Leslie Bodi (1922–2015) was the foundation Professor of German and long-term head of the department (1963-1987) at

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has a ...

Early life and education

Bodi was born László Bodi in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

on 1 September 1922. His parents were István Bruchsteiner, a publisher, and Klara (née Pongrácz). Obituary for Leslie Bodi
''TRANS Internet-Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften , Internet journal for cultural studies , Revue électronique de recherches sur la culture'', inst.at. Retrieved 10 March 2020. He attended school in Hungary and Italy. After working as a graphics instructor and offset machine operator in 1940-43, he spent 18 months in a forced labour camp (1943–45). At the end of the Second World War, he studied German and English at the university level in Budapest and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

(1945–49), graduating with Budapest ''

Staatsexamen The ("state examination" or "exam by state"; pl.: ''Staatsexamina'') is a German government licensing examination that future physicians, dentists, teachers, pharmacists, food chemists, psychotherapists and jurists (i.e., lawyers, judges, public ...

'' qualifications in 1949Christoph König, Birgit Wägenbaur, et al., eds., "Bodi, Leslie", in:
Internationales Germanistenlexikon 1800-1950
', Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2003, pp. 213-4. and with a Ph.D. from the

University of Budapest A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

. From 1946 he also worked as a tutor and assistant in German at the University of Budapest. Following the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, he migrated to Australia with his wife and daughter.Philip Thomson
OBITUARY: Leslie Bodi, Professor of German, a vibrant personality
''

Newcastle Herald The ''Newcastle Herald'' (formerly branded as ''The Herald'') is a local tabloid newspaper published daily, Monday to Saturday, in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is the only local newspaper that serves the greater Hunter Region and ...

'', 15 November 1915.

Academic career in Australia

Bodi taught German and history at the

Melbourne Grammar School (Pray and Work) , established = 1849 (on present site since 1858 - the celebrated date of foundation) , type = Independent, co-educational primary, single-sex boys secondary, day and boarding , denomination ...

for two years (1957–58) and then was a lecturer at the University College,

Newcastle, New South Wales Newcastle ( ; Awabakal: ) is a metropolitan area and the second most populated city in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas, and is the hub of the Greater Newcastle area, w ...

. In 1961 he returned to Melbourne to take up an appointment as Senior Lecturer at

. In 1963 he was appointed as the Foundation Professor of German at the same university, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1987. During those years as professor he would also occupy several research positions, mainly in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, but also at

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, Budapest,

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

and

Siegen Siegen () is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly sho ...

. He was also visiting professor at universities in Vienna,

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...

and Berlin.

Legacy

Appointed in 1963 to set up the new German studies department at

, Bodi implemented a broad curriculum that included not only the traditional study of German language and literature but also the "political, social and cultural history of the German-speaking lands". He actively and rapidly recruited new young staff, many of whom, including the linguist Michael Clyne and the Germanist

David Roberts David or Dave Roberts may refer to: Arts and literature * David Roberts (painter) (1796–1864), Scottish painter * David Roberts (art collector), Scottish contemporary art collector * David Roberts (novelist), English editor and mystery writer ...

, went on to complete "doctorates under his supervision". He used Monash University's new budget to build up an "outstanding collection" of books and other resources in the university library. He emphasised that German culture and studied were "pluricentric" and so he taught not only

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

but also

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

whose literature and language he viewed as "autonomous". He also promoted the study of the literature and culture of the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and more generally of "emerging European writers and movements". Bodi's own academic research included pioneering work on German-Australian connections, including on the naturalist and ethnologist

Georg Forster Johann George Adam Forster, also known as Georg Forster (, 27 November 1754 – 10 January 1794), was a German naturalist, ethnologist, travel writer, journalist and revolutionary. At an early age, he accompanied his father, Johann Reinhold F ...

, who went on

James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

's second voyage to the Pacific, and on the Enlightenment in Austria, writing a book ''Tauwetter in Wien'' (Thaw in Vienna) which has become a standard work. He produced bibliographies on German

Australiana Australiana includes the items, people, places, flora, fauna and events of Australian origins. Anything pertaining to Australian culture, society, geography and ecology can fall under the term Australiana, especially if it is endemic to Austra ...

and German culture held in Melbourne libraries.

Personal life

Leslie Bodi married Marianna "Marianne" Marton in 1950. They had one daughter, Anna. He died on 4 September 2015.

Awards

* 1973: Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse des Verdienstorders der Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

* 1976: Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst 1, Klasse (

Austrian Decoration for Science and Art The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (german: Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system. History The "Austrian D ...

) * 1989:

Friedrich-Gundolf-Preis Friedrich-Gundolf-Preis is a literary prize of Germany. It was established by the Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung in 1964 to promote German culture outwith Germany. The award is named after the Germanist Friedrich Gundolf. The award ...

* 1991: Goethe-Medaille des Goethe-Instituts Munchen (

Goethe Medal The Goethe Medal, also known as the Goethe-Medaille, is a yearly prize given by the Goethe-Institut honoring non-Germans "who have performed outstanding service for the German language and for international cultural relations". It is an offici ...

) * 1997:

Humboldt Research Award The Humboldt Prize, the Humboldt-Forschungspreis in German, also known as the Humboldt Research Award, is an award given by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany to internationally renowned scientists and scholars who work outside of G ...

Dr Lesli Bodi
monash.edu.au. Retrieved 13 March 2020.

Select bibliography

Books: As author

* ''Heinrich Heine'' (Budapest: Közoktatásügyi kiadóvállalat, 1951) * ''German Culture in the Libraries of Melbourne: the State Library of Victoria; Baillieu Library, University of Melbourne; German Dept. Library, University of Melbourne; Monash University Library'' (joint author: Susan Radvansky) (Melbourne: German Section, Department of Modern Languages, Monash University, 1967) * ''Tauwetter in Wien: zur Prosa der österreichischen Aufklärung 1781-1795'' (Frankfurt am Main: S. Fischer, 1977) * ''Image of a Continent: A Bibliography of German Australiana from the Beginnings to 1975 = Bild eines Kontinents : eine Bibliographie deutscher Australiana von den Anfängen bis 1975'' (Wiesbaden: O. Harrassowitz, c.1990) * ''Literatur, Politik, Identität = Literature, Politics, Cultural Identity'' (St. Ingbert: Röhrig, 2002)

Books: As editor

* ''Effi Briest'' by

Theodor Fontane Theodor Fontane (; 30 December 1819 – 20 September 1898) was a German novelist and poet, regarded by many as the most important 19th-century German-language realist author. He published the first of his novels, for which he is best known toda ...

(Budapest: Szèpirodalmi Könyvkiado, 1954) * ''Adventures on a Journey to New Holland and The Lonely Deathbed'', by

Therese Huber Therese Huber (7 May 1764 – 15 June 1829) was a German author. She was one of the so-called , a group of five academically active women during the mid-18th and early 19th centuries. The group consisted of daughters of academics at Göttingen Un ...

. Translated from the German original '' Abentheuer auf einer Reise nach Neu-Holland (1793)'' by Rodney Livingstone. Edited, with preface and notes, by Leslie Bodi. Melbourne: Lansdowne Press, 1966.

George Farwell George Michell Farwell (3 October 1911 – 6 August 1976) was an English-born Australian novelist, freelance journalist, broadcaster and travel writer. Early career Farwell was born in Bath, Somerset, England. and was educated at a number of dif ...

, "First novel set in Australia", ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'', 30 July 1966, p. 17. * ''Das Problem Österreich: Arbeitspapiere : Interdisziplinäre Konferenz über Geschichte, Kultur und GesellschaftÖsterreichs im 20. Jahrhundert, Germanistisches Institut, Monash Universität 16-18 Mai, 1980 = The Austrian Problem: Working papers: Interdisciplinary Conference on 20th Century Austrian History, Culture and Society, Department of German, Monash University, May 16–18, 1980'' (co-edited with Philip Thomson) (Clayton, Victoria: Monash University, Department of German, 1982) * ''The German Connection: Sesquicentenary Essays on German-Victorian Crosscurrents, 1835-1985'' (co-edited with Stephen Jeffries) (Clayton, Victoria: Department of German, Monash University, 1985) * ''Weltbürger, Textwelten: Helmut Kreuzer zum Dank'' (co-edited with Helmut Kreuzer) (Frankfurt am Main and New York: P. Lang, c. 1995). * ''Der Eroberer: eine Parodie der Macht'' by Paul Weidmann (co-edited with Friedrich Voit) (Heidelberg: C. Winter, 1997)

Articles

* "Georg Forster: The 'Pacific expert' of eighteenth‐century Germany", ''Historical Studies: Australia and New Zealand'', Volume 8, 1959, Issue 32, pp. 345–363. * "The Art of Paradox: Volker Braun's 'Unvollendete Geschichte'", ''Journal of the Australasian Universities Language and Literature Association'', Volume 48, 1977, Issue 1, pp. 268–282. * "Intellectuals, writers and the

Stasi The Ministry for State Security, commonly known as the (),An abbreviation of . was the Intelligence agency, state security service of the East Germany from 1950 to 1990. The Stasi's function was similar to the KGB, serving as a means of maint ...

files: Effects of the release of East German secret police files", ''

Meanjin ''Meanjin'' (), formerly ''Meanjin Papers'' and ''Meanjin Quarterly'', is an Australian literary magazine. The name is derived from the Turrbal word for the spike of land where the city of Brisbane is located. It was founded in 1940 in Brisbane ...

'', Vol. 52, No. 1, Autumn 1993, pp. 5–22.

References

External links

Personal Archives: Bodi, Leslie (1922-2015)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bodi, Leslie Australian literary critics 1922 births 2015 deaths Budapest University alumni Academic staff of Monash University Germanists Writers from Budapest Hungarian emigrants to Australia 20th-century Australian male writers 21st-century Australian male writers Humboldt Research Award recipients Hungarian expatriates in Italy Hungarian expatriates in Austria Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Hungarian World War II forced labourers