ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the politicity of Der Nister's literary practice, refers to the ways, if any, in which his works question the government's politics and legitimacy. Research on Der Nister's biography has relied essentially on Zalmen Reyzen's article on Der Nister in his Leksikon fun der yidisher literatur, prese un filologye, which summarizes the author's life and work up to 1926. Apart from some glimpses into the material re-worked in his later novel, what is of particular interest is the 'political landscape' Der Nister draws in In the Year 1905. Two momentous years, 1928 and 1929, were in many respects crucial for Der Nister's professional life. In his article, Dobrushin foresees and describes a new Yiddish literature that is open to the whole world, a literature produced — in an almost mystical turn of phrase — by the 'bafrayter veltbavustzayn fun dem yidishn nay gayst'.
