Günter de Bruyn
Encyclopedia
Günter de Bruyn is a German
author
.
and served as a Luftwaffenhelfer
and soldier in World War II
. After his release from his American arrest
, he found a place as a farm worker in Hesse
. After his return to Berlin, he would be trained as a "new teacher" in Potsdam
. Until 1949, he was a teacher in a village near Rathenow
in Brandenburg
.
Subsequently, he completed training to become a librarian
and worked as a scientific employee at the Zentralinstitut für Bibliothekswesen (Central Institute for Library Knowledge) in East Berlin
from 1953 to 1961. Since 1961 de Bruyn has lived as a freelance writer. From 1965 to 1978, he was a member of the Zentralvorstandes des Schriftstellerverbandes der DDR (Central Executive Committee of the Literary Association of East Germany) and the presidency of the P.E.N.-Zentrums
of East Germany from 1974 to 1982.
In October of 1989, Günter de Bruyn declined to accept National Prize of East Germany
. De Bruyn lives in Görsdorf a district of Tauche
in Brandenburg
and also in Berlin. He is a member of PEN-Zentrums of Germany.
colored Realist
novel
s and narrative
s which explain critiques of the private lives of the artists in East Germany to essay
s on literary science and historical themes, particularly Prussia
n history.
He is the editor of a series of authors from the 18th and 19th centuries, which appear under the title Märkischer Dichtergarten covering Berlin and Brandenburg.
He had great success in the 1990s with both volumes, Zwischenbilanz und 40 Jahre, of his autobiography.
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...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Life
Günter de Bruyn was born in BerlinBerlin
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...
and served as a Luftwaffenhelfer
Luftwaffenhelfer
Luftwaffenhelfer are terms commonly used for German students deployed as child soldiers during World War II....
and soldier in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After his release from his American arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
, he found a place as a farm worker in Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
. After his return to Berlin, he would be trained as a "new teacher" in Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
. Until 1949, he was a teacher in a village near Rathenow
Rathenow
Rathenow is a town in the district of Havelland in Brandenburg, Germany, with a population of 26,433 .-Overview:The Protestant church of St. Marien Andreas, originally a basilica, and transformed to the Gothic style in 1517-1589, and the Roman Catholic Church of St...
in Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
.
Subsequently, he completed training to become a librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
and worked as a scientific employee at the Zentralinstitut für Bibliothekswesen (Central Institute for Library Knowledge) in East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
from 1953 to 1961. Since 1961 de Bruyn has lived as a freelance writer. From 1965 to 1978, he was a member of the Zentralvorstandes des Schriftstellerverbandes der DDR (Central Executive Committee of the Literary Association of East Germany) and the presidency of the P.E.N.-Zentrums
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
of East Germany from 1974 to 1982.
In October of 1989, Günter de Bruyn declined to accept 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...
. De Bruyn lives in Görsdorf a district of Tauche
Tauche
Tauche is a municipality in the Oder-Spree district, in Brandenburg, Germany....
in Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
and also in Berlin. He is a member of PEN-Zentrums of Germany.
Artistic Activities
Günter de Bruyn's works range from the frequently autobiographicallyAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
colored Realist
Literary realism
Literary realism most often refers to the trend, beginning with certain works of nineteenth-century French literature and extending to late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century authors in various countries, towards depictions of contemporary life and society "as they were." In the spirit of...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s and 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"...
s which explain critiques of the private lives of the artists in East Germany to 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 on literary science and historical themes, particularly Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n history.
He is the editor of a series of authors from the 18th and 19th centuries, which appear under the title Märkischer Dichtergarten covering Berlin and Brandenburg.
He had great success in the 1990s with both volumes, Zwischenbilanz und 40 Jahre, of his autobiography.
Awards
- 1964 Heinrich Mann PrizeHeinrich Mann PrizeThe 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...
- 1981 Lion Feuchtwanger Prize
- 1989 Thomas Mann Prize
- 1990 Heinrich Böll Prize of the City of CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
- 1991 Honorary degreeHonorary degreeAn honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of the University of FreiburgUniversity of FreiburgThe University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the... - 1993 Großer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen KünsteGroßer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen KünsteGroßer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen Künste is a Bavarian literary prize.- Winners :*1950 Friedrich Georg Jünger*1951 Günter Eich*1953 Marieluise Fleißer*1955 Gerd Gaiser und Martha Saalfeld*1957 Alfred Döblin*1959 Agnes Miegel...
(Greater Literary Prize of the Bavarian Academy of the Beautiful Arts) - 1994 BundesverdienstkreuzBundesverdienstkreuzThe Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
of GermanyGermanyGermany , 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... - 1996 Literary Prize der Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
- 1996 Brandenburgish Literary Prize
- 1997 Jean Paul Prize
- 1999 Honorary degree of the Humboldt University of BerlinHumboldt University of BerlinThe Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
- 2000 Ernst Robert Curtius Prize for Essayists; Friedrich Schiedel Literary Prize
- 2005 Verdienstorden des Landes Brandenburg
- 2006 Jacob Grimm German Language Prize
- 2007 Gleim Literary Prize
- 2007 Hanns Martin Schleyer Prize
- 2008 Hoffmann von Fallersleben PrizeHoffmann von Fallersleben PrizeThe Hoffmann von Fallersleben Prize is an international literary award, awarded by the Hoffmann von Fallersleben Society in memory of poet August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, to authors "whose literary, historical or journalistic work demonstrates independent thinking or encourages others...
Works
- Über die Arbeit in Freihandbibliotheken, Berlin 1957
- Hochzeit in Weltzow, Halle (Saale) 1960
- Wiedersehen an der Spree, Halle (Saale) 1960
- Einführung in die Systematik für allgemeinbildende Bibliotheken, Berlin 1961
- Der Hohlweg, Halle (Saale) 1963
- Ein schwarzer, abgrundtiefer See, Halle (Saale) 1963
- Maskeraden, Halle (Saale) 1966
- Buridans Esel, Halle (Saale) 1968 (first published in 1963 in «Sinn und Form»)
- Preisverleihung, Halle (Saale) 1972
- Tristan und Isolde, Berlin 1975
- Das Leben des Jean Paul Friedrich Richter, Halle (Saale) 1975
- Märkische Forschungen, Halle (Saale) et al. 1978
- Im Querschnitt, Halle (Saale) et al. 1979
- Babylon, Leipzig 1980
- Neue Herrlichkeit, Frankfurt am Main 1984
- Lesefreuden, Frankfurt am Main 1986
- Frauendienst, Halle (Saale) et al. 1986
- Brandenburg, München et al. 1991 (with Hauke Dressler)
- Im Spreeland, Freiburg im Breisgau 1991 (with Erhard Pansegrau)
- Jubelschreie, Trauergesänge, Frankfurt am Main 1991
- Zwischenbilanz, Frankfurt am Main 1992
- Mein Brandenburg, Frankfurt am Main 1993 (with Barbara Klemm)
- Das erzählte Ich, Frankfurt am Main 1995
- Was ich noch schreiben will, Göttingen 1995 (with Ingo Hermann)
- Irritation und Verstehen, Stuttgart 1995
- Vierzig Jahre, Frankfurt am Main 1996
- Altersbetrachtungen über den alten Fontane, Berlin 1999
- Die Finckensteins, Berlin 1999
- Deutsche Zustände, Frankfurt am Main 1999
- Preußens Luise. Vom Entstehen und Vergehen einer Legende, Berlin 2001
- Unzeitgemäßes, Frankfurt am Main 2001
- Unter den Linden, Berlin 2003
- Abseits. Liebeserklärungen an eine Landschaft. Mit Fotos von Rüdiger Südhoff, Frankfurt am Main 2005
- Als Poesie gut. Schicksale aus Berlins Kunstepoche 1786 bis 1807. Frankfurt am Main 2006
Editorial Work
- Das Lästerkabinett, Leipzig 1970
- Jean PaulJean PaulJean Paul , born Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, was a German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories.-Life and work:...
: Leben des Quintus Fixlein, Berlin 1976 - Theodor Gottlieb von HippelTheodor Gottlieb von HippelTheodor Gottlieb von Hippel was a German satirical and humorous writer.Hippel was born at Gerdauen in the Kingdom of Prussia, where his father was rector of a school. He enjoyed an excellent education at home, and in his sixteenth year he entered the University of Königsberg as a student of theology...
: Über die Ehe, Berlin 1979 - Friedrich de la Motte FouquéFriedrich de la Motte FouquéFriedrich Heinrich Karl de la Motte, Baron Fouqué was a German writer of the romantic style.-Biography:He was born at Brandenburg an der Havel, of a family of French Huguenot origin, as evidenced in his family name...
: Ritter und Geister, Berlin 1980 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) - Friedrich Wilhelm August Schmidt: Einfalt und Natur, Berlin 1981 (Märkischer Dichtergarten)
- Christoph Friedrich NicolaiChristoph Friedrich NicolaiChristoph Friedrich Nicolai was a German writer and bookseller.Nicolai was born in Berlin, where his father, Christoph Gottlieb Nicolai , was the founder of the famous Nicolaische Buchhandlung...
: Vertraute Briefe von Adelheid B. an ihre Freundin Julie S. Freuden des jungen Werthers, Berlin 1982 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) - Ludwig TieckLudwig TieckJohann Ludwig Tieck was a German poet, translator, editor, novelist, writer of Novellen, and critic, who was one of the founding fathers of the Romantic movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.-Early life:...
: Die männliche Mutter und andere Liebes-,Lebens-, Spott- und Schauergeschichten, Berlin 1983 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) - Rahel Levin: Rahels erste Liebe, Berlin 1985 (Märkischer Dichtergarten)
- Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann: Gespenster in der Friedrichstadt, Berlin 1986 (Märkischer Dichtergarten)
- Theodor FontaneTheodor FontaneTheodor Fontane was a German novelist and poet, regarded by many as the most important 19th-century German-language realist writer.-Youth:Fontane was born in Neuruppin into a Huguenot family. At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to an apothecary, his father's profession. He became an...
: Die schönsten Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg, Berlin 1988 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) - Friedrich August Ludwig von der Marwitz: Nachrichten aus meinem Leben, Berlin 1989 (Märkischer Dichtergarten)
- Friedrichshagen und seine Dichter. Arkadien in Preußen, Berlin 1992 (Märkischer Dichtergarten)
- Moritz Heimann: Die Mark, wo sie am märkischsten ist, Berlin 1996 (Märkischer Dichtergarten)
Filmed works
- 1978: Hochzeit in Weltzow
- 1980: Glück im Hinterhaus
- 1981: Märkische Forschungen
Literature
- Günter de Bruyn, edited by Heinz Ludwig Arnold. Ed. Text + Kritik, München 1995
- Günter de Bruyn in perspective, ed. by Dennis Tate. Rodopi, Amsterdam 1999
- Günter de Bruyn. Materialien zu Leben und Werk, edited by Uwe Wittstock. Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1991
- Owen Evans: Ein Training im Ich-Sagen. Personal authenticity in the prose work of Günter de Bruyn, Lang, Bern et al. 1996. (= European university studies; Ser. 1, German language and literature; 1580)
- Marga Firle: Erzählen als Sprachhandlung in der poetischen Kommunikation. Untersuchungen zum Kommentieren in den "Märkischen Forschungen" von Günter de Bruyn, Akad. d. Wiss. d. DDR, Zentralinst. f. Sprachwiss., Berlin 1987. (= Linguistische Studien/A; 167)
- Magdalena Grams: Das künstlerische Wirklichkeitsverhältnis Günter de Bryuns. Dargestellt an Figurenwahl, Konfliktgestaltung und Erzählweise seiner ausgewählten Prosawerke, Univ. Diss. A, Leipzig 1988.
- Frank Hafner: "Heimat" in der sozialistischen Gesellschaft. Der Wandel des DDR-Bildes im Werk Günter de Bruyns, Lang, Frankfurt am Main et al. 1992. (= Münchener Studien zur literarischen Kultur in Deutschland; 13)
- Karin Hirdina: Günter de Bruyn. Leben und Werk, Verlag Das Europ. Buch, Westberlin 1983
- Anja Kreutzer: Untersuchen zur Poetik Günter de Bruyns, Lang, Frankfurt am Main et al. 1995. (= Beiträge zur Literatur und Literaturwissenschaft des 20. Jahrhunderts; 12)
- Lutz Kube: Zwischen "Heimat" Brandenburg und Sozialismus, UMI, Ann Arbor, MI 2005.
- Domenico Mugnolo: Günter de Bruyn narratore, 2. ed. Univ. di Trento, Dipartimento di Storia della Civiltà Europea, Trento 1993. (= Ricerche di germanistica; 3)
- Marcel Reich-Ranicki: Entgegnung: Zur deutschen Literatur der siebziger Jahre. Dt. Verlag-Anst., Stuttgart 1979
- Peter K. Stein: Literaturgeschichte, Rezeptionsforschung, "produktive Rezeption". Ein Versuch unter mediävistischem Aspekt anhand von Beobachtungen zu Günter de Bruyns Nachdichtung von Gottfrieds von Strassburg "Tristan" im Kontext der wissenschaftlichen und kulturpolitischen Situation in der DDR, Kümmerle, Göppingen 1979. (= Göppinger Arbeiten zur Germanistik; 287)
External links
- Literature by and on Günter de Bruyn 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...
- Commentated Link Collection by the University Library at the Free University of BerlinFree University of BerlinFreie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
- Märkische Musenhöfe: Günter de Bruyn