Christian Friedrich Hebbel

Christian Friedrich Hebbel ( born March 18, 1813 in Wessel Buren, Dithmar, † December 13, 1863 in Vienna ) was a German dramatist and poet. His pseudonym in youth was Dr. J. F. French

Life

Friedrich Hebbel was born as a Danish subject, since Dithmar to 1864 was a territory of the Duchy of Holstein. From 1867 it belonged to the province of Schleswig -Holstein. His parents were the mason Claus Friedrich and Schuster daughter Antje Margaretha ( born: Schubart ).

1819 Hebbel visited the elementary school and then worked briefly as an apprentice bricklayer. When the family Hebbel had to leave their home because of an unredeemed pledge of the Father, their social situation deteriorated significantly. After the death of his father in 1827 Hebbel entered the service of the parish Vogts Mohr, in which the writer he advanced from errand boy, but lived in modest circumstances. So he had to share under a staircase with a coachman his alcove. During the seven years of his work at the Vogt could Hebbel, who had always enjoyed reading, recourse to the library. In the writers room, he created his first poems, which were published in part in Eiderstedter messenger. 1832 Hebbel published more poems in various magazines such as, inter alia, in Iduna or in the New Paris fashion leaves.

Then, the editor of the journal Amalie Schoppe New Paris Fashion sheets became aware of Friedrich Hebbel. She assisted him materially and brought him in 1835 to Hamburg, where he was active in 1817 in the Scientific Association. In Hamburg, he met Elise Lensing know into which he fell in love and who supported him. On March 18, 1835, he began to keep a diary.

Thanks to a scholarship, he moved to Heidelberg in 1836, was a guest student in the meantime the case of legal lectures, but at the same time completely destitute. Here he met Emil Rousseau know. On September 12, he began a march over Strasbourg, Stuttgart and Tubingen to Munich, where he arrived on 29 September. There he was received by the carpenter Anton Schwarz, who probably gave also the model for the figure of the " master carpenter Anton " in Mary Magdalene ( 1843). In Munich, he also attended lectures by Joseph Gorres, a supporter of the democratic movement. Late 1838 Hebbel's mother died.

1838 Hebbel lived under poor conditions still with the carpenter, whose daughter Josepha Beppi Black he fell in a short time. About his stay in Munich, he wrote on 10 February 1839 Elise a letter:

"This city is unique in Germany and without equal; you can live in it as you want, who likes who throws himself in 's rushing, big-city bustle, and who do not like this, which withdraws into solitude. [ ... ] An important period of life linked to me at my local residence, which would probably not have become so important in poor isolation. "

In 1839 he wandered back without provisions from 11 to March 31 from Munich to Hamburg, where Elise Lensing took him and nursed him when he dangerously ill as a result of hardships. 1840 Elise brought a son into the world, two years later in Wandsbeck ( which at that time belonged to Holstein), was baptized with the name Max Hebbel, as in Hamburg illegitimate children were not allowed to carry the family name of the father. This year, he completed the tragedy Judith. The world premiere of this play took place on July 6, 1840 in Berlin, Hebbel what was very pleased. 1841 then the tragedy was printed and made ​​his name known in Germany. Then he wrote the tragedy Genoveva, which was printed in 1843 for the first time, he also completed the comedy The diamond, which he had already begun in Munich. Hebbel's Genoveva drama was the reason for Robert Schumann's Genoveva original opera, with a libretto by the composer had without the requested assistance write by the poet. Other composers to Hebbel substances were later among other Eduard Lassen, Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms.

In 1842 he published his first collection of poems, which increased in 1857 as total output and improved with the dedication for L. Uhland came out. In addition, Hebbel traveled to Copenhagen, where he by the Danish King Christian VIII a two-year travel grant was awarded, with whom he then to Paris, where he met Heinrich Heine and Arnold Ruge and befriended Felix Bamberg drove. He began to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and wrote as he fought out fierce clashes with the back pregnant ( by him ) Elise by letter, the tragedy Maria Magdalena ( a domestic tragedy ), which was completed in December 1843. In Hamburg, meanwhile died, his son Max

1844 his second son, Ernst ( 1844-1847 ) was born, which is why Elise letter reinforced urged to marry, what Hebbel refused. 1844-1846 Hebbel spent in Italy, traveling via Lyon, Avignon and Marseille to Rome, visited soon after Naples, and returned in the fall back to Rome. At the end of that time he traveled over Ancona, Trieste and Graz to Vienna. There the brothers Zerboni di Sposetti, two Polish nobles were aware of him, helped him out of his recent financial distress and brought him into the high society. Hebbel decided to stay in Vienna. In the same year he was due a dissertation submitted by the University of Erlangen in absentia to Dr. phil. doctorate. In 1845 he learned Hettner know who concerned himself with Hebbel and joined him.

Stay in Vienna

In Vienna, where Hebbel lived until his death, he married in 1846, the castle actress Christine Enghaus (actually Engehausen ) whom he met in the theater and with whom he the son of Emil ( 1846-1847 ) and daughter Christine ( " Titi " ) ( 1847-1922) had. In his diary he wrote on December 30, 1846:

"I became engaged to Miss Enghaus; I did it safely out of love, but I would have wanted to be this love Lord and continued my journey, if not the pressures of life would have been so hard on me that I was in the inclination, the zuwendete this noble girl to me, my only salvation had to see. I do not hesitate openly to store this confession as much as I would lose it if I had a German boy to Richter "

The marriage brought him on the secure prosperity, so that he could devote his undisturbed literary production itself. He wrote mainly tragedies, including Agnes Bernauer, Gyges and his ring and Ring of the Nibelungs. His biggest success was the drama created in 1843 to Mary Magdalene. In Vienna Hebbel received public recognition for his work and was eventually awarded first with the newly created Schiller price.

Through the marriage of Hebbel's letter Contact Elise broke haltingly. For Elise Lensing, who had always kept to Hebbel, coincided a world, and only by the loving way Christine could be reconciled with the Hebbel often described as rugged; so Christine and Elise were soon good friends. They even gave her her illegitimate, not originating from Hebbel 's son Carl to education to Hamburg. Elise wrote in 1853 Hebbel:

"I am satisfied with my situation and realize that it had to happen, you should be happy and not go "

On November 18, 1854 Elise died at the age of 50 years in Hamburg.

Hebbel was always engaged socially and politically. He welcomed the March revolution, but took a generally loyal attitude to the form of government of the monarchy. In 1849 he ran unsuccessfully for the Frankfurt National Assembly, although he faced radical democratic demands always skeptical.

In his works he often portrays tragic, fateful concatenation of events and makes the social problems of his time on the subject. With sharp words he turned against the seal of his contemporaries, Adalbert Stifter, he felt as empty idyll. Controversies rarely went the Hebbel regarded as short-tempered from the road. When he often criticized Heinrich Laube director of the Burgtheater in Vienna was, his wife Christine had to suffer; they got, if at all, only small roles. Also the Austrian theater greats such as Franz Grillparzer found Hebbel no access. However, he learned in Vienna, despite riots to know some personalities such as, among others, Prince Friedrich von Schwarzenberg, who represented a truly significant person in Hebbel. Hebbel was often like with him.

As a journalist he wrote, among other things, for the Wiener Zeitung, the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper and the Illustrated Newspaper from Leipzig.

As 1854 Elise Lensing, died Hebbel was decorating her grave with the following words:

After the death of his wife Christine Hebbel wrote regular letters in which he told his activities. This one-page letter Contact Hebbel led to the end of 1862. On November 7, 1863 Hebbel got the Schiller Prize. In recent years, he increasingly suffered from rheumatism, probably a late consequence of the deprivation of years before he moved to Vienna. However, after settling in Vienna he traveled to other countries. Friedrich Hebbel died on 13 December 1863 in Vienna at the age of 50 years. He is buried at the Protestant Cemetery Matzleinsdorf in Vienna on the side of his wife ( Gr. 19, tomb 38).

Reception

In Wesselburen is the Hebbel - house, from 1911 to 1952 housed the Hebbel Museum before it was converted into another house in the city. Before that, there is a bust Hebbel from 1913 by Nicolaus Bachmann. In 1869 ( 10th district ) was named the Hebbel street after him in Vienna Favorites, 2005 Christine Enghaus - way in Penzing ( 14th District ) for his wife. Next there is the summer home of Gmunden, a memorial plaque for Hebbel.

Works (selection)

• Judith, 1840
• Genoveva, 1841 (see also Genevieve de Brabant)
• Matteo, 1841
• The diamond, 1841
• My word about the drama, 1843
• Poems and epigrams, 1845
• Mary Magdalene, 1844 ( digitized and full text in German Text Archive )
• Anna, 1847
• Tragedy in Sicily, 1847
• Julia and Peter King, 1847
• The master tailor Nepomuk sticks on the joy of hunting, 1847
• Mr. Haidvogel and his family, 1848
• Snug, 1848
• Herod and Mariamne, 1848
• The Moloch, 1849-1850
• The Cow, 1849
• The ruby ​​, 1851
• Agnes Bernauer, 1851
• Recordings from my life, 1854
• Gyges and his ring, 1854
• Mother and Child ( Epic ) 1857
• Ring of the Nibelungs 1861
• Demetrius, unfinished Drama
• Requiem soul they do not forget ( undated see also Heinrich Ferdinand Thieriot, Max Reger Hebbel - Requiem)
• True love
• Diaries
• The heathen boy
• The holy wine
• The child at the fountain
• Night Song ( swelling Swelling night)
• Evening Mood ( Peaceful fight each night and day)
• Summer picture (I saw the summer last rose standing )
• Autumn ( This is a fall day, as I did not see any! )
• Prayer ( The you about the stars away)

Werkausgaben

• Complete Works. Historical- critical edition, worried by Richard Maria Werner. Behr, Berlin I. Abt: Works, 12 vols 1901-03; 2nd edition, New unchanged subscription edition 1904; 3rd Edition, secular edition, 15 vols, 1911-13, apparatus in three Separatbde. (Vol. 13-15) outsourced. Vol 1: Judith, Genoveva, The Diamond.
• Vol 2: Mary Magdalene, A tragedy in Sicily, Julia, Herod and Mariamne.
• Vol 3: The ruby ​​, Michel Angelo, Agnes Bernauer, Gyges and his ring, a stone's throw, cladding.
• Vol 4: Die Nibelungen.
• Vol 5: fragments plans ( Moloch, The Dithmar etc. )
• Vol 6: Demetrius; Poems (total edition of 1857, from the estate from 1857 to 1863 ).
• Vol 7: Poetry III ( Gleanings 1828-1859 ).
• Vol 8: novels and short stories; Mother and Child; Plans and materials from 1835 to 1863.
• Vol 9: Miscellaneous Writings I, 1830-1840: youth work, historical writings, travel impressions I.
• Vol 10: Miscellaneous Writings II, 1835-1841: Youth Works II, Travel Impressions II, Critical Works I, 1839-1841.
• Vol 11: Miscellaneous Writings III, 1843-1851: Critical Work II
• Vol 12: Miscellaneous Writings IV, 1852-1863: Critical Work III.

• Works. Edited by Gerhard Fricke, Werner Keller and Karl Pörnbacher. Carl Hanser, Munich. Vol 1: Dramas I. 1963.
• Vol 2: Dramas II in 1964.
• Vol 3: poems, stories, scriptures. In 1965.
• Vol 4: Diaries I. 1966.
• Vol 5: Diaries II, letters. In 1967.