Erich Kestner: biography and work of the writer

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

Erich Kestner (1899-1974), German writer and critic, originally from Dresden, who made his name with humorous novels for children and topical poetry with a touch of satire.

Childhood

You can learn about the childhood years of the writer from his work called "When I was little". Not much is known from the biographical texts available on the Web: the boy grew up in Dresden, and at the age of 14 he entered a teacher's course. However, three years later, shortly before their official completion, Erich Kestner interrupted his studies. Later, these events will be described by the author himself in the book "Flying Classroom".

The house where the boy lived with his family was located on Königsbrücker Strasse. Now not far from it there is a museum dedicated to the writer himself. Kestner's father worked as a saddler, and his mother managed to visit three "roles": a maid, a housekeeper and a hairdresser.

The young man loved her very much, therefore, even after leaving his father's house with the beginning of World War I (1917), he continued to write to his mother, writing touching letters and postcards. Erich Kestner transferred tender feelings for her to his works. Moreover, his attitude did not waver even with the appearance of rumors that shecheated on her husband with their family doctor Emil Zimmerman. However, this information was never confirmed, as were the assumptions that Erich could be his son.

Young years

Being called up for military service, the young man was trained in a company of heavy artillery. This proved to be a very difficult test for the young Kestner and played a major role in shaping his worldview.

Erich's army was heavily drilled, which led to the development of heart disease in the future writer. Somewhat later, the image of his main offender, Sergeant Waurich, will appear in one of the satirical poems, ridiculing German militarism and similar people who happily support this policy.

Career

After the end of the First World War, Erich Kestner was enrolled at the University of Leipzig, where he preferred the humanities and theater studies. However, education was not free, and the empty pockets made the young man think about the need for a side job, despite the "golden scholarship" he received earlier.

As a result, Kestner tried a lot: from a perfume salesman to a stockbroker's assistant. After defending his dissertation in 1925, Erich began to earn money in the field of journalism by criticizing theatrical performances in a column for one of the local newspapers, but was fired two years later. A young man was accused of frivolous behavior for writing the poem "Evening Song of a Chamber Virtuoso", which has a clear erotic connotation.

Almost immediately after the events described, Erich Kestner moved to Berlin to continue working in the same newspaper, only as a freelancer in the culture department. Over time, the young man went through many pseudonyms under which he published his articles: Berthold Burger, Melchior Kurz, Peter Flint and Robert Neuner.

Today it became known that in the period from 1923 to 1933. Kestner has written over 350 articles. The exact figure is unknown, since many of the writer's works were destroyed by fire in 1944.

In the period from 1926 to 1932. The newspaper Beyers für Alle published a little less than two hundred different stories and riddles for children, written by Erich and published under the pseudonym Klaus and Claire. In addition, the man published his articles and other materials in various periodicals, which quickly brought him fame in the intellectual circles of Berlin.

Erich Kestner: author's books

The first book of the writer, published in 1928, was a collection of poems, like the next three. A year later, works in prose appeared: one of them (the children's novel "Emil and the Detectives") is still popular. Several films and even a mini-series were shot based on it, although some changes were made to the plot of the very first film adaptation, in accordance with the requirements of that time.

A little later, other children's works were published: "Button and Anton", "Flying Classroom", "Two Lots". The only novel of value in terms ofliterary significance, is considered to be published in 1931 "Fabian: the story of a moralist".

In 1933, Erich Kestner, whose books were burned as denigrating and objecting to the German spirit, was expelled from the writers' union after several interrogations by the Gestapo. The writer, who stayed in Berlin because he did not want to leave his mother, personally watched the "fire show" on the square.

As a result, in the Third Reich, the publication of his works was strictly prohibited, but Erich managed to publish several quite harmless novels in Switzerland.

At the end of the war, the writer will write an autobiographical story about his childhood "When I was little", as well as "Little Max" and "Little Max and Little Miss" (1957), dedicated to Erich's son.

Kestner's last work, published in 1961, will be his diary "Notabene 45".

Post World War II

In 1944, Kestner's apartment burned down as a result of the bombing, so when the war was over, the writer moved to Munich, where he took a senior position in the department of a local newspaper, spoke on the radio and in a literary cabaret.

Apparently, thanks to such a turbulent life, Erich Kestner was never married, but had a beloved son, Thomas. The writer died in one of the Munich clinics (Neuperlach) in July 1974 and was buried in the cemetery of St. George.