A 'German' Traveler in Mecca: Ilija Trojanow

Abstract

Ilija Trojanow is one of the most famous western travelling authors. Although he refuses to be defined as a German he is writing mostly in the German language. He has travelled to a lot of different places and always recorded these in his books. As a pilgrim among thousands of Muslims he also travelled to Mecca and has written down his experiences in a German travelogue. In this travelogue, he uses the traditional style of those who have travelled to these holy places before and describes them for those who never had the chance to see those places. The travelogue provides concrete but also emotional pictures. While the author fulfils all the necessities of the hajj pilgrimage, he describes this ancient tradition as the climax of an ultimate union. As he explains all the difficulties and troubles on the one hand and all the rewards and joys on the other hand, he keeps the reader excited. Different from those travelers before him who travelled for business purposes and were motivated by a sponsor, Trojanow is setting his journey just for his own aims and wishes. Therefore, he is not forced to write according to the wish of someone, which keeps his travelogue very much authentic. This travelogue, as a candidate to be one of the classic German travelogues, holds a very important place among its contemporary examples.