Letteratura, gastarbeiter, migrazioni tra Germania e Svizzera

The present volume intends to propose an overview of the literary pro- duction of immigrants and authors of foreign origin who passed through or were residents in Switzerland and post-war Germany, that is the two European countries whose migration policies best corresponded to the model that identifies the immigrant with a “guest worker” (gastarbeiter). The immigrants’ condition in these two countries could vary according to the quality of bilateral agreements between local governments and the ones of their countries of origin. In addition, due to the European integration process, their condition has undergone important transformations from the post-war period until now. Nevertheless, as some of the essays highlight even from a cultural-historical perspective, the structure of the initial migratory policies has continued to have consequences on immigrants, on their descendants, and on their self-perception. The collected essays deal with the works produced by individuals belonging to different national groups, analyze them from different theoretical perspectives, but try to keep alive the dialogue be- tween migratory history and the respective literary production.