationale des problèmes généraux de la littérature (1938-1943) by János Hankiss. Based on the issues of Neohelicon (I/1-2, 1973 and VIII/2, 1983), this paper analyses in detail the common elements in the history of these two living and active publishing enterprises.