Johannes Schlaf
Encyclopedia
Johannes Schlaf was a German playwright, author, and translator and an important exponent of Naturalism
. As a translator he was important for exposing the German-speaking world to the works of Walt Whitman
, Émile Verhaeren
and Émile Zola
and is known as a founder of the "Whitman Cult" in Germany. His literary achievements lie foremost in the scenic-dialogue innovations of "sequential naturalism" and in the formalization of literary impressionism
. He also contributed to the emergence of the "intimate theater."
Some of his poems have been set to music by composers Alban Berg
and Arnold Schoenberg
.
He is sometimes mistakenly cited for coining the term "The Third Reich" in relation to Nazism because of his 1906 novel by that name. The Nazi use of the term comes from a 1923 novel, Das Dritte Reich
by Arthur Moeller van den Bruck
.
. Because his family lived in cramped quarters, he lived temporarily with his grandparents. His Grandmother, an educated woman, supported him in his passion for art and literature at an early age. In an autobiographical sketch from 1902, Schlaf claimed to written verses and puppet shows at the age of 12 and short stories while an adolescent. He also showed a talent for drawing. In 1875, Schlaf's father took a job in a construction business in the emerging industrialism of nearby Magdeburg
. Schlaf returned to his family where his father enforced a strict regime, and where Schalf felt more fear than affection.
, the largest city in Saxony-Anhalt. His program of study was theology, German, classicism, and philosophy, but he was more engaged in connecting with other students than his studies. His earliest publications date from his time in Halle.
He moved to study in Berlin 1885 and in 1886 joined the literary group Durch of young naturalist writers including Gerhart Hauptmann
, Arno Holz
, and William Bölsche. Throughout his studies he felt torn between his studies and the urge to devote himself entirely to writing.
.
During this time Schlaf developed a friendship with Arno Holz and around 1887 he agreed to an offer from Holz to share a vacant summer home of a friend from Niederschoenhausen and from there work on his writing. It was then he broke off his formal studies.
In Sequential Naturalism, one encounters a moment-to-moment description of events without a governing overarching narrative or perceiver. The style is also called the "Sekundenstil" or second-by-second style. In Papa Hamlet, the story is told almost entirely in dialogue, much of it in dialect. There is almost no intervention by the narrator. Dialogue contains contradictions, grammatical inaccuracies, dialect, other elements of a "realist" atmosphere. The works in the story center on broken families, alcoholism, financial hardship, and sickness. The observance of unity of place and time in the narrative give the works an oppressive atmosphere.
The Family Selicke found little success at first when it was first staged in April, 1890. It did have its defenders, however.
Holz and Schlaf felt increasing alienation through the 1890s, with early tensions over artistic notions exacerbated by public debate over the relative contributions and merit of both writers. The dispute reached its climate between 1905 and 1906. Today, Schlaf's esteem pales in comparison to Holz's – a situation convenient given Schlaf's support of the Nazis in the 1930s (Holz died in 1928 before the Nazi rise to power).
, a Berlin hospital. He sustained several visits to the hospital by 1897 and later described his illness as a nervous disorder and depression. Holz used these experiences to discredit his former friend and wrote about his paranoia. In Schalf's novels published after 1900 one can find representations of schizophrenic and psychotic behavior. He also started to investigate the occult and cosmology.
Schlaf published his first independent drama, "Meister Oelze" in 1892, which received its Berlin premiere on February 2, 1894. The play was widely successful. It shows many of the features found in "New Tracks," but also a focus on internal psychological processes. He produced several other dramas through the 1890s, with his last published play, "Weigand" appearing in 1906. Between 1900 and 1914 Schlaf wrote ten novels. His works show the influence of his readings of Whitman and Ernst Haeckel as well as traces of turn of the century decadence.
In 1904, Schlaf moved to Weimar.
During this time there developed a contradiction between the relative lack of success of his recent writings and the growth of his public recognition. Especially during birthdays, Schlaf was celebrated in public ceremonies, commemorated in the naming of streets, the foundation of a "Society of the Friends of Johannes Schlaf" and the construction of a museum.
. In October of that year, Schlaf was among the 88 writers who signed the "vow of most faithful allegiance
." He aligned with the Nazis to his death.
Schlaf returned to Querfurt in 1937. His late writings focused on the Geocentric model
and cosmological speculation and remain mostly unpublished. He continued to be honored by numerous awards in his late age, especially for his early works as a naturalist writer. He died at age 78, and high representatives from the National Socialist government attended his funeral.
His papers are held by the State Library in Dortmund.
Naturalism (literature)
Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character...
. As a translator he was important for exposing the German-speaking world to the works of Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
, Émile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren was a Belgian poet who wrote in the French language, and one of the chief founders of the school of Symbolism....
and Émile Zola
Émile Zola
Émile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
and is known as a founder of the "Whitman Cult" in Germany. His literary achievements lie foremost in the scenic-dialogue innovations of "sequential naturalism" and in the formalization of literary impressionism
Impressionism (literature)
Influenced by the Impressionist art movement, many writers adopted a style that relied on associations. The Dutch Tachtigers explicitly tried to incorporate impressionism into their prose, poems, and other literary works...
. He also contributed to the emergence of the "intimate theater."
Some of his poems have been set to music by composers Alban Berg
Alban Berg
Alban Maria Johannes Berg was an Austrian composer. He was a member of the Second Viennese School with Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, and produced compositions that combined Mahlerian Romanticism with a personal adaptation of Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique.-Early life:Berg was born in...
and Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
.
He is sometimes mistakenly cited for coining the term "The Third Reich" in relation to Nazism because of his 1906 novel by that name. The Nazi use of the term comes from a 1923 novel, Das Dritte Reich
Das Dritte Reich
Das Dritte Reich is a 1923 book by German author Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, the ideology of which heavily informed the Nazi party...
by Arthur Moeller van den Bruck
Arthur Moeller van den Bruck
Arthur Moeller van den Bruck was a German cultural historian and writer, best known for his controversial book Das Dritte Reich...
.
Childhood
Schlaf was the son of a commercial clerk in Querfort, a town in Saxony-AnhaltSaxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
. Because his family lived in cramped quarters, he lived temporarily with his grandparents. His Grandmother, an educated woman, supported him in his passion for art and literature at an early age. In an autobiographical sketch from 1902, Schlaf claimed to written verses and puppet shows at the age of 12 and short stories while an adolescent. He also showed a talent for drawing. In 1875, Schlaf's father took a job in a construction business in the emerging industrialism of nearby Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
. Schlaf returned to his family where his father enforced a strict regime, and where Schalf felt more fear than affection.
School and Education
From 1875 to 1884 Schlaf attended the cathedral school in Magdeburg, joining a student club, "Covenant of the Living" in 1882. With this club he encountered recent writings in the fields of philosophy, science, and literature. In 1884 he graduated and went to study in HalleHalle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
, the largest city in Saxony-Anhalt. His program of study was theology, German, classicism, and philosophy, but he was more engaged in connecting with other students than his studies. His earliest publications date from his time in Halle.
He moved to study in Berlin 1885 and in 1886 joined the literary group Durch of young naturalist writers including Gerhart Hauptmann
Gerhart Hauptmann
Gerhart Hauptmann was a German dramatist and novelist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1912.-Life and work:...
, Arno Holz
Arno Holz
Arno Holz was a German naturalist poet and dramatist. He is best known for his poetry collection Phantasus .-Life and Works:...
, and William Bölsche. Throughout his studies he felt torn between his studies and the urge to devote himself entirely to writing.
.
During this time Schlaf developed a friendship with Arno Holz and around 1887 he agreed to an offer from Holz to share a vacant summer home of a friend from Niederschoenhausen and from there work on his writing. It was then he broke off his formal studies.
Early Work with Arno Holz
Schlaf and Holz presented their first joint work, the anthology, "New Tracks" in 1892. In it the term "Sequential Naturalism" (Konsequenter Naturalismus) made its first appearance. The anthology consisted of three parts, each with its own preface. The middle part had been published in 1889 under the pseudonym Bjarne B. Holmsen. It contained the short story "Papa Hamlet." The third part of the anthology, the drama "The Family Selicke" had been published in 1890.In Sequential Naturalism, one encounters a moment-to-moment description of events without a governing overarching narrative or perceiver. The style is also called the "Sekundenstil" or second-by-second style. In Papa Hamlet, the story is told almost entirely in dialogue, much of it in dialect. There is almost no intervention by the narrator. Dialogue contains contradictions, grammatical inaccuracies, dialect, other elements of a "realist" atmosphere. The works in the story center on broken families, alcoholism, financial hardship, and sickness. The observance of unity of place and time in the narrative give the works an oppressive atmosphere.
The Family Selicke found little success at first when it was first staged in April, 1890. It did have its defenders, however.
Holz and Schlaf felt increasing alienation through the 1890s, with early tensions over artistic notions exacerbated by public debate over the relative contributions and merit of both writers. The dispute reached its climate between 1905 and 1906. Today, Schlaf's esteem pales in comparison to Holz's – a situation convenient given Schlaf's support of the Nazis in the 1930s (Holz died in 1928 before the Nazi rise to power).
At the Turn of the Century
In 1893 Schlaf suffered from a nervous breakdown and was admitted to CharitéCharité
The Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin is the medical school for both the Humboldt University and the Free University of Berlin. After the merger with their fourth campus in 2003, the Charité is one of the largest university hospitals in Europe....
, a Berlin hospital. He sustained several visits to the hospital by 1897 and later described his illness as a nervous disorder and depression. Holz used these experiences to discredit his former friend and wrote about his paranoia. In Schalf's novels published after 1900 one can find representations of schizophrenic and psychotic behavior. He also started to investigate the occult and cosmology.
Schlaf published his first independent drama, "Meister Oelze" in 1892, which received its Berlin premiere on February 2, 1894. The play was widely successful. It shows many of the features found in "New Tracks," but also a focus on internal psychological processes. He produced several other dramas through the 1890s, with his last published play, "Weigand" appearing in 1906. Between 1900 and 1914 Schlaf wrote ten novels. His works show the influence of his readings of Whitman and Ernst Haeckel as well as traces of turn of the century decadence.
In 1904, Schlaf moved to Weimar.
In the Weimar Republic
Germany's defeat in the First World War was a great blow to national pride, but they did not significantly alter the ideas developed by Schlaf. Like other authors of the period, he threw himself into his literary work – devoting himself to philosophical and cosmological speculation. During the war he had developed ideas connecting war with evolutionary selection as well as patriotic ideas of German cultural hegemony.During this time there developed a contradiction between the relative lack of success of his recent writings and the growth of his public recognition. Especially during birthdays, Schlaf was celebrated in public ceremonies, commemorated in the naming of streets, the foundation of a "Society of the Friends of Johannes Schlaf" and the construction of a museum.
During the Third Reich
In the 1930s Schalf confessed to the creed of National Socialism. Before the First World War, Schlaf's naturalism extended into racial aspects, but the vague concept of a Germanic race could apply to virtually every European nation. After the war, Schlaf's notions of biological evolution extended to the superiority of the German people. After the Nazi takeover in May 1933, Schlaf was appointed to the "cleaned" Prussian Academy of Arts.Prussian Academy of Arts
The Prussian Academy of Arts was an art school set up in Berlin, Brandenburg, in 1694/1696 by prince-elector Frederick III, in personal union Duke Frederick I of Prussia, and later king in Prussia. It had a decisive influence on art and its development in the German-speaking world throughout its...
. In October of that year, Schlaf was among the 88 writers who signed the "vow of most faithful allegiance
Gelöbnis treuester Gefolgschaft
The Gelöbnis treuester Gefolgschaft was a declaration by 88 German writers and poets of their loyalty to Adolf Hitler...
." He aligned with the Nazis to his death.
Schlaf returned to Querfurt in 1937. His late writings focused on the Geocentric model
Geocentric model
In astronomy, the geocentric model , is the superseded theory that the Earth is the center of the universe, and that all other objects orbit around it. This geocentric model served as the predominant cosmological system in many ancient civilizations such as ancient Greece...
and cosmological speculation and remain mostly unpublished. He continued to be honored by numerous awards in his late age, especially for his early works as a naturalist writer. He died at age 78, and high representatives from the National Socialist government attended his funeral.
His papers are held by the State Library in Dortmund.
Selected Works
- Detlev von Liliencron
- Papa Hamlet, with Arno Holz, 1889
- Die Familie Selicke, Drama, with Arno Holz, 1890
- In Dingsda, Prose verse, 1892
- Meister Oelze, Drama, 1892
- Gertrud, Drama, 1898
- Die Feindlichen, Drama, 1898
- Stille Welten. Neue Stimmungen aus Dingsda, 1899
- Der Bann, Drama, 1900
- Das dritte Reich, Novel, 1900
- Die Suchenden, Novel, 1902
- Peter Boites Freite, Roman, 1903
- Der Kleine, Roman, 1904
- Weigand, Drama, 1906
- Kritik der Taineschen Kunsttheorie, 1906
- Der Prinz, Roman, 1908
- Am toten Punkt, Roman, 1909
- Aufstieg, Roman, 1911
- Religion und Kosmos, 1911
- Mieze. Der Roman eines freien Weibes, Roman, 1912
- Das Recht der Jugend, Erzählung, 1913
- Tantchen Mohnhaupt und Anderes. Dingsda-Geschichten, 1913
- Professor Plassmann und das Sonnenfleckenphänomen. Weiteres zur geozentrischen Feststellung, 1914
- Auffallende Unstichhaltigkeit des fachmännischen Einwandes. Zur geozentrischen Feststellung, 1914
- Mutter Lise, Roman, 1917
- Zwei Erzählungen, 1918
- Die Erde – nicht die Sonne. Das geozentrische Weltbild, 1919
- Gedichte in Prosa, 1920
- Miele. Ein Charakterbild, 1920
- Die Greisin. Vorfrühling, Stories, 1921
- Die Wandlung, Novel, 1922
- Das Gottlied, 1922
- Seele, 1922
- Ein Wildgatter schlag' ich hinter mir zu … Vaterländisches aus Dingsda, 1922
- Radium, Stories, 1922
- Die Wandlung, Stories, 1922
- Der Weihnachtswunsch und anderes. Neue Erzählungen aus Dingsda, 1924
- Deutschland, 1925
- Die Nacht der Planeten, 1925
- Die andere Dimension, Stories, 1926
- Die Mutter, Poems, 1927
- Das Spiel der hohen Linien, Poems, 1927
- Kosmos und kosmischer Umlauf. Die geozentrische Lösung des kosmischen Problems, 1927
- Die Sonnenvorgänge, 1930
- Neues aus Dingsda, 1933
- Zur Aprioritätenlehre Kants, 1934
- Vom höchsten Wesen, 1935
- Ein wichtigstes astronomisches Problem und seine Lösung, 1937
- Aus meinem Leben. Erinnerungen, 1941