The end of Empedocles (Holderlin, 'Tod des Empedokles')

Reconstructing the writing process of Holderlin's fragments of Der Tod des Empedokles not only has an impact on the final text design, but also on the way the drama is read. A 'textgenetical' reading will reveal the historica l-poetological problem of the Empedokles fragments and in which way the wri tten sign and history being intertwined in this way raise the perspective t hat Holderlin's representation of demise and transition is rather 'innig' t han circular.