Peter Härtling
Peter Härtling (born 13 November 1933; Chemnitz[1]) is a German writer and poet. He is a member of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and he received the Großes Verdienstkreuz for his major contribution to German literature.[2]
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[edit] Biography
Härtling spent the early part of his childhood living in Hartmannsdorf, Mittweida, where his father maintained a law firm.[2] Following the outbreak of World War II, the family moved to the German-occupied town of Olomouc in Moravia.[1][2] Like many of the town's German residents, Härtling's family fled before the Red Army's advance on the city during the final months of the war; the family briefly settled in Zwettl, Austria.[2] Härtling's father was captured by the Russians and died in June 1945 at the prisoner-of-war camp in Dollersheim.[2] Following the conclusion of World War II, Härtling finally settled in Nürtingen, Baden-Württemberg.[1][2] His mother committed suicide in October 1946.[2] He studied under HAP Grieshaber at the Bernsteinschule art school before starting work as a journalist.[1]
Härtling had his first collection of poetry published in 1953.[1][2] From 1967 to 1973, Härtling was the managing director of the German publishing house S. Fischer Verlag, located in Frankfurt.[1] Härtling became a full-time writer after leaving S. Fischer Verlag.[1] In the winter semester of 1983/84 he hosted the annual Frankfurter Poetik-Vorlesungen, a lecture series in which a prominent writer discourses on topics pertaining to their work.[3] Härtling used his lectureship to demonstrate the process of using a found object as the inspiration for a literary work. During the series of lectures he wrote Der spanische Soldat, a short story based on a photograph by Robert Capa.[4]
Härtling has worked as the editor of the magazine Der Monat and as the president of the Hölderlin society.[2] He currently lives in Mörfelden-Walldorf.[5]
[edit] Literary themes
Härtling has devoted a large proportion of his literary output - both in poetry and in prose - to the reclamation of history and his own past.[6][7] His autobiographical novel Zwettl (1973) deals with the period he spent living in Lower Austria after his family fled from the Red Army.[8] Nachgetragene Liebe (1980) recounts Härtling's earliest memories of his deceased father.[9]
Another major influence on Härtling's works has been the literature and music of Romanticism.[10] Amongst other works, Härtling has written fictionalised biographical works on the writers Friedrich Hölderlin,[7] Wilhelm Waiblinger[7] and E. T. A. Hoffmann,[11] and the composers Franz Schubert[7] and Robert Schumann.[12]
[edit] Children's literature
In 1969, after writing a eulogy for the Czech children's writer Jan Procházka, Härtling began writing books for children. His first children's book, Und das ist die ganze Familie, was published the following year.[1] His children's literature has often focused on social problems involving children.[1] In Das war der Hirbel (1973) he wrote about the home of a maladjusted child, Oma (1975) talks about aging and death, whilst Theo haut ab (1977) deals with being uprooted from home and family.
[edit] Radio
Härtling has been the moderator of the Literatur im Kreuzverhör show on hr2, the cultural radio station of Hessischer Rundfunk.[5]
[edit] Awards
Peter Härtling's awards include:[2]
- 1964: Deutscher Kritikerpreis for Niembsch.
- 1965: Lower Saxony Literature Prize for Niembsch.
- 1966: Ehrengabe des Kulturkreises im Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie for Niembsch. Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger for the French edition of Niembsch.
- 1971: Gerhart Hauptmann prize of the Freien Volksbühne Berlin for Gilles.
- 1974: Schubart-Literaturpreis
- 1976: Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Oma.
- 1977: Stadtschreiber von Bergen
- 1978: Wilhelmine-Lübke-Preis
- 1980: Zurich children's literature prize La vache qui lit for Ben liebt Anna and Sofie macht Geschichten.
- 1982: Naturschutzpreis der Kreisgruppe Groß-Gerau des Bundes für Umwelt und Naturschutz.
- 1987: Hermann Sinsheimer prize and Friedrich Hölderlin prize
- 1992: Lion Feuchtwanger prize.
- 1994: Awarded the title of Professor by the state of Baden-Württemberg.
- 1995: Awarded the Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz..
- 1995: Mainz literature prize
- 1996: Awarded the Wilhelm Leuschner medal of Hessen.
- 1996: Awarded the Karl Preusker medal by the German Literature Conference.
- 2000: Eichendorff Literature Prize
- 2001: Awarded a special prize by the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for his major contribution to children's literature
- 2001: Dresdner Poetikdozentur zur Literatur Mitteleuropas (Publikation [1])
- 2003: Deutscher Bücherpreis for his contribution to literature
- 2004: Honourary citizen of Nürtingen.
- 2006: Gerty Spies Literature Prize
- 2007: CORINE award of the Bavarian Prime Minister for his contribution to literature.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Goethe-Institut Children and Young Adult Literature Portal - Peter Härtling". Goethe-Institut. http://www.goethe.de/kue/lit/prj/kju/aut/hl/hae/enindex.htm. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Lebensdaten von Peter Härtling" (in German). Peter Härtling. http://www.haertling.de. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ "Zur Geschichte der Gastdozentur Poetik" (in German). Goethe University Frankfurt. 19 October 2009. http://www.poetikvorlesung.uni-frankfurt.de/Geschichte_der_Poetikdozentur1.html. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ Reinhold Grimm (1985). Review of Der spanische Soldat. University of Oklahoma Press. JSTOR 40141538.
- ^ a b "Peter Härtling" (in German). Hessischer Rundfunk. http://www.hr-online.de/website/rubriken/kultur/index.jsp?rubrik=2039&key=standard_document_35790706. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ "Was bleibt? - Peter Härtling". Goethe-Institut. http://www.goethe.de/kue/lit/prj/was/hae/enindex.htm. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Oxford Companion to German Literature: Peter Härtling". Oxford University Press. http://www.mywire.com/a/Oxford-Companion-German-Literature/Hrtling-Peter/9543248/. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ Egbert Krisypn (1974). Review of Zwettl. University of Oklahoma Press. JSTOR 40128555.
- ^ Ernestine Schlant (1981). Review of Nachgetragene Liebe. University of Oklahoma Press. JSTOR 40136080.
- ^ Diner, Dan (1996). America in the eyes of the Germans: An essay on anti-Americanism. Markus Wiener. p. 34. ISBN 9781558761056. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JcbLSEQQY04C. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ "Peter Härtling - Hoffmann oder Die vielfältige Liebe" (in German). Perlentaucher. http://www.perlentaucher.de/buch/5396.html. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ Marjorie L. Hoover (1997). Review of Schumanns Schatten. University of Oklahoma Press. JSTOR 40152883.
[edit] Further reading
Burckhard Dücker: Peter Härtling. München: Beck, 1983.
