Geschichten vom Ingenieur

Abstract Based on various representative examples, this article shows which images of the “Ingenieur” (engineer) appear in narratives written in German, focusing on the years 1900 to 1930. While a general type of engineers appears as a representative of progress and a hallmark of the time, incorporating this conception as the norm, three further models can be identified, which are embedded within conflicting constellations of normality/deviation, daily routine/emotional emphasis, and the collective/individual: the engineer as a figure who mediates the crossing of borders, the engineer as a condensation of a life felt to be deficient, the engineer as the savior of the world.