Ulli Beier
Ulli Beier (pseudonym: Obotunde Ijimere; native: Horst Ulrich Beier, born July 30, 1922 in Glowitz, county Stolp, Pomerania Province; † April 3, 2011 in Sydney, Australia ) was a German writer, linguist and editor. He was known for his pioneering work in finding and development of literature, poetry and drama, both first in Nigeria and later in Papua New Guinea.
Life
After the seizure of power in 1933, wandered the doctor's family, whose members were not practicing Jews, to Palestine. At the beginning of World War II, the family was interned as " enemy aliens " for a short time. Ulli Beier then began a correspondence course at the University of London, graduating with a BA. He then worked for three years as a teacher for disabled children in England. Later he studied in London in the specialist phonetics. He received a professorship at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria to teach phonetics there. He went along with his first wife Susanne Wenger to Nigeria. During this time learned Beier and his wife, the art and culture of the Yoruba know. By wandering in the land of Yoruba, for example according to Ede, Oshogbo Ilobu and give them the environment and the culture of the various Yoruba societies became aware.
After Beier had come back in 1956 by a conference of black writers in Paris to Ibadan, where he founded the magazine Black Orpheus that the principal forum for many Nigerian writers and authors was from 1957 and in the following years. Beier presented among others by his work as a translator, some African poets to an international audience, they made known and published, for example, in anthologies.
Susanne Wenger and Ulli Beier parted, and Beier married in 1965 originating from London-based artist Georgina Betts. As Georgina Beier, she organized the matrimonial residence in Oshogbo workshops and instructed young non-academic artists, among others in printing techniques. Because of this commitment, the so-called Oshogbo school of Nigerian artists emerged, including to their representatives Twins Seven Seven, Muraina Oyelami, Jacob Afolabi, Adebisi Fabunmi, Rufus Ogundele and Jimoh Buraimo belong. One of the few female artists, who are numbered among this circle belongs Nike Olaniyi Davies. The couple founded Beier in Oshogbo, a contemporary art gallery and a museum, today Ulli Beier Museum.
Ulli and Georgina Beier in 1968 left Nigeria and worked from then on in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Beier returned back to Nigeria in 1974 and worked as a Professor of Black Studies at the Obafemi Awolowo African University in Ilé - Ife. Susanne Wenger remained in Oshogbo, where he died 2009. 1981, the couple returned Beier returned to Germany. In the same year the Iwalewa house was inaugurated in Bayreuth, which serves to support the studies focus on Africa at the University of Bayreuth and non-European art and culture to a wider audience. Beier was ( with a break between 1985 and 1987 ) to 1997 director of the house.
For his understanding, his dedication and efforts to other cultures him numerous honors and awards were bestowed: Already in the 1960s, he was in Nigeria to " Bobagunwa " - " the right hand of the king " and the " Bobarotan " - the " Royal historian " appointed. In 1992 he received the title " Oba Masa " - " King of the tradition" and an honorary doctorate from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife in Germany was awarded to him in 1979 by the University of Mainz honorary doctorate The town of Bayreuth honored Ulli Beier in 1995 with the Cultural Award. . the city.
Pseudonym
Ulli Beier wrote several plays, which he published under the pseudonym Obotunde Ijimere. He equipped the figure Obotunde Ijimbere even with a fictitious resume and fooled so many people for a long time. But as early as 1972 was unveiled by Janheinz Jahn that behind Obotunde Ijimere ( trans. from the Yoruba, the name means: " The monkey Has returned the baboon " ) Ulli Beier hid.