_________________________________________________________________________Swansea University E-Theses Dark Mermaids. Lauppe-Dunbar, Anne How to cite: _________________________________________________________________________ Lauppe-Dunbar, Anne (2012) Dark Mermaids.. thesis, Swansea University. http://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa42723 Use policy: _________________________________________________________________________ This item is brought to you by Swansea University. Any person downloading material is agreeing to abide by the terms of the repository licence: copies of full text items may be used or reproduced in any format or medium, without prior permission for personal research or study, educational or non-commercial purposes only. The copyright for any work remains with the original author unless otherwise specified. The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holder. Permission for multiple reproductions should be obtained from the original author. Authors are personally responsible for adhering to copyright and publisher restrictions when uploading content to the repository. Please link to the metadata record in the Swansea University repository, Cronfa (link given in the citation reference above.) http://www.swansea.ac.uk/library/researchsupport/ris-support/ DARK MERMAIDS Anne Lauppe-Dunbar Submitted to Swansea University in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Swansea University 2012 ProQuest Number: 10807492 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10807492 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 l ib r a r y THESIS SUMMARY Candidate's Surname / Family Name Lauppe-Dunbar Candidate's Forenames Anne Candidate for the Degree of PhD Full title of thesis DARK MERMAIDS Summary of Themes Sporting success is defined by athletic prowess, mental stamina and the ability to win. The balance between winning by fair, or foul, means is an area of fierce debate. This thesis seeks to illuminate the workings of the former German Democratic Republic Doping Scam: (Theme 14.25); to shed light on the human tragedy of steroid engineering, and to explore, within a fictitious world, new ground in areas that have offered little in research. Dark Mermaids , a novel, presents a narrative through contemporaneous documentation of the experiences of a fictitious former Olympic GDR swimmer and a tenacious young girl. In parallel, the novel considers the idea of selective memory, the paranoia of life under a dictatorship, and the notion of ‘home’ in a divided country. The accompanying essay further explores, through example, the themes of amnesia and exile, and the theory that the common exilic pathology of strain and estrangement of flight is never, in practice, over. Synopsis of Novel 1990. The Berlin Wall has fallen. Police officer Sophia Kiinstler slips through the backstreets of Berlin looking for sex in the arms of a cruel faced blue eyed stranger; the same boy she has found in clubs and dance halls over many years. Outside her apartment a cold and frightened girl waits with a letter. Dagmar, Sophia’s mother, is dying. Sophia and her father must return to the former GDR, a place from which they had escaped. As part of her job, Sophia is required to investigate claims of Stasi collaboration in her former home town’s local police force. Suppressed memories gradually surface, and these impel her to revisit the GDR elite sports training ground, where death, or a new life, await. DECLARATION This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed. (candidate) \ __ D ate ...................................... STATEMENT 1 This thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. Where correction services have been used, the extent and nature of the correction is clearly marked in a footnote(s). Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references. A bibliography is appended. Signed/. (candidate) (/ S' D ate ................................ STATEMENT 2 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. ^ Signed (candidate) Date . .. 1 CONTENTS Title Page Page 1 Summary Page 2 Declaration Page 3 Contents Page 4 Acknowledgements Page 5 Translations Page 6 Pronunciations Page 9 Novel title page Page 10 Chapter One Page 11 Chapter Two Page 20 Chapter Three Page 30 Chapter Four Page 41 Chapter Five Page 51 Chapter Six Page 60 Chapter Seven Page 69 Chapter Eight Page 80 Chapter Nine Page 84 Chapter Ten Page 94 Chapter Eleven Page 102 Chapter Twelve Page 110 Chapter Thirteen Page 119 Chapter Fourteen Page 128 Chapter Fifteen Page 137 Chapter Sixteen Page 144 Chapter Seventeen Page 155 Chapter Eighteen Page 166 Chapter Nineteen Page 172 Chapter Twenty Page 181 Chapter Twenty One Page 187 Reflective Essay Page 191 Bibliography Page 222 Archive Resources Page 225 Internet Sources Page 228 Film and Documentary Page 230 Glossary Page 231 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To Stevie, my teacher, without whom none of this would have been possible. Ian who, when the world tilted, kept my feet steady and my heart strong, and my lovely two: Fiona and Jessica. With thanks to: Christiane Lauppe and Ingrid Oberfoll, for their generous gift of memories of a German heritage. Susan Spiransa, for intricate translation and far reaching research. Uli Neumcke, for help in translation and historical research. Steven Ungerleider, for archiving resources that informed the book: Faust’s Gold. Brigitte Berendonk, for assistance with contacting athletes. Marcus Welsch, for inviting me to Berlin to watch his extraordinary documentary film: Katharina Bullin: And I thought I was the Greatest. Hajo Seppelt, for advice and assistance in the matter of reporting on the GDR athletes. Libby Valdez, for her mermaid illustrations. Malcolm Macdonald, for reading and scholarly advice. Pauline Bowerbank, for reading the novel and staunch friendship. Ian Glen, for help with the bibliography. Jennifer Cryer, for friendship, help and advice so gladly given. Liz Wride, for enthusiasm, positivity and kindness. To all of you who helped, or simply put up with me during the writing of this thesis, please accept my gratitude and sincere thanks. Translations by page number 11 Pfennig Former German currency 11 U-Bahn An intercity train line, similar to the London underground 11 Schnapps Strong liquor made from fermented fruit 12 Idioten Idiots 12 Bratwurst A German pork sausage 12 Sauerkraut Pickled cabbage 12 Gliihwein Mulled wine 12 Entschuldigung Apology 18 Salzbrdtchen A white roll with salt crystals on the top 20 Augen wie eine Prinzessin Eyes like a princess 20 Ein Brotchen und einen Kaffee, bitte A bread roll and coffee please 20 Schmetterlingsplatz Butterfly Square 21 eine symbolische Wand A symbolic Wall 23 Nicht wahr? Right? 23 Na ja so geht es Oh well, that’s life 27 Sobotniks 1 From Lenin’s ‘great initiative’. Saturday Committees formed by People’s Police to do gardening and house decoration 33 Cervelat A cured sausage that can be sliced 34 Lindenstrasse A weekly TV soap 35 Wo ist sie? Where is she? 35 Schadenfreude Finding happiness in someone else’s misfortune 1 Nikolai (Vladimir) Lenin, 'The Great Initiative', Trans, by P. Lavin, Glasgow, Socialist Labour Press, p. 3 - 7. <http://www.archive.Org/stream/greatinitiativei00leni#page/6/mode/2up> [accessed: 20 February 2012]. 35 Armes Kind Poor child 37 Lugen haben kurze Beine Literal translation: Liars have short legs. Contextual translation: The truth will out 41 Ossi East German 41 ehrlich Honestly 46 mein Schatz My dearest 47 Schatzi Dearest 47 Grinsen wie ein Honigkuchenpferd Grinning like a Gingerbread horse. The equivalent would be: grinning like a Cheshire Cat 58 Papierwdlfe Paper shredders 65 Weisse Elster The white Elster river flowing through Thuringia. The Black Elster flows from Lausitz into the Elbe. Elster translates as Magpie (hence black and white river) 72 Das Wandern ist des Mullers Lust Hiking is a miller’s delight. A German folk song 73 Sei ruhig Be quiet 83 wo bist du? Where are you? 86 Trabant The most common vehicle in the former GDR 87 Baumausreissen The ‘correct’ spelling would be: Baume ausreissen. Contextual translation: ripping out trees. 88 Hornchen Sweet milk and butter bread, shaped in a moon shape or sickle 88 Kasekuchen Cheesecake 88 Apfelstrudel Layered apple cake 2 Marions Kochbuch, Honigkuchenpferd (Gingerbread horse). <http://www.marions-kochbuch.de/rezept/3668.htm> [accessed 03 April 2012]. 3 Steven Ungerleider, Faust's Gold (New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2001), p. 14. 94 Raus Out 96 Komme Come 96 Die Muschelsucher The Shell Seekers , by Rosemund Pilcher 103 das waere der Gipfel that would be the final straw 103 Sich Verpissen4 Literal translation: To wet yourself, hence, fuck off, piss off. Contextual translation: To abscond from normal duty and patrol areas known to troublemakers 107 Wessis Westerners 111 Thuringer Klofie Speciality potato dumplings with crisp buttered squares of toast in their centre 119 Kleine Sophi Little Sophi 120 KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westens) West Berlin department store 121 Nacht ohne Mond The Moon-Spinners , by Mary Stewart 131 Erste Etage First floor 132 Karlshader Oblaten A round wafer delicacy 136 Funfzig Pfennig Fifty Pfennig 137 Spatzle Pasta made from eggs, flour and water. 147 Komm mal her Come here 152 1. FC Union Berlin The (1991) newly united Berlin football Club 182 Liebling Sweetheart 4 See: Andreas Glaeser, D ivided in Unity (Chicago: Chicago Press, 2000), pp.