Religious and Philosophical Context of the Novel “The Seventh Cross” by Anna Seghers

Anna Seghers is the pseudonym of Nettie Reiling, who was born in Germany into a wealthy Jewish family. She was the only child of Isidore Reiling and Hedviga Fuld. The family belonged to the Orthodox Jewish religious community. Zegers grew up close to the Jewish faith and, thanks to her parents, was familiar with biblical and Jewish stories. Anna Seghers was familiar with the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) as well as Jewish traditions and history from childhood. Her interest in first-century Jewish Christians began while studying at Heidelberg University from 1920 to 1924. In this paper, we explore the ideas and concepts that underlie Anna Seghers' most popular novel, how they relate to the author's religious beliefs, and what conclusions can be drawn from the analysis of this work. We also plan to look at how religious themes are used in the novel to create a special atmosphere and emphasize the theme of moral choice. The novel raises themes of trust, betrayal, love and devotion. Anna Zeghers uses imagery and imagery as the main tool to highlight the importance of the above-mentioned themes, and to show how they relate to the eternal values and ideals of humanity. The novel also touches on themes of faith and justice that are close to the author, as well as problems of violence and extremism. Since Anna Seghers was a victim of persecution, due to which she had to leave more than one country in a hurry, we plan to show how the experience she endured is partly reflected in the actions of the main character of the novel, Georg, who escaped from a concentration camp and hid in cities and villages. The relevance of this work is determined by several conclusions. The literature of the GDR reflects a specific historical period associated with the division of Germany after World War II. Studying the literature of this time helps to understand what ideas, values and problems were relevant for people living in a socialist country. Also, the literature of the GDR is part of the cultural heritage of Germany, which influences modern German society and literature. Studying the works of GDR writers allows us to better understand the development of German literature as a whole. Many themes and problems raised in the literature of the GDR remain relevant today. These are, for example, issues of freedom and oppression, individualism and collectivism, betrayal and devotion. Comparing the literature of the GDR with the literature of other countries, including West Germany, makes it possible to identify differences and similarities in cultural and literary traditions, as well as to explore the influence of the political system on the work of writers. The theoretical basis for the study is the work of domestic and foreign authors. In order to study the foundations of Christian symbols, it is necessary to consider the work of Bertrand Russell “History of Western Philosophy. Book two. Catholic Philosophy”, in which he studies aspects of the appearance of symbols, their role and importance. Also, an important role is played by the work of the Soviet philosopher Boris Lvovich Gubman “Modern Catholic Philosophy. Man and History,” where the author analyzes the main directions of Catholic philosophy, its historical roots and development, as well as key concepts and theories related to man, history and God. This work is very important for research, because... the author examines some issues of religious freedom and morality from a socialist point of view, which is partly similar to the point of view of Anna Seghers. Particularly worth noting is Irina Tsibizova’s work “Some Aspects of Contemporary Catholic Philosophy and Theology,” which touches on the topic of religious symbolism in modern works of art, be it literature or cinema. Studying the biography of Anna Seghers is of great importance for research. The Austrian writer Christina Zell Romero dedicated two volumes of her biography to Anna Seghers: “Anna Seghers. Eine Biographie 1947-1983", (2003); "Anna Seghers. Eine Biographie 1900-1947", (2000). In his works Kr. C. Romero tried to reveal some of the secrets of the life of the German writer, as well as give answers to the most difficult questions about the biography of Anna Seghers. A significant part of the work is occupied by consideration of the worldview of Anna Seghers and the study of sources of inspiration, religious and artistic. The Soviet scientist Valentin Nikolaevich Devekin also studied the biography of Anna Segers in his work “Not Burned at the Stake: German Anti-Fascist Literature 1933-1935.” In this work, he examines the point of view of popular authors of anti-fascist works and conducts a comparative analysis of works of art in order to find similar or different points of view.