Franz Fühmann
Encyclopedia
Franz Fühmann was a German
writer
. He lived and worked as a short story
writer, essayist and children's book author in East Germany. Influenced by Nazism
in his youth he became a supporter of Socialism
after the war which he however more and more criticised later on and with which he was disappointed bitterly in his later years.
) in the Karkonosze
in Czechoslovakia
. After the Volksschule
, he attended the Jesuitenkonvikt Kalksburg
near Vienna
for four years from which he fled in 1936. After that, he attended the Gymnasium in Reichenberg (Liberec
) in northern Bohemia. He took his Abitur
in Vrchlabí
. After the annexation of the Sudetenland
by Germany
, he joined the Reiter-SA
.
He was drafted into the Wehrmacht
in 1941 and was a communications soldier in the operations in Greece
and the Soviet Union
. He was under Soviet captivity in 1945. He was sent to the Antifa-Schule in Noginsk
near Moscow
.
Fühmann returned from Soviet captivity to East Germany where he lived the rest of his life in Märkisch Buchholz
and Berlin
, where he died. He entered the NDPD
which was one of the so called Blockparteien
. He was active as a culturally political employee in the party machinery of the NDPD until 1958. He belonged to the NDPD until 1972. After 1952, he was a freelance writer until his death.
Besides his own writing activity, Fühmann remained active in the field of cultural policy. He provided patronage to many young writers and spoke for those who suffered under the repression of the East German policy. In 1976 he was among the first to sign a protest letter against the expatriation of Wolf Biermann
from East Germany.
Franz Fühmann received the 1956 Heinrich Mann Prize
, the 1957 and 1974 National Prize of East Germany
, the 1977 Deutscher Kritikerpreis
and the 1982 Geschwister-Scholl-Preis
. He received more national and international awards and was a member of the Akademie der Künste
.
, Nachdichtung (interpretive translation of poems) from Czech and Hungarian, many books for children and young readers, essay
s and a rich narrative
work, has as well undertaken many unusual literary pursuits. He wrote for example a ballet (Kirke und Odysseus). He published a book called Was für eine Insel in was für einem Meer in collaboration with photographer Dietmar Riemann. It deals with people with Mental retardation
with whom he had worked continuously for three years. Furthermore Fühmann compiled a volume of poems which he did not write himself (only the rather long titles were his work) but were taken from a rhyming dictionary
.
Writing literature for children and young people was an important part of Franz Fühmann's work all his life. He published his first children's book fulfilling a wish of his daughter Barbara. Amongst his numerous other children's books are Fairy tale
s, puppet plays, books which deal with German language
and play with it (Lustiges Tier-ABC, Die dampfenden Hälse der Pferde im Turm von Babel) and numerous re-narrations of classical literature and sagas (Reineke Fuchs, Das Hölzerne Pferd (Iliad
and Odyssey
), Prometheus. Die Titanenschlacht). In addition to that Fühmann corresponded with many of his young readers. Thus "ordered works" (Märchen auf Bestellung) came into being.
Fühmann left a considerable narrative work. His early short stories are often autobiographical
. In the compilation Das Judenauto, he describes patterns inspired by memories from his childhood and youth. Later on, he intensively dealt with the Nazi Era
and his own involvement. The concept of "change" (in his case from a supporter of Nazism
to a dedicated Socialist
) and the possibility of change was especially important for Fühmann. These themes play a great roll in Zweiundzwanzig Tage oder Die Hälfte des Lebens, which is one of Fühmann's main works. It is conceived as a diary
of a trip to Hungary and contains some spare narratives.
In his work, Fühmann placed emphasis on fairly tales, saga
s and myths. This preoccupation penetrates many of his books from his children's books to his short stories (Das Ohr des Dionysios) and his essays. With his essays, Fühmann also facilitated the publication of authors whose work had scarcely appeared in East Germany like Georg Trakl
and Sigmund Freud
.
Beginning with Zweiundzwanzig Tage, Fühmann set forth increasing criticism of the socialist society of East Germany. In numerous letters and (later on) public speeches, he attempted to convince East German politicians to change their policies in the domain of culture. This attitude became more and more apparent in his work, especially in Saiäns-fiktschen. He withdrew from his connections to cultural politics in East Germany like the Schriftstellerverband der DDR (Writer's Union of East Germany) and the Akademie der Künste. In his later life, he began to despair of the political conditions in East Germany. His correspondence with Christa Wolf
(Monsieur – wir finden uns wieder) clearly reflected this state of mind. As a consequence he was not able to finish his long planned magnum opus to which he referred in his letters and notes as "Bergwerksprojekt". It appeared 1993 posthumously under the title Im Berg with the subtitle (added by himself) "Fragments of a Failure".
A quote from his testimonial a year before he died reads:
The Academy of the Arts in Berlin has taken care of Fühmann's literary estate. His work library consisting of roughly 17,000 volumes (with many notes and underlinings) is part of the Historische Sammlungen of the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin
.
Fühmann's work still fascinates young artists like Barbara Gauger who even today promotes his work. As well the Franz Fühmann Freundeskreis Märkisch Buchholz/Berlin testifies of the far extent of his work.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He lived and worked as a short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer, essayist and children's book author in East Germany. Influenced by Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
in his youth he became a supporter of Socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
after the war which he however more and more criticised later on and with which he was disappointed bitterly in his later years.
Life
Franz Fühmann was born as son of an apothecary in Rochlitz an der Iser (Rokytnice nad JizerouRokytnice nad Jizerou
Rokytnice nad Jizerou is a town in the Czech Republic. The town is also a ski resort in the winter, with a ski school and 2 chair lifts and 2 T-bar lifts.-External links:*...
) in the Karkonosze
Karkonosze
Krkonoše is a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system . The Czech-Polish border, which divides the historic regions of Bohemia and Silesia, runs along the main ridge...
in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. After the Volksschule
Volksschule
A Volksschule was an 18th century system of state-supported primary schools established in the Habsburg Austrian Empire and Prussia . Attendance was supposedly compulsory, but a 1781 census reveals that only one fourth of school-age children attended. At the time, this was one of the few examples...
, he attended the Jesuitenkonvikt Kalksburg
Kollegium Kalksburg
The Kollegium Kalksburg is prestigious Catholic private school in the Kalksburg, 23rd district of Vienna. The school was founded in 1856 by the Jesuits, who were in charge until 1988...
near Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
for four years from which he fled in 1936. After that, he attended the Gymnasium in Reichenberg (Liberec
Liberec
Liberec is a city in the Czech Republic. Located on the Lusatian Neisse and surrounded by the Jizera Mountains and Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge, it is the fifth-largest city in the Czech Republic....
) in northern Bohemia. He took his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
in Vrchlabí
Vrchlabí
Vrchlabí is a town in the Czech Republic in the Giant Mountains . Nowadays it has about 13,000 inhabitants. It is notable for having a large Škoda Auto factory located there.-External links:***...
. After the annexation of the Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, he joined the Reiter-SA
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
.
He was drafted into the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
in 1941 and was a communications soldier in the operations in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He was under Soviet captivity in 1945. He was sent to the Antifa-Schule in Noginsk
Noginsk
Noginsk is a town and the administrative center of Noginsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located east of the MKAD ring road on the Klyazma River. Population:...
near Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Fühmann returned from Soviet captivity to East Germany where he lived the rest of his life in Märkisch Buchholz
Märkisch Buchholz
Märkisch Buchholz is a small town in the Dahme-Spreewald district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the Dahme River, 20 km northwest of Lübben and resp. 50 km southeast of Berlin.-Overview:...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he died. He entered the NDPD
National Democratic Party of Germany (East Germany)
The National Democratic Party of Germany was an East German political party that acted as an organisation for former members of the NSDAP, the Wehrmacht and middle classes...
which was one of the so called Blockparteien
National Front (East Germany)
The National Front of the German Democratic Republic was an alliance of political parties and mass organisations in East Germany...
. He was active as a culturally political employee in the party machinery of the NDPD until 1958. He belonged to the NDPD until 1972. After 1952, he was a freelance writer until his death.
Besides his own writing activity, Fühmann remained active in the field of cultural policy. He provided patronage to many young writers and spoke for those who suffered under the repression of the East German policy. In 1976 he was among the first to sign a protest letter against the expatriation of Wolf Biermann
Wolf Biermann
Karl Wolf Biermann is a German singer-songwriter and former East German dissident.-Early life:Biermann's father, who worked on the Hamburg docks, was a German Jew and a member of the German Resistance....
from East Germany.
Franz Fühmann received the 1956 Heinrich Mann Prize
Heinrich Mann Prize
The Heinrich Mann Prize is a literary award given annually by the Berlin Academy of Art . The prize given for works with socially critical aspects in a character that would honor Heinrich Mann...
, the 1957 and 1974 National Prize of East Germany
National Prize of East Germany
The National Prize of the German Democratic Republic was an award of the German Democratic Republic given out in three different classes for scientific, artistic, and other meritorious achievement...
, the 1977 Deutscher Kritikerpreis
Deutscher Kritikerpreis
Deutscher Kritikerpreis is a literary prize of Germany....
and the 1982 Geschwister-Scholl-Preis
Geschwister-Scholl-Preis
The Geschwister-Scholl-Preis is a literary prize which was initiated in 1980 by the State Association of Bavaria in the Stock Market Society of the German Book Trade and the city of Munich...
. He received more national and international awards and was a member of the Akademie der Künste
Akademie der Künste
The Akademie der Künste, Berlin is an arts institution in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Prussian Academy of Arts, an academic institution where members could meet and discuss and share ideas...
.
Work
Franz Fühmann was a many-sided author who, next to his early poemsLyric poetry
Lyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were those which were sung to the lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat...
, Nachdichtung (interpretive translation of poems) from Czech and Hungarian, many books for children and young readers, essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s and a rich narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
work, has as well undertaken many unusual literary pursuits. He wrote for example a ballet (Kirke und Odysseus). He published a book called Was für eine Insel in was für einem Meer in collaboration with photographer Dietmar Riemann. It deals with people with Mental retardation
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
with whom he had worked continuously for three years. Furthermore Fühmann compiled a volume of poems which he did not write himself (only the rather long titles were his work) but were taken from a rhyming dictionary
Rhyming dictionary
A rhyming dictionary is a specialist dictionary designed for use in writing poetry and lyrics. In a rhyming dictionary, words are categorized into equivalence classes that consist of words which rhyme with one another...
.
Writing literature for children and young people was an important part of Franz Fühmann's work all his life. He published his first children's book fulfilling a wish of his daughter Barbara. Amongst his numerous other children's books are Fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
s, puppet plays, books which deal with German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and play with it (Lustiges Tier-ABC, Die dampfenden Hälse der Pferde im Turm von Babel) and numerous re-narrations of classical literature and sagas (Reineke Fuchs, Das Hölzerne Pferd (Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
and Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
), Prometheus. Die Titanenschlacht). In addition to that Fühmann corresponded with many of his young readers. Thus "ordered works" (Märchen auf Bestellung) came into being.
Fühmann left a considerable narrative work. His early short stories are often autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
. In the compilation Das Judenauto, he describes patterns inspired by memories from his childhood and youth. Later on, he intensively dealt with the Nazi Era
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and his own involvement. The concept of "change" (in his case from a supporter of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
to a dedicated Socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
) and the possibility of change was especially important for Fühmann. These themes play a great roll in Zweiundzwanzig Tage oder Die Hälfte des Lebens, which is one of Fühmann's main works. It is conceived as a diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
of a trip to Hungary and contains some spare narratives.
In his work, Fühmann placed emphasis on fairly tales, saga
Saga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
s and myths. This preoccupation penetrates many of his books from his children's books to his short stories (Das Ohr des Dionysios) and his essays. With his essays, Fühmann also facilitated the publication of authors whose work had scarcely appeared in East Germany like Georg Trakl
Georg Trakl
Georg Trakl was an Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most important Austrian Expressionists.- Life and work :Trakl was born and lived the first 18 years of his life in Salzburg, Austria...
and Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
.
Beginning with Zweiundzwanzig Tage, Fühmann set forth increasing criticism of the socialist society of East Germany. In numerous letters and (later on) public speeches, he attempted to convince East German politicians to change their policies in the domain of culture. This attitude became more and more apparent in his work, especially in Saiäns-fiktschen. He withdrew from his connections to cultural politics in East Germany like the Schriftstellerverband der DDR (Writer's Union of East Germany) and the Akademie der Künste. In his later life, he began to despair of the political conditions in East Germany. His correspondence with Christa Wolf
Christa Wolf
Christa Wolf was a German literary critic, novelist, and essayist. She is one of the best-known writers to have emerged from the former East Germany.-Biography:...
(Monsieur – wir finden uns wieder) clearly reflected this state of mind. As a consequence he was not able to finish his long planned magnum opus to which he referred in his letters and notes as "Bergwerksprojekt". It appeared 1993 posthumously under the title Im Berg with the subtitle (added by himself) "Fragments of a Failure".
A quote from his testimonial a year before he died reads:
- I have cruel pains. The bitterest is that to have failed: In the literature and in the hopes for a society as we all once dreamt it.
The Academy of the Arts in Berlin has taken care of Fühmann's literary estate. His work library consisting of roughly 17,000 volumes (with many notes and underlinings) is part of the Historische Sammlungen of the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin
Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin
right|thumb|ZLBZentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin is a foundation that encompasses the Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek and the Berliner Stadtbibliothek. It was founded on October 1, 1995. Since January 1, 2005, it also owns the Senatsbibliothek Berlin and the Berliner Gesamtkatalog. The foundation...
.
Fühmann's work still fascinates young artists like Barbara Gauger who even today promotes his work. As well the Franz Fühmann Freundeskreis Märkisch Buchholz/Berlin testifies of the far extent of his work.
Children and Youth literature
- Die Suche nach dem wunderbunten Vögelchen (The Search for the Wonderfully Colored Little Bird). Short story. Der Kinderbuchverlag, Berlin 1960
- Lustiges Tier-ABC (Merry Animal Alphabet). Lyrical poem. Der Kinderbuchverlag, Berlin 1962
- Das hölzerne Pferd: die Sage vom Untergang Trojas und von den Irrfahrten des Odysseus. Nach Homer und anderen Quellen neu erzählt (The Wooden Horse: The Saga of Troy's Decline and the Wandering of Odysseus. New Narrative from Homer and Other Sources). Neues Leben, Berlin 1968
- Shakespeare-Märchen (Shakespearean Fairy Tales). Nacherzählung. Der Kinderbuchverlag, Berlin 1968
- Prometheus. Die Titanenschlacht (Prometheus. The Titanian Battle). Novel. Der Kinderbuchverlag, Berlin 1974
- Die dampfenden Hälse der Pferde im Turm von Babel (The Steaming Necks of the Horses in the Tower of Babel). Sprachspielbuch. Der Kinderbuchverlag, Berlin 1978. Reprint: Hinstorff Verlag, Rostock 2005
- Schlipperdibix und Klapperdibax!. Two Clown Pieces. Hinstorff Verlag, Rostock 1985, 2nd Edition 1989
- Märchen auf Bestellung (Ordered Fairy Tales). Edited by Ingrid Prignitz. Hinstorff, Rostock 1990
Poems and Nachdichtung
- Die Fahrt nach Stalingrad (The Trip to Stalingrad). Poem. Aufbau, Berlin 1953
- Die Richtung der Märchen (The Direction of Fairy Tales). Lyrikband. Aufbau, Berlin 1962
- Miklós Radnóti: Ansichtskarten (Picture Postcards). Nachdichtungen. Volk und Welt, Berlin 1967
Narrative Prose
- Kameraden (Comrades). Novella. Aufbau, Berlin 1955
- Kabelkran und blauer Peter (Cable Crane and Blue Peter). Report. Hinstorff, Rostock 1961
- Böhmen am Meer (Bohemia by the Sea). Novella. Hinstorff, Rostock 1962
- Das Judenauto (The Jewish Car). Short stories. Aufbau, Berlin 1962
- Barlach in Güstrow. Short story. Hinstorff, Rostock 1963
- König Ödipus (King Oedipus). Collected short stories. Aufbau, Berlin 1966
- Zweiundzwanzig Tage oder Die Hälfte des Lebens (Twenty Two Days or Half the Life). Diary. Hinstorff, Rostock 1973
- Der Geliebte der Morgenröte (The Lover of Aurora). Short stories. Hinstorff, Rostock 1978
- Saiäns-fiktschen. Short stories. Hinstorff, Rostock 1981
- Kirke und Odysseus. Ballet. Hinstorff, Rostock 1984
- Das Ohr des Dionysios (The Ear of Dionysus). Posthumous short stories. Edited by Ingrid Prignitz. Hinstorff, Rostock 1985
Essay Prose
- Das mythische Element in der Literatur (The Mythical Element in Literature). Lecture. Revised and Expanded Edition in: Erfahrungen und Widersprüche. Versuche über Literatur (Experiences and Contradictions. Essays about Literature). Hinstorff, Rostock 1975
- Vor Feuerschlünden. Erfahrung mit Georg Trakls Gedicht (From the Fiery Jaws. Experience with Georg Trakl's Poetry). Essay, Briefe und Lyrik hrsg. von F. Fühmann. Hinstorff, Rostock 1982
- Meine Bibel; Erfahrungen (My Bible: Experience). Essay. In supplement to Luther's "Biblia". Reclam, Leipzig 1983
Other literary forms
- Was für eine Insel in was für einem Meer. Leben mit geistig Behinderten (What kind of Island in what kind of sea. Life with Retarded People). With Photographs by Dietmar Riemann. Hinstorff, Rostock 1985
- Die Schatten. Hörspiel (The Shadows. Radio Play). Edited by Ingrid Prignitz. Hinstorff, Rostock 1986
- Urworte. Deutsch. Aus Steputats Reimlexikon (Primitive Words. German. From Steputat's Rhyming Dictionary). Edited by Ingrid Prignitz. Hinstorff, Rostock 1988
- Alkestis. Libretto. Edited by Ingrid Prignitz. Hinstorff, Rostock 1989
Compilations from the Estate
- Im Berg. Texte aus dem Nachlaß (In the Mountain. Texts from the Estate). Edited by Ingrid Prignitz. Hinstorff, Rostock 1991
- Prometheus. Die Zeugung (Prometheus. The Procreation). Edited by Sigurd Schmidt. Hinstorff, Rostock 1996
- Das Ruppiner Tagebuch (The Ruppin Diary). Hinstorff, Rostock 2005
Letters
- Briefe. 1950-1984. Eine Auswahl (Letters. 1950-1984. A Selection). Edited by Hans-Jürgen Schmitt. Hinstorff, Rostock 1994
- Monsieur - wir finden uns wieder. Briefe 1968-1984 (Monsieur - we Find Ourselves Again). Correspondence with Christa Wolf. Edited by Angela Drescher. Aufbau, Berlin 1995
- Margarete Hannsmann: Protokolle aus der Dämmerung. 1977-1984. Begegnungen und Briefwechsel zwischen Franz Fühmann, Margarete Hannsmann und HAP Grieshaber (Protocols from the Dawn. 1977-1984. Meetings and Correspondences between Franz Fühmann, Margarete Hannsmann and HAP GrieshaberHAP GrieshaberHelmut Andreas Paul Grieshaber or HAP Grieshaber was a German artist. His preferred medium was large format woodcuts.-Biography:...
). Hinstorff, Rostock 2000 - Briefe aus der Werkstatt des Nachdichters. Mitgeteilt vom Adressaten Paul Kárpáti (Letters from the Workplace of the Nachdichter. Communicated by the Addressee Paul Kárpáti). Engelsdorfer Verlag/ Argumentum Kiadó, Leipzig/Budapest 2007
Work Editions
- Autorisierte Werkausgaben in Einzelbänden. Hinstorff, Rostock 1977-1988
- Erzählungen 1955–1975. 1977
- Gedichte und Nachdichtungen. 1978
- Das Judenauto, Kabelkran und Blauer Peter, Zweiundzwanzig Tage oder Die Hälfte des Lebens. 1979
- Irrfahrt und Heimkehr der Odysseus, Prometheus, Der Geliebte der Morgenröte und andere Erzählungen. 1980
- Reineke Fuchs, Märchen nach Shakespeare, Das Nibelungenlied, Märchen auf Bestellung. 1981
- Essays, Gespräche, Essays 1964–1981. 1983
- Vor Feuerschlünden. Erfahrung mit Georg Trakls Gedicht. 1984
- Simplicius Simplicissimus, Der Nibelunge Not und andere Arbeiten für den Film. 1987
- Unter den PARANYAS. Dream Experiences and Notations. 1988
Filmography
Films which are based on Franz Fühmann's works or for which he wrote the script- Betrogen bis zum jüngsten Tag (Deceived until Judgement Day) - 1957, Director: Kurt Jung-AlsenKurt Jung-AlsenKurt Jung-Alsen was a German film director and screenwriter. He directed 24 films between 1954 and 1976.-External links:...
(with Rudolf UlrichRudolf UlrichRudolf Ulrich was a German film actor. He appeared in 67 films between 1954 and 1986.-Selected filmography:* Duped Till Doomsday * Brücke zwischen gestern und morgen * The Rabbit Is Me...
and Wolfgang KielingWolfgang KielingWolfgang Kieling was a German actor. In films since childhood in his native Germany, Kieling also occasionally appeared in English-language films, most notably in Alfred Hitchcock's Torn Curtain , where he played an East German agent brutally slain by Paul Newman...
) from the novella Kameraden - Die heute über 40 sind - 1960, Director: Kurt Jung-Alsen (with Rudolf Ulrich), Script: Franz Fühmann
- Der Schwur des Soldaten Pooley (The Oath of Soldier Pooley) - 1962, Director: Kurt Jung-Alsen, Script: Franz Fühmann
- Die Suche nach dem wunderbunten Vögelchen - 1964, Director: Rolf Losansky (with Lieselott Baumgarten and Fred DelmareFred DelmareFred Delmare was a German actor.He was born in Hüttensteinach. He appeared in several films and television series, last in 70 episodes of In aller Freundschaft between 1998 and 2006. He died in May, 1 2009....
) from children's story of the same title - Köpfchen Kamerad - 1965, Director: Otto Holub (with Fred Delmare), Script: Franz Fühmann
- Der verlorene Engel (The Lost Angel) - 1966, Director: Ralf Kirsten from the novella Das schlimme Jahr
- Das Geheimnis des Ödipus (The Secret of Oedipus) - 1973/74, Director: Kurt Jung-Alsen, Script: Franz Fühmann
- Der Fall Ö. - 1991, Director: Rainer SimonRainer SimonRainer Simon is a German film director and screenwriter. He directed 17 films between 1964 and 2000. His 1985 film The Woman and the Stranger won the Golden Bear award at the 35th Berlin International Film Festival.-External links:...
(with Matthias HabichMatthias HabichMatthias Habich is a German actor.Habich was born in Danzig and lives in Paris. In the 2001 film Enemy at the Gates about Stalingrad, he played the part of General Friedrich Paulus...
and Jan Josef Liefers) from the story "König Ödipus"
Literature
- Arne Born: Fühmanns Offener Brief vom November 1977. Ein Postulat und seine Unterdrückung. Mit unveröffentlichten Schriftstücken(Fühmann's Public Letters from November 1977. A Postulate and his Oppression. With Unpublished Writings.). In: Berliner Hefte zur Geschichte des literarischen Lebens (Berlin Journal of the History of Literary Lives) 3 (2000), p. 81-115.
- Franz Fühmann. Es bleibt nichts anderes als das Werk (It remained no different as Work). Ausstellungskatalog. Akademie der Künste, Berlin 1993.
- Barbara Heinze (ed.): Franz Fühmann: eine Biographie in Bildern, Dokumenten und Briefen (Franz Fühmann: A Biography in Pictures, Documents and Letters). Foreword by Sigrid Damm. Rostock: Hinstorff Verlag, 1998.
- Hans Richter: Franz Fühmann. Ein deutsches Dichterleben (Franz Fühmann. A German Poet's life). Berlin: Aufbau Verlag, 1992.
- Robinson, Benjamin. The Skin of the System: On Germany's Socialist Modernity. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP, 2009.
- Christian Sachse: Der schwarze Stoff, aus dem die Wahrheit ist. Franz Fühmann auf der Suche nach seiner Wahrheit (The Black Stuff from which the Truth is. Franz Fühmann on the Search for his Truth). In: Zeitschrift des Forschungsverbundes SED-Staat (Journal of the SED State Research Union) Nr. 15/2003.
- Horst Simon (Editor): Zwischen Erzählen und Schweigen. Ein Buch des Erinnerns und Gedenkens. Franz Fühmann zum 65.. (Between Stories and Silence. A Book of Memories and Memorials. Franz Fühmann to 65.) Hinstorff, Rostock 1987 (contains an extensive biography, which also considers contributions in newspapers and literature about Fühmann as well as reviews of his work)
- Irmgard Wagner: Franz Fühmann. Nachdenken über Literatur (Franz Fühmann. To Think About Literature). Carl Winter Universitärsverlag, Heidelberg 1989.
External links
- Literature by and on Franz Fühmann in the catalog of the German National LibraryGerman National LibraryThe German National Library is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany...
- Fühmann page of the Fühmann Friends Circle
- Interview amongst others in the newspaper Glossen
- Einblick in die Bibliothek Franz Fühmann (A Glimpse in Franz Fühmann's library) (pdf)
- Rolf Schneider: Der Tanz auf dem Seil (The Dance from the Soul) (SPIEGEL special 10/1995 from October 1, 1995, Page 23)