Der Editor und sein Schatten

Abstract

The article examines the significance of the ‘shadow of the editor’, a conceptual figure widely recognized in German-language editorial studies. After outlining the context in which Hans Zeller introduced the metaphor (1966/1971), the first section highlights some difficulties involved in interpreting it regarding the subjectivity of editorial work. In order to examine the metaphor in greater depth, the second section elaborates on the shadow in general as an optical phenomenon, a cultural motif, and theoretical concept. Subsequently, in the third section, the expressive potential of the editorial shadow is explored, with a focus on its origin and nature, its location and extent within the edition, as well as its visualization by the editors. Here the ambiguity of the metaphor in relation to the editor’s dual role as both source of light and shadow-casting object seems to be crucial. In the final section, the status of the metaphor is reconsidered in light of the results of the analysis, and an attempt is made to summarize the insights from the interpretation of the metaphor which point towards a theory of editorial subjectivity.