Umwege, oder, Versuch einer Einführung in Leben und Werk Heimito von Doderers

Umwege, or detours, are a valid and valuable motif to follow in examining the life and work of Heimito von Doderer, as has also been noted by others, most prominently by Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler. Doderer himself uses the term frequently, even as the title of an early novel. This essay presents evidence to demonstrate that virtually nowhere in Doderer's life did anything follow a straight line, be it his career, his philosophy of life, his political orientation, or his religious persuasion. Similarly, his literary output, most particularly Die Strudlhofstiege and Die Dämonen, meanders from the conventional form of the modern novel, following an intricate orchestral-style score rather than a straightforward plot. In this sense, it is unsurprising that Doderer chose the Strudlhofstiege with its serpentine system of ramps and platforms as his iconic visual focus in Vienna's 9th District, the main setting of Die Strudlhofstiege.