Alexander Draxl

Alexander Draxl completed his Ph.D. in 2023. He is currently a Postgraduate Research Associate in the German Department, where he offers research and writing colloquia for undergraduates. His research focuses on nineteenth- and twentieth-century German literature and philosophy. He is particularly interested in the history and theory of drama, cultural history and Kulturwissenschaft, and the relationship between psychoanalysis and art. His dissertation, “On Schicksal: The Return of Tragedy in Modernity,” examines how various modern thinkers, including Sigmund Freud, Georg Simmel, and Susan Taubes, have utilized the concept of Schicksal to better understand the intricacies and vicissitudes of human freedom. In addition to teaching several language courses at Princeton, Alexander has taught at the University of Innsbruck and the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Recent articles include a paper on the notion of farming in Heidegger’s philosophy (Montshefte 115, no.1, 2023) and another on Annette von Droste-Hülshoff’s reception of the genre of Schicksalstragödie (Droste-Jahrbuch 14, 2023). A forthcoming article in Seminar: A Journal of Germanic Studies deals with violent visions of the future in contemporary literature.