‘Definitely better than just reading it’

A concept of text that extends beyond the written medium has now also found its way into educational guidelines. This development is largely due to literary methodology and pedagogy, which, since the 1990s, has strongly advocated for the integration of additional media into the traditionally book-focused German curriculum. In this context, intermediality has come into focus as an overarching concept that goes beyond mere intertextuality, encompassing various forms of connections between media. Literary methodology and pedagogy has primarily adopted philological categories such as plurimediality, intermedial reference, transposition and transmediality. Following an explanation of these developments and concepts, this article explores intermedial approaches to Goethe’s ballad Der Zauberlehrling (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice). The text’s broad presence across multiple media –  which borders on transmedial dissemination – is accorded special emphasis. Transpositions in picture books, recitations and films, for example, open up substantial possibilities for literature lessons that extend beyond written literary reading. The intermedial material related to Der Zauberlehrling is critically examined for potential in meaningful literary learning.