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By Unknown author –Wikipedia
Top 10 Facts about Gerhart Hauptmann
Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann was a German dramatist and novelist who was born on November 15, 1862 and died on June 6, 1946. Though he also incorporated other literary movements into his work, he is regarded as one of the most significant advocates of literary naturalism. In 1912, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Additionally, he saw himself as a poet first and foremost, above the political fray.
His birthplace was in Lower Silesia’s Obersalzbrunn, now known as Szczawno-Zdrój. Robert and Marie Hauptmann were his parents. Hauptmann was known for telling lies when he was younger. In addition here are some of the Top 10 Facts about Gerhart Hauptmann to know. They include the following;
1. He is one of the leading advocates of literary naturalism.
As one of the pioneers of German Naturalism, Gerhart Hauptmann achieved fame. Naturalism emphasizes observation and determinism as key concepts. Before Dawn, a play he wrote in 1889, launched his career and received critical acclaim at the same time. Hauptmann was inspired by the controversy and quickly produced several dramas with naturalistic themes. Hauptmann released The Fool in Christ, Emanuel Quint, his debut book, in 1910.
2. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature
By Wilhelm Fechner –Wikipedia
He was nominated in 1912 by Erich Schmidt, a member of the Prussian Academy of Science, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature that year “primarily in recognition of his fruitful, varied, and outstanding production in the realm of dramatic art.”
3. He was the first recipient of the Adlerschild des Deutschen Reiches
He was the first to be given the Adlerschild des Deutschen Reiches, a prize for excellence in scholarship or the arts. For scholarly or artistic accomplishments, the German president would present recipients with the Adlerschild des Deutschen Reiches, also known as the Eagle Shield of the German Reich. President Friedrich Ebert initiated it during the Weimar Republic, and it persisted under Nazi Germany. It was a metal disc bearing a pedestal-mounted German imperial eagle.
4. He was regarded as the literary ambassador for Germany abroad
Hauptmann traveled to the United States to give lectures in 1932 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Goethe’s passing and received an honorary doctorate from Columbia University. In addition, the city of Frankfurt Main presented him with the Goethe Prize.
5. His name was on the Gottbegnadeten list
Hauptmann’s name was on the Gottbegnadeten list (the “God-gifted list”), a group of artists who were exempt from being drafted into the war effort because they were deemed essential to German culture. The Gottbegnadeten-Liste, also known as the “Important Artist Exempt List” or “God-gifted list,” was a 36-page list of artists regarded as essential to Nazi culture. He was listed as one of the “irreplaceable artists” on a special list of the six most significant writers.
6. He applied for membership in the Nazi party
After the Nazis took power, Mr. Hauptmann applied for membership but was rejected by the local party office. Since the author considered himself to be a poet and above politics, he did not share their political philosophy. Though he shared George Bernard Shaw’s misguided eugenics beliefs, he was a founding member of the German Society for Racial Hygiene in 1905.
7. He married Marie
By Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-14016 / CC-BY-SA 3.0-Wikipedia
The couple fell in love with the island of Hiddensee after Mr. Hauptmann married Marie Theienemann in 1885. Mr. Hauptmann started writing novels and plays during this time. The couple’s three sons were all born during their four years spent residing in the town of Erkner. Mr. Hauptmann had a mistress before the marriage ended in 1904, and Mrs. Hauptmann had moved to the US with their three sons.
8. He didn’t like school
The author barely made it through the requirements for the Breslau Realschule. Since the teachers were so strict and treated students of noble birth better, he didn’t like the school. He had to repeat his first year because of his aversion to going to class and his numerous illnesses. Because he had the chance to go to the theater, he eventually grew to love Breslau.
9. He was awarded honorary citizenships
At the age of 70, he received several honorary citizenship. His work was featured in countless exhibitions and performances, many of which featured well-known performers. In the world premiere of Hauptmann’s new play Before Sunset, Max Reinhardt played the lead role. Hauptmann spent the summers in Hiddensee with his family from 1926 to 1933.
10. He died of bronchitis
By Metzner – Own work, Wikipedia
He passed away from bronchitis in Agnieszków on June 6. Is my house still mine? were reportedly his last words. Hauptmann’s final wishes, as stated in his last will, were not honored by having him buried there. He was laid to rest in the Hiddensee cemetery after 52 days after his passing. The gravestone was unveiled as a granite block in 1951. According to Hauptmann’s request, it only carries his name. Even though she had passed away in 1957, his wife Margarete’s remains were moved to be next to her husband’s in 1983.
