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FLORIAN KRANZ: Eine Schifffahrt mit drei f. Positives zur Rechtschreibreform. Kleine Reihe V&R. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1998. 112 pp. DM 19,80.
This slim volume appeared in 1998 as debates surrounding the spelling reform raged. Its title makes the author's agenda clear: Kranz wishes to put a positive face on the spelling reform and counter opposing arguments from intellectuals and politicians. He approaches his task logically, differentiating spelling (norms for writing) from language itself, setting the historical context for the spelling reform and countering practical arguments against it. He seeks to dispel misconceptions about the supposedly 'natural' development of the German language in its written form. The book is intended for a general audience not equipped with a specialized knowledge of language or linguistics. It is an attempt «das Ausmaß der durch die Reform stattfindenden Veränderungen in ein der Realität angemessenes Verhältnis zu bringen, Proportionen and Dimensionen zurechtzurücken» (5). According to Kranz, the lively debates surrounding the reforms were dominated by the arguments of opponents to reform. It is therefore time, he argues, «‹die andere Seite› sachlich and allgemein verständlich vorzustellen» (6).
Kranz's general reader will not be overwhelmed by his 100-plus pages of text. After a brief foreword, the six chapters (plus notes and bibliography) are divided into short sections ranging from one to five pages long. This organization makes his text very readable. The bulk of these short sections are titled with phrases, such as «Haben wir wirklich nichts Wichtigeres zu tun?» or «Aber unsere Rechtschreibung ist doch historisch gewachsen! » giving the reader a connection to the text via phrases and protest formulas, already commonly heard in reform debates. His chapter organization is | logical-chronological. In the first chapter, «Zum Einstieg,» he points out that the uproar in the face of impending reforms comes in part from a lack of knowledge about reform history in the German language and in other European languages. To counter arguments that the reform is unusual or too far-reaching, he presents a catalog of late twentieth-century reforms in other languages that make it clear first, that the Germans are not alone with their most recent reform and second, that other nations have survived their reforms with little apparent hullabaloo. Further, he carefully distinguishes between language and spelling for those readers who fear their very language may be endangered by the spelling reform: «Sprache ist das, was war sprechen, Rechtschreibung ist aber nicht das, was wir schreiben, sondern eine Leitnorm für das Schreiben» (17). Because spelling reforms are more common than one might have thought, he argues, the impending reform is not a break with tradition, but a continuation of it.
In the chapter which follows, on the history of German spelling, Kranz shows how early attempts at richtig schreiben or Rechtschreibung came as spoken language was first put on paper in the Middle Ages. Because Germany did not have the same clear cultural centers that France did, the language in its written form had many regional variations. With the increasing use of the printing press, there was greater need for precision in spelling. Konrad Duden stepped in with his Buchdrucker-Duden, and many of the forms detailed in it were eventually subsumed into the standard Duden. The reader will be interested to learn in this chapter about the numerous failed and successful, politically or practically motivated spelling reforms in the twentieth century, such as those attempted during the Nazi regime and after the division of Germany. Seen in this context, the frequent response to reform «Warum jetzt auf einmal?» is clearly out of place. The current reform is the culmination of efforts that began in the 1970s.
In chapter three, titled «Die Autoritäten,» Kranz examines the various bodies of authority which either made reform policy or opposed it. Interestingly, he observes that opponents to reform both demanded an authoritative language institution and objected to its recommendations as top-down coercion to change. Whereas changes in language might come from below, it is not within the nature of spelling (which has a norming function) to evolve naturally from below. Ultimately, he profiles the various late-stage attempts to curb or stop reforms (1996–1998), showing how reform plans were amended in response to legal complaints or the objection of politicians.
Kranz profiles practical aspects of reform implementation in his chapter titled «Die Konsequenzen.» These appear in sections such as «Ich seh nicht ein, dass ich noch mal umlernen soll!» and «Dann müssen alle Bücher neu gedruckt werden!» He counters these reactions patiently, with clearly reasoned and informative arguments. If they do not already know it, readers will discover that the spelling reform has an implementation phase of seven years extending until August 2005. During this phase, neither old nor new forms are wrong. In schools, old forms are merely considered outdated, but are not marked as errors. The ‹old› forms are considered ‹wrong› starting in August 2005 in schools and in the writing of government documents.
The reader who has followed Kranz through the first four chapters will have felt a little impatient – and now relieved finally to read in chapter five «Zum Inhalt der | neuen Rechtschreibung.» Here the author becomes a little – but only a little – more technical as he explains the reasoning behind certain types of major changes or lastminute adjustments to the reform. Nevertheless, the reader will not become bogged down in historical linguistics, for Kranz gives just enough background and plenty of examples. This reader was very interested to understand principles such as Stammschreibung (88–89) which, in the context of the current reform, means it is not important where a word comes from, but rather to which stem group it belongs now. Following this logic, the German verb plazieren becomes platzieren to match Platz, despite the French origins of the previous verb spelling. Numerieren, becomes nummerieren to be consistent with Nummer and Greuel, Greueltat, and greulich become Gräuel, Gräueltat and gräulich to be like grausen, grauen, Graus and grausam. A final chapter comforts readers – or warns them – that the current reforms were not so far-reaching that there is no material left for future reforms.
This book is well-suited for the lay person or even the teacher or faculty member who wants to gain a better understanding of the reasoning behind the most recent spelling reform. It clearly places this reform within the context of a tradition of reforms over previous centuries and in the twentieth century. By conveying the principles behind the reforms, as well as the limits of reform (Orthographie will not, after all, become Ortografie – at least not yet), it provides a sound basis for learning the new forms. Kranz's clear writing style and solid organization contribute to what will be a handy volume for many. Even though we are now well into the «transitional period», reading the book is worthwhile, especially for teachers who may face panicked students and parents confused by the coexistence of ‹old› and ‹new› forms. Kranz seeks to reassure his readers that the reform is not as formidable as it has been portrayed, and he does a convincing job. In his foreword, Kranz states that the book itself is written using the new forms. This reader was reassured to find that the new forms hardly standout, reinforcing Kranz's arguments once again. The most noticeable difference for this reader was the omission of the now-optional comma with extended infinitive phrases (infinitive+zu with an object), a subject barely thematized in the text itself.
Teachers of German will want to visit the web site Kranz recommends as the best online resource on the new spelling reform: http://www.wuerzburg.de . . . It provides a very brief synopsis of the reforms accompanied by images cleverly designed to function as mnemonic devices for the various types of changes. A series of additional resources for language teachers, including ready-to-use work sheets and quizzes, can be accessed at: http://www.wuerzburg.de . . .
Western Kentucky University
Laura McGee
http://www.wku.edu/~mcgeelg/CV.html
Erschienen 2002 in Colloquia germanica 34 (2001), 66-68
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