ABSTRACT
Surprisingly little has been written about Søren Kierkegaard’s influence on Alfred Andersch (1914-80).1 One of the reasons for this dearth of research is surely that Andersch himself mentions Kierkegaard but rarely and sporadically.2 Moreover, at least in Andersch’s work of fiction,3 the Dane’s influence, as might be expected, is hidden and unassuming, surfacing in subtle allusions or permeating the work as a whole rather than consisting in direct references, quotations, or explicitly stated ideas. Our task, then, is to retrace Andersch’s quiet gestures towards Kierkegaard, whilst also paying attention to the more direct references, few, but significant, that Andersch makes to the philosopher’s work.4
