Fictionalizations of the lives of real people can be more or less historically accurate. This master's thesis views the life of August Engelhardt through the lens of two different fictionalized portrayals as well as exploring topics such as Nazism, madness and utopia. In his novel Imperium, Christian Kracht creates a game between reality and fiction. The novel is also considered controversial for focusing on Nazism as one of its central topics. Marc Buhl's depiction of Engelhardt in the novel Das Paradies des August Engelhardt on the other hand remains relatively faithful to the actual historical events of his life and emphasizes his ostracism and madness. The thematization of utopia connects both novels, though neither of their respective protagonist is able to achieve it. For this thesis, qualitative and quantitative analyses of both novels were conducted. Based on the results, it was determined that Kracht's novel does not glorify Nazism and that Buhl's Engelhardt is an outcast who yearns to find his belonging until the very end of the novel. Contrarily, Kracht's Engelhardt simply puts up with his ostracism.
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