The Gothic and its relation to boundaries is the focal point of this paper. The genre’s fluid and deconstructive character renders it uniquely apt for the study of historical gender relations. Attending to the fears and desires encoded in these narratives exposes the underlying power dynamics, as well as the gendered expectations and transgressive possibilities they contain.This thesis addresses the question of whether shifts can be discerned in Gothic literature across different historical periods, beginning with the eighteenth century. By examining the ideals and “monsters” that emerge in specific eras, it seeks to reveal the extent to which associated gender constructions are subject to historical variation and transformation. This study is organized into three parts, each dealing with its own specific time period and thematic cluster. It contains in-depth analyses of Gothic classics such as "A Sicilian Romance", "Jane Eyre", "Rebecca", "Dracula", "Interview with the Vampire", "Frankenstein", as well as their modern adaptations: Addie Tsai's "Unwieldy Creatures", Sarah Maria Griffin's "Spare and Found Parts", and Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian".

A newly developed research concept aims to close an important research gap in geopolitics and political geography. The focus is on comparing the geopolitical resources of different states and geographical regions, determining the intensity of collective identification with geographical regions, and empirically investigating the implementation of hard and soft power. Based on various research hypotheses, the research concept is applied to several empirical case studies.

This article examines the tension between authorship and identity in works of Popular Realism, using Mithu Sanyal’s novel “Identitti” as a case study. At its core is the question of the extent to which the identity of authors and their (potential) experience of and exposure to marginalization function as a criterion for legitimacy and as a determinant of popularity. The starting point for these reflections is a critical engagement with Moritz Baßler’s concepts of Popular Realism and New/Modern Midcult. A brief analysis demonstrates how these concepts can be applied to Sanyal’s novel, and the points of criticism identified in this context – particularly the insufficient separation of ethics and aesthetics – lead to a plea for a post-autonomous perspective. In this perspective, the intertwining of ethics and aesthetics as well as the authorization to narrate are recognized as a specific potential of contemporary literature.