Dear Ms. Mürer

I found on your page invitation for some comments:

May 9, 2001 marks the 25th anniversary of Jens Bjørneboe's death. I would like to hear from readers who have something to say about such topics as:
       The influence of JB's writings on your life
       JB's significance for today.

on both of those I have some, unfortunately not only theoretical, comments, and would like to share them with you.

I found Moment of Freedom: The Heiligenberg Manuscript in Polish translation some 2 years ago, among cheap books (because of bad selling rate). Never I heard about Bjørneboe, and none of my friends, among them scientists, polonists, philosophers, anthropologists, had.

As I was reading it, after fifty pages, I almost threw it away, so disgusted was I. It remembered me too well some bad feelings and thoughts I had last ten years (I'm Croatian, and was there during the last war '91-'96, and I know what this kind of experience can do to the people, and what is the expression in their eyes after.)

But, fortunately I was reading further. And after the book, I realized it was the most pacifistic book I ever had chance to read. ANY excuse for brutalities and bestialities, really any...nobody did it so chirurgically clear as Bjørneboe.

All my circle of friends, in Poland or Croatia or Germany, France, USA, Australia, Russia, is now quite acquainted with Bjørneboe, I even sent your translation of 1st book to Zagreb, to a friend. . . . really I think it's important to know this kind of view on history.

I came to Germany, in Potsdam, capital of Prussia, with Bjørneboe in head, and was just reading W. Gombrowicz's III book of "Diary", where he describes his feelings about coming (from Argentina) 1st time back to Europe, to West Berlin in 1956, and his feelings about Germans . . . brrr.

My feelings were mixed, and still are, about it, but 2nd book (in your translation, as Polish or Croatian one will wait for long time yet, I'm afraid), Powderhouse, learned me—rather, confirmed my feelings—to think another way about history of Europe, that German bestiality during II WW was not anything special, that they just developed the skill further. "My" Balkans is just a part of it all.

For 3rd book (which is waiting on my shelves) I have to wait my brains to get through 2nd one; but already Bjørneboe learned me the lesson I think he wanted us to learn.

I'm really sorry he didn't manage to write the "trilogy on Good", but . . . thinking for myself how I'd do it . . . I couldn't find an answer. He himself had this problem, too, it seems. I'm still searching, and we all should do it.

With best wishes, thanks for the translations

Miljenko Cemeljic

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This page added April 2001