Hermann Kasack
Encyclopedia
Hermann Robert Richard Eugen Kasack (24 July 1896 – 10 January 1966) was a German
writer. He is best known for his novel Die Stadt hinter dem Strom
(The city beyond the river). Kasack was a pioneer of using the medium broadcast
for literature. He published radio plays also under the pen names Hermann Wilhelm and Hermann Merten.
as the only child of a doctor, he studied from 1914 to 1920 national economics
and history of literature
at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
In 1915, he published his first poem in the magazine Die Aktion
. Two years later, a life-long friendship began with both the painter Walter Gramatté
, the model for the painter Catell in Die Stadt hinter dem Strom
, and the poet Oskar Loerke. In 1918, he released a volume of poems, entitled Der Mensch. Verse, which was his first published book.
He started working as a literary editor
in 1920 in the publishing house Gustav-Kiepenheuer-Verlag in Potsdam, where he edited the complete works of Friedrich Hölderlin
. From 1925, he worked for the Funk-Stunde Berlin. His drama Die Schwester was premiered in 1926. He was director at the S. Fischer Verlag
until 1927. On 28 March 1933, he was prohibited from working for any broadcast. Nonetheless, on 26. Oktober 1933, he signed the Gelöbnis treuester Gefolgschaft
for Adolf Hitler
.
In 1941, he succeeded Oskar Loerke as literary editor in the S. Fischer Verlag, and took consequently over the direction of the publishing house when Peter Suhrkamp
was arrested from 1944.
His most famous novel, Die Stadt hinter dem Strom
(The city beyond the river) appeared in 1947, for which he was awarded the Fontane Prize of the city of Berlin two years later. A 1957 review stated:
center. He was from 1953 to 1963 the president of the Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung
. He wrote a libretto
for an opera Die Stadt hinter dem Strom, which was composed by Hans Vogt
and premiered at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden
in 1955 as part of the Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden.
Kasack died on 10 January 1966 in his home in Stuttgart
.
German literature
German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is mostly in Standard German, but there...
writer. He is best known for his novel Die Stadt hinter dem Strom
Die Stadt hinter dem Strom
Die Stadt hinter dem Strom is a German language existentialist novel by Hermann Kasack, published in 1947 in Berlin...
(The city beyond the river). Kasack was a pioneer of using the medium broadcast
Broadcast
Broadcast or Broadcasting may refer to:* Broadcasting, the transmission of audio and video signals* Broadcast, an individual television program or radio program* Broadcast , an English electronic music band...
for literature. He published radio plays also under the pen names Hermann Wilhelm and Hermann Merten.
Biography
Kasack was born in PotsdamPotsdam
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....
as the only child of a doctor, he studied from 1914 to 1920 national economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and history of literature
History of literature
The history of literature is the historical development of writings in prose or poetry which attempts to provide entertainment, enlightenment, or instruction to the reader/hearer/observer, as well as the development of the literary techniques used in the communication of these pieces. Not all...
at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
In 1915, he published his first poem in the magazine Die Aktion
Die Aktion
Die Aktion was a German literary and political magazine, edited by Franz Pfemfert and published between 1911 and 1932 in Berlin-Wilmersdorf; it promoted literary Expressionism and stood for left-wing policies...
. Two years later, a life-long friendship began with both the painter Walter Gramatté
Walter Gramatté
Walter Gramatté was a German expressionist painter who specialized in magic realism. He often painted with a mystical view of nature.Walter Gramatté died on 9 February 1929 of Intestinal Tuberculosis....
, the model for the painter Catell in Die Stadt hinter dem Strom
Die Stadt hinter dem Strom
Die Stadt hinter dem Strom is a German language existentialist novel by Hermann Kasack, published in 1947 in Berlin...
, and the poet Oskar Loerke. In 1918, he released a volume of poems, entitled Der Mensch. Verse, which was his first published book.
He started working as a literary editor
Literary editor
A literary editor is an editor in a newspaper, magazine or similar publication who deals with aspects concerning literature and books, especially reviews. A literary editor may also help with editing books themselves, by providing services such as proof reading, copy-editing, and literary...
in 1920 in the publishing house Gustav-Kiepenheuer-Verlag in Potsdam, where he edited the complete works of Friedrich Hölderlin
Friedrich Hölderlin
Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin was a major German lyric poet, commonly associated with the artistic movement known as Romanticism. Hölderlin was also an important thinker in the development of German Idealism, particularly his early association with and philosophical influence on his...
. From 1925, he worked for the Funk-Stunde Berlin. His drama Die Schwester was premiered in 1926. He was director at the S. Fischer Verlag
S. Fischer Verlag
The German publishing house S. Fischer Verlag was founded in 1886 by Samuel Fischer in Berlin and is a leading German address for literary publications and fiction.Originally, it was renowned for naturalism literature...
until 1927. On 28 March 1933, he was prohibited from working for any broadcast. Nonetheless, on 26. Oktober 1933, he signed the Gelöbnis treuester Gefolgschaft
Gelöbnis treuester Gefolgschaft
The Gelöbnis treuester Gefolgschaft was a declaration by 88 German writers and poets of their loyalty to Adolf Hitler...
for Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
.
In 1941, he succeeded Oskar Loerke as literary editor in the S. Fischer Verlag, and took consequently over the direction of the publishing house when Peter Suhrkamp
Peter Suhrkamp
Peter Suhrkamp was a German publisher and founder of the Suhrkamp Verlag.From 1921 to 1925 Suhrkamp worked as dramatic adviser and director at the State Theatre in Darmstadt . In 1932 he joint the S. Fischer Verlag. In 1936 he bought the part of the S. Fischer Verlag, which could not be...
was arrested from 1944.
His most famous novel, Die Stadt hinter dem Strom
Die Stadt hinter dem Strom
Die Stadt hinter dem Strom is a German language existentialist novel by Hermann Kasack, published in 1947 in Berlin...
(The city beyond the river) appeared in 1947, for which he was awarded the Fontane Prize of the city of Berlin two years later. A 1957 review stated:
But it took the extraordinary event of 1947, the publication of his first novel, Die Stadt hinter dem Strom, to catapult his name into the literary limelight and lift it to true prominence.In 1948, Kasack was a founding member of the German PEN
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....
center. He was from 1953 to 1963 the president of the Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung
Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung
The Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung was founded on August 28, 1949—the 200th birthday of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe—in Paulskirche in Frankfurt...
. He wrote a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
for an opera Die Stadt hinter dem Strom, which was composed by Hans Vogt
Hans Vogt (composer)
Hans Vogt was a German composer and conductor.-Professional career:He was born in Danzig. From 1929 to 1934 he studied with Georg Schumann and Otto Frickhoeffer at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin. From 1934 he worked in Minden as a cellist, pianist and conductor. In 1935 he was appointed...
and premiered at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden
Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden
The Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden is the State Theatre of the German state Hesse in the capital Wiesbaden, producing operas, plays, ballets, musicals and concerts on four stages. It is also known as Staatstheater Wiesbaden or Theater Wiesbaden...
in 1955 as part of the Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden.
Kasack died on 10 January 1966 in his home in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
.
Drama
- Die Schwester. Eine Tragödie in acht Stationen (The Sister. A Tragedy in Eight Stations), Berlin 1920
- Die tragische Sendung. Ein dramatisches Ereignis in zehn Szenen (The Tragic Mission. A Dramatic Event in Ten Scenes), Berlin 1920 (Potsdam 1993)
- Vincent, play in 5 acts, Potsdam 1924
- Die Stadt hinter dem Strom, libretto of an "Oratorische Oper" in 3 acts, Frankfurt am Main 1954
Radio plays
- Stimmen im Kampf, Berlin 1930 , first broadcast 7 December 1930 (30 min)
- Tull, der Meisterspringer, Berlin 1932, 10 radio plays for children, extant: Kinderreise mit Tull (34 min) and Tull's Kinderolympiade (27 min)
- Eine Stimme von Tausend, Berlin 1932, first broadcast 6 October 1932 (12 min)
- Der Ruf, Berlin 1932, first broadcast 12 December 1932 (58 min)
Novels
- Die Stadt hinter dem StromDie Stadt hinter dem StromDie Stadt hinter dem Strom is a German language existentialist novel by Hermann Kasack, published in 1947 in Berlin...
, Berlin 1947 - Das große Netz, Berlin/Frankfurt am Main 1952
Literature
- Pierre Lech: Hermann Kasack und der zeitkritische Roman der Gegenwart. Echternach/Luxemburg 1956 (Univ., Diss., 1956)
- Wolfgang Kasack (editor): Leben und Werk von Hermann Kasack. Ein Brevier. SuhrkampSuhrkamp VerlagSuhrkamp Verlag is a German publishing house, established in 1950 and generally acknowledged as one of the leading European publishers of fine literature.In January 2010 the headquarters of the company moved from Frankfurt to Berlin.-Early history:...
1966. - Heribert Besch: Dichtung zwischen Vision und Wirklichkeit. Eine Analyse des Werkes von Hermann Kasack mit Tagebuchedition (1930–1943). Röhrig, St. Ingbert 1992, ISBN 3-924555-96-6
- Tufarulo,G,M.- Il mondo è vero, il mondo è falso, parola di Hermann Kasack !- Pensiero e Arte,2004
External links
- Hermann Kasack / 1896 - 1966 / Eine Bibliographie Universität Potsdam 1996
- Hermann Robert Richard Eugen Kasack Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach
- Hermann Kasack und der Rundfunk, Audio-CD No. wo01, Frankfurt/M. und Potsdam 2004, Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv, containing the radio plays Eine Stimme von Tausend and Der Ruf, also a contribution about Bertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
- Was Kinder gerne hör(t)en, Audio-CD No. mu03, Frankfurt/M. und Potsdam 2003, Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv, containing a collectiong of children's songs and children's radio plays from the 1930s and 1950s, including Tull's Kinderolympiade