...

" Newspeak was designed to reduce the range of thinking, " says the "Appendix" of >1984". "All ambiguities and nuances of meaning had been eliminated. [...] A critical attitude [...] was helpless, if only because she had to remain speechless and indefinite." This is expressed, for example, in the thinking of Katharine, Winston's first wife. "She had no thought in her head that was not a slogan, and there was no idiocy that she would not have participated in as long as she came from the party. He had christened the human record in his mind." Even sex becomes a linguistically denounced object. "She reminded him of it in the morning. It was a duty that had to be done in the evening and in no case could not be forgotten. She had two names for it. One was making his baby and the other our commitment to the party"." All other interpretations and feelings, love, romance, desire, tenderness are overtrained.

Translations are also always relative. They are always shaped by the experiences and horizons of their respective times. Therefore it is good that there is a new translation of > 1984<. The update of >1984< fits well with the new topicality of Orwell and >1984< against the background of the political and media shifts of our time, the systemic struggle of a new authoritarianism, even digital totalitarianism against liberal, liberal democracy. Language creates reality for you. And especially in politics. Freedom - including that of language and speech - and responsibility belong together. Democracy is based on that. This is the core of our liberal democratic basic order. And with all the injustices and all the tasks that have to be done - we live in the best democracy that has ever existed in Germany, we live in the freest society that we have ever had - and the enemies of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, they aim to destroy the freedom of speech and society through targeted irresponsibility. How this can happen, shows >1984<. That it remains fiction and does not become reality is our task.

END FOREWORD

" Newspeak was designed to reduce the range of thinking, " says the "Appendix" of >1984". "All ambiguities and nuances of meaning had been eliminated. [...] A critical attitude [...] was helpless, if only because she had to remain speechless and indefinite." This is expressed, for example, in the thinking of Katharine, Winston's first wife. "She had no thought in her head that was not a slogan, and there was no idiocy that she would not have participated in as long as she came from the party. He had christened the human record in his mind." Even sex becomes a linguistically denounced object. "She reminded him of it in the morning. It was a duty that had to be done in the evening and in no case could not be forgotten. She had two names for it. One was making his baby and the other our commitment to the party"." All other interpretations and feelings, love, romance, desire, tenderness are overtrained.

Translations are also always relative. They are always shaped by the experiences and horizons of their respective times. Therefore it is good that there is a new translation of > 1984<. The update of >1984< fits well with the new topicality of Orwell and >1984< against the background of the political and media shifts of our time, the systemic struggle of a new authoritarianism, even digital totalitarianism against liberal, liberal democracy. Language creates reality for you. And especially in politics. Freedom - including that of language and speech - and responsibility belong together. Democracy is based on that. This is the core of our liberal democratic basic order. And with all the injustices and all the tasks that have to be done - we live in the best democracy that has ever existed in Germany, we live in the freest society that we have ever had - and the enemies of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, they aim to destroy the freedom of speech and society through targeted irresponsibility. How this can happen, shows >1984<. That it remains fiction and does not become reality is our task.

END FOREWORD