Ivan Nagel
Encyclopedia
Ivan Nagel is a German theater scientist, critic and former theater director of Hungarian origin.
and Zurich
then in Frankfurt am Main. In Frankfurt he studied Philosophy
under Theodor W. Adorno
who later helped him to avoid a threatening deportation (as an "undesirable asylant"). After his studies, he worked as a theater critic in Munich
and became the chief drama director of the Munich Kammerspiele
. In 1972 he was appointed the intendant of the Deutsches Schauspielhaus
(German Play House) in Hamburg
and stayed there until 1979. In this time he gathered numerous renowned producers around him. He would become famous from this time on, preceding the productions of Peter Zadek
who later, in the 1980s, became the intendant of this stage. Nagel went to New York
in 1981 and lived there until 1983. He went back to Germany with the idea of a theater festival which would give an overview of theater development of different culutres around the world. The festival, Theater des Welt (Theater of the World), takes place to this day in varying German cities. It has given the German public the opportunity to see prominent theater productions like those of Peter Brook
and Ariane Mnouchkine
. From 1985-1988 Nagel was the intendant of the Play house
in Stuttgart
, and from 1989 to 1996 Professor of History and Aesthetics at the Berlin University of the Arts
.
His stage achievements aside, Nagel is famous for his theatre theory and portraits of theater directors like Fritz Kortner
, Peter Stein
and Peter Zadek
. His book about Mozart's Opera "Autonomy and Mercy" has been translated into English, French and Japanese.
and the Ernst Bloch Prize.
Life
Ivan Nagel comes from a Jewish family who fled their home because of the Second World War, and therefore survived the Holocaust. After the war, Nagel wanted to study in Budapest. This was refused to him by the communist rulers since he belonged to the citizens. He fled to Switzerland in 1948. In the 1950s Nagel lived and studied as a refugee first in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
then in Frankfurt am Main. In Frankfurt he studied Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
under Theodor W. Adorno
Theodor W. Adorno
Theodor W. Adorno was a German sociologist, philosopher, and musicologist known for his critical theory of society....
who later helped him to avoid a threatening deportation (as an "undesirable asylant"). After his studies, he worked as a theater critic in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and became the chief drama director of the Munich Kammerspiele
Munich Kammerspiele
The Munich Kammerspiele is a successful German language theatre in Munich. The Schauspielhaus in the Maximilianstrasse is the major stage.-History:...
. In 1972 he was appointed the intendant of the Deutsches Schauspielhaus
Deutsches Schauspielhaus
The Deutsches Schauspielhaus is a theatre in the St. Georg quarter of the city of Hamburg, Germany. With a capacity for 1192 spectators, it places it as Germany's largest theatre...
(German Play House) in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and stayed there until 1979. In this time he gathered numerous renowned producers around him. He would become famous from this time on, preceding the productions of Peter Zadek
Peter Zadek
Peter Zadek was a German theatre and film director, play translator and screenwriter and is regarded as one of the greatest directors in German-speaking theater. He was the head of the Schauspielhaus Bochum, Bochum , the Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Hamburg and the Berliner Ensemble from 1992 to 1996...
who later, in the 1980s, became the intendant of this stage. Nagel went to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1981 and lived there until 1983. He went back to Germany with the idea of a theater festival which would give an overview of theater development of different culutres around the world. The festival, Theater des Welt (Theater of the World), takes place to this day in varying German cities. It has given the German public the opportunity to see prominent theater productions like those of Peter Brook
Peter Brook
Peter Stephen Paul Brook CH, CBE is an English theatre and film director and innovator, who has been based in France since the early 1970s.-Life:...
and Ariane Mnouchkine
Ariane Mnouchkine
Ariane Mnouchkine is a world-renowned French stage director. She founded the Parisian avant-garde stage ensemble Théâtre du Soleil in 1964. She has written and directed 1789 and Molière , and in 1989, she directed La Nuit Miraculeuse...
. From 1985-1988 Nagel was the intendant of the Play house
Staatstheater Stuttgart
The Staatstheater Stuttgart ' is an opera house in Stuttgart, Germany. It is also known locally as the Grosses Haus, having been the larger of two theatres of the former Königliche Hoftheater....
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 ....
, and from 1989 to 1996 Professor of History and Aesthetics at the Berlin University of the Arts
Berlin University of the Arts
The Universität der Künste Berlin, UdK is a public art school in Berlin, Germany, one of the four universities in the city...
.
His stage achievements aside, Nagel is famous for his theatre theory and portraits of theater directors like Fritz Kortner
Fritz Kortner
Fritz Kortner was an Austrian-born stage and film actor and theatre director.Kortner was born in Vienna as Fritz Nathan Kohn. He studied at the Vienna Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. After graduating, he joined Max Reinhardt in Berlin in 1911 and then Leopold Jessner in 1916. Also in that year...
, Peter Stein
Peter Stein
Peter Stein is a critically acclaimed German theatre and opera director who established himself at the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, a company that he brought to the forefront of German theatre....
and Peter Zadek
Peter Zadek
Peter Zadek was a German theatre and film director, play translator and screenwriter and is regarded as one of the greatest directors in German-speaking theater. He was the head of the Schauspielhaus Bochum, Bochum , the Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Hamburg and the Berliner Ensemble from 1992 to 1996...
. His book about Mozart's Opera "Autonomy and Mercy" has been translated into English, French and Japanese.
Achievements
Ivan Nagel received the 2000 Moses Mendelssohn Prize and the 2002 Verdienstorden des Landes Berlin (Order of Merit of the Land of Berlin). In 2003, he was honored with the BundesverdienstkreuzBundesverdienstkreuz
The 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...
and the Ernst Bloch Prize.
External links
- Literature on and about Ivan Nagel 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...
- Lecture about "Historical Paintings and Drama" in the Tele-academy of the Southwest Broadcast
- Pressemeldung des Landes Berlin (Press Announcement of the Land Berlin) to award the 2003 Bundesverdienstkreuz
- Ivan Nagel: Wowereit überreichte Bundesverdienstkreuz (Ivan Nagel: Wowereit presents Bundesverdienstkreuz)