[Juenger-list] Heliopolis

[wimbauer@web.de (Tobias Wimbauer)]

Alainsiboni@aol.com schrieb:

>     Fellow readers of Jünger,
>     I am just back from  a visit to Naples and 'discovered' this city MUST be
> the setting for my favorite J opus: Heliopolis.0
>     Is this a fact, well documented, a fantasy of mine?
>     Please help
>     Alain Siboni
>     Nice, France
>
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Dear Alain Siboni,

you asked for the setting of Heliopolis.

Some remarks on the subject:

It is possible that Rio de Janeiro was also used to 'design' "Heliopolis". (cf.
EJ, Atlantische Fahrt, [Rio, 20. November 1936]: die "...grosse[] Sonnenstadt.
(...) doch tritt hier Helios maechtig hinzu". [EJ, Voyage atlantique: "...la
grande ville du soleil...."]

In "Heliopolis", there's a ravine called "Malpasso" (nearby the island
Castelmarino)..
- - - "Malpasso": EJ quotes the name. 1938 EJ has been in Rhodos, where a ravine
is called "Malpasso". EJ wrote (Ein Inselfrühling, 3. Mai 1938): "Malpasso ist
sprachlich sehr gut fuer einen ueblen Ort; die boesartige Wirkung wird durch die
Konsonanten hervorgebracht" [EJ, Printemps d'île, 3 mai 1938: "Malpasso, au point
de vue de la langue, est excellent pour un mauvais lieu; und impression de
perfidie se dégage des consonnes"].

The historical Heliopolis is situated in Egypt and is a important place in the
legend of the mythical bird Phoenix. In EJ's novel is a picture of  Phoenix
chisseled on the portals of Heliopolis' cathedral.

I think, the setting of Heliopolis is a combination of a few cities and places.
And of course it's fiction. ("ville imaginaire")

With best wishes and cordial greetings,
Tobias Wimbauer
www.waldgaenger.de