Introduction

In recent decades a significant transnational turn has occurred in German Studies, with the role of India in German cultural history becoming a growing area of interest, yet there are serious challenges to the historian within this. Although teleological perspectives on India as part of the historical fate of Germany appear to be losing ground, the notion of a German fascination with India remains central to many approaches. Fascination, though, proves to be an elusive concept, and often more descriptive than analytical. But how, then, do we account for the strikingly intensive confrontation with Indian culture in Germany without falling back into general and inadequately nuanced arguments? This edited collection seeks to explore such questions and open up a more thorough analysis of the German-Indian connection.