Overcoming Absence

1. Group portrait without lady: the photograph depicts a group of men between the ages of 35 and 50 facing the camera. Their careless stance and clothing set this picture apart from similarly posed group photos in which heads of state or sporting clubs present their team of men (Mannschaft) to the public. body language and gestures of these men differentiate them from a triumphant-looking football team or cabinet members striking a confident and upright pose. men in this picture can immediately be identified as intellectuals. They were participants in the symposium on literature entitled Steirischer Herbst (Styrian Autumn): sixteen writers, critics and professors altogether.' If the photo were seen without the accompanying newspaper article on the Steirischer Herbst, it would be difficult to guess what year the picture was taken. It presumably comes from the 1970s or 80s. Although the dress of intellectuals is only slightly affected by the changing modes of fashion, one could rule out the 1950s and 60s since most intellectuals were still wearing ties at that time (in the picture only two can be spotted). This group appears completely untouched by the women's movement which has otherwise left at least its symbolic mark on the public sphere. theme of Steirischer Herbst 1983, the photo's origin, was The Return of the Same which focused on a discussion about the outlook of old and new myths in German-speaking culture.2 fact that this was a purely male event added an unintentionally ironic connotation to the choice of topic: the return of the same as the unbroken representation of the male cultural establishment. Like father, like son

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