Erich Maria: biography and creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The First World War not only stirred up several European revolutions, but gave birth to a new generation, new meanings, new discoveries about human nature. And Remarque became the first writer who revealed to the world the whole truth about the war. Trench prose, in the first person, in the present tense, she shocked me with her frankness. And each work of this writer is a masterpiece, because Erich Maria Remarque wrote about the most important events and things of the 20th century.

Writer's childhood

On June 22, 1898, the second son, Erich Paul, was born to the Frenchman Peter Frank and the native German Anna Maria. Two years later, a daughter, Erna, was born in the family. But in 1901, a misfortune happened - their first-born Theodore died. In 1903, another daughter was born. The bookbinder had a small income, the family did not have their own housing, and they often had to change apartments, and, accordingly, schools.

Erich started school when he was six years old. But after fourthe family moved, it became difficult to get to school, and he was transferred to a public school. In 1914, the boy was sent to a school at the church, after graduating from which in 1915 he entered the teacher's seminary, where he spent four years.

Student years

Erich's mother taught him how to play the piano, in the seminary he polished his skill so much that he could work as a music teacher. Here, Erich Maria Remarque found new friends, many of whom became poets, writers and artists. His first publication in 1916 was an essay about the joy of serving the country in the newspaper Friend of the Motherland. The world war was in full swing, Erich listened to reports from the front, and five months later he was drafted into the army. Life has changed dramatically.

On the Western Front

Erich served in a reserve battalion, but in June 1917 he saw the trenches for the first time. A bloody drama unfolded before his eyes. Every day someone died, their arms and legs were torn off, fragments ripped open their stomachs. Erich learned to smoke and began to drink, because alcohol dulled fear. In the trenches, he forever buried his ideals, his dreams of giving his life for the Kaiser. His war lasted 50 days. In July, he was seriously wounded and sent to the hospital. The war shook him. A strange coincidence, but the date of birth of Erich Maria Remarque coincides with the date of the start of World War II.

Further service was held in the office of the same hospital where he was treated. In September, he received news of his mother's death. On the 13th he arrived home, where he found out that his mother had died of cancer and forbade everyone to report their illness to Erich. Friend Fritz Herstemeier came to the funeral,an artist who never made it. He was older than Erich and became his mentor, the first literary teacher. At the station, where Fritz will come to see off Erich, they will see each other for the last time. Fritz died of his wound in the hospital. The image of this man is present in many works of Remarque. Erich returned home in October 1918 and was awarded the Iron Cross in November.

Return

Erich He returned to the seminary, but he became a completely different person: no mischief, no skipping lessons, he studied diligently. In June 1919 he received his diploma. For almost a year he worked in different schools, but in 1920 he left and never returned to teaching. Partly because, after the horrors of front-line life, it was hard for him to look into the trusting children's eyes. Perhaps because he was working on his debut novel, Attic of Dreams.

In 1920, the novel was published by the same publishing house that had previously published Erich's stories. Criticism fell upon him, even the offensive nickname Pachkun surfaced. Erich Maria Remarque was so worried that he thought about suicide. Such an unexpected turn in his writing career drove the young author into a state of stupor.

Master's Tips

Erich lived on odd jobs - an accountant, seller of monuments, books, played the organ in the church, was an advertising agent. He understood that all this was temporary, his only calling was to write. And Remarque, in desperation, writes a letter to S. Zweig, where he begs him to help with advice: where to start, how to gain confidence?

And Zweig answered him,so that he looks around and looks around, tried the work of a journalist, did not despair and did not give up. Soon Erich was hired by the newspaper, but was not accepted to the staff, but was offered cooperation as a literary critic. Wrote a letter to a newly opened magazine in Hannover and offered himself as an author.

Soon he finally moved to Hannover. After working briefly as a writer of advertising texts, he got a position as an editor. Remarque set to work on his second novel, Gam. Sending a letter to Echo Continental offering his services, he signed for the first time as Erich Maria Remarque.

Soon, after publishing some interesting materials, Erich became known as a journalist. In October 1924, friends introduced him to Edith Derry, her name seemed familiar to Erich. Soon Edith from Berlin sent him a letter, invited him to visit and assured that her dad would help with employment. And Erich remembered: Edith was the daughter of Kurt Derry, the owner of the Sports Illustrated newspaper.

Literary success

After Christmas 1924, Erich went to Berlin, on January 1 he was already working as the editor of "Sport im Bild". The salary was good, but most of it went to rent. Erich was introduced to the young actress Jutta Zambona and lost his head. They became husband and wife in October 1925.

The novel "Station on the Horizon" in 1927 was published in parts in the magazine where Erich worked. Two years later, “All Quiet on the Western Front” comes out. Glory to Remarque literally fell. Jutta and Erich rented a spacious apartment. Stop needing money. A year later, his novel was made into a film. And the trips, restaurants, visits began. Jutta watched as Erich moved away from her, the family broke up, personal life collapsed. Erich Maria Remarque decided not to do anything, to leave everything as it is. They officially divorced in 1930.

In Germany, the Nazis raised their heads, and Remarque was literally persecuted. In early 1929 he left for Switzerland. When he returned to Berlin, all the newspapers discussed the news: it turns out that Erich Remarque is not a German, but a Jew. In October, he and a friend went to France. Returning from a trip, sat down for a new novel "Return". The book was completed a year later. The first chapter was published in the Vossische Zeitung on December 7, 1930.

Emigration

In March 1930, Remarque received a call from the American magazine Koles and was asked to write something for them. During the year he sent them six stories about the war. On December 4, 1930, the premiere of the painting “On the Western Front” was to take place in Berlin. The day before, Goebbels appeared in the press, promising to resort to violence for showing the film. The premiere took place. But on December 11, the film was banned from showing by the film inspection. In 1931, On the Western Front won an Oscar.

In April 1931 the novel "The Return" was published as a separate book. The writer traveled around France, took a lot of notes, which then form the basis of the novel "Life on loan". In the summer he leaves for Switzerland and buys a villa in Ponto Ronco. At the beginning of 1932 he lived in Osnabrück and worked on the novel “Threecomrade." As described in a detailed biography, Erich Maria Remarque traveled a lot. The book progressed heavily, and Remarque left for Berlin, where a scandal followed almost immediately. He was accused of hiding income.

The writer went to Switzerland. A year later, he returned to Germany, but a new scandal immediately followed. Remarque could not believe that he would have to emigrate. In January, Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany - no illusions left. Remarque could not even calmly go out into the street, the Nazis pursued him everywhere. He returned to Switzerland. At the end of 1933, the Nazis seized all Remarque's books from libraries and shops. The writer lived without a break in Switzerland.

Road to America

In 1937 Erich Maria Remarque's The Return was published in English. A film was made based on the novel six months later. In May, Jutta appeared in Remarque's house, she fled from Germany. In June 1937, Remarque and Jutta received the citizenship of Panama, and in 1938 they signed for the second time. In July, an article was published in all German newspapers that he had been stripped of his German citizenship.

The writer began work on the "Arc de Triomphe". In the image of Joan, one can guess Jutta and Ruta, Marlene Dietrich, whom he met in Venice. An interesting fact from the life of Erich Maria Remarque: he courted Marlene, she answered him coldly, but accepted gifts. One day he saw her cleaning the floors herself. And Remarque could not understand why she did not choose him, because she could live in luxury.

In February 1939, Remarque finished work onthe work “Love thy neighbor”, and he was invited to America to the Congress of writers. Returning to Switzerland, Remarque was afraid that Hitler would swallow it up in the same way as Austria. Staying here is dangerous. Ahead of him was New York.

In Westwood, Remarque bought a villa, and in Europe the war raged with might and main. The writer read the newspaper reports with pain. How could this happen: Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, France … In October 1939, Jutta arrived in America, but she was not allowed into the country. Remarque rushed to her rescue, but the authorities seemed suspicious of his Panamanian passport. They were allowed to live in Mexico. In 1940 they were allowed to return to America.

Time to live

Remarque drank a lot during these years, but a real surprise awaited him in August 1942 at the medical board, when he was told that he had cirrhosis of the liver. In January 1941, the writer met Natasha Pale. She will become Remarque's greatest love and the greatest misfortune of his life. She will appear before the reader in the novel "Shadows in Paradise", the last work of the master. Remarque will get rid of this obsession only in 1950.

In 1943, the Nazis executed Remarque's sister Elfrida. The writer until the end of his life could not come to terms with this tragedy. In 1945, Colles began publishing chapters from Erich Maria Remarque's book Arc de Triomphe. The book, of course, did not surpass the success of the first novel. But this novel is special, disturbing, poignant, where the writer writes about what is painful - about human cruelty and mercy, about selflessness and short-sightedness.

The next work of Remarque was the novel “A Time to Live and a Time to Die” about a soldier who returned to the ruins of his home. A person who has passed the crucible of death begins a new life, but dies at the hands of the one he saved. A book about rethinking war. That it is immoral, destroys everything human, leaving only animal instinct in people.

In 1946, Remarque begins to work on the book "The Spark of Life", which takes place in a concentration camp. One of the heroes is the camp commandant, and the author describes his family, life, thoughts. The author slowly explores the phenomenon of turning exemplary German citizens into notorious killers. Quite an interesting fact: Erich Maria Remarque first took up a topic, the details of which he heard only from eyewitnesses.

Last meetings

In 1947, Remarque and Jutta became American citizens, and in 1948 he went to Europe. I went to my house in Switzerland, I did not dare to call in Germany. I went into the house, and there was my father. Remarque's legs buckled with excitement. Together they spent a week. Remarque hired a driver who would take his father home.

The writer met Pollet and, in order not to take his beloved woman to a hotel, bought an apartment in New York. He was 12 years older than Pollet; a brilliant actress, she will be the writer's faithful companion and will be with him until the end of his days.

In July 1952, Remarque nevertheless dared to come to Germany. In his hometown he is greeted as a national hero. In 1953 he will return here again, this will be the last meeting with his father - in 1954 he will be gone. ATIn December 1954, Remarque began a new novel, The Black Obelisk. Like “On the Western Front”, this is an autobiographical book in which the writer describes his biography and work.

Erich Maria Remarque in 1957 wrote the screenplay for the film A Time to Live and a Time to Die. In early 1958, the writer decided to get married. He was 60 years old, and he was afraid that Pollet would refuse. She agreed. On February 25, they became husband and wife. A year later, his novel “Life on loan” was published. Critics started talking about the fact that Remarque had written himself, but in the middle of 1961, Remarque's extraordinary work “Night in Lisbon” was released.

This novel was the last that the writer managed to finish. On June 22, 1968, Remarque celebrated his 70th birthday. On September 25, 1970, the writer's heart stopped beating.