The Rudolf Steiner Archive

The comedy of manners “Ledige Leute” (Single People), which has been a great success in Vienna, is to be performed in Berlin by the Dramatische Gesellschaft. A public performance cannot take place because it has been forbidden by the police. Felix Dörmann is a Viennese poet with great talent. Years ago, he became known for his collections of poems. He is the poet of a glowing sensuality and wild passion. He has a particular penchant for the morbid and the weak. He is captivated by an unhealthy-looking face; a healthy complexion and full cheeks are anathema to him. He likes to sing the praises of dark circles under the eyes.

On the essay “A Tragic Success”, from the English ¹ translated by A. Berg]

I am reproducing this essay from No. 2 [1897] of the monthly magazine “Literature”, which was newly founded by the “Times”, mainly because it shows how different the English way of expressing oneself on questions such as those dealt with above is from the German. Many of the sentences in the essay would never be written by a German writer.

• 1. Subject: George du Maurier “The Martian”.

The literary calendar for 1898 by Joseph Kürschner has recently been published. The incomparable care with which Kürschner works on such works has long been so well known that I can spare myself the task of praising it again this time. No less well known is the indispensability of this handbook for anyone who has to maintain a connection with the world of writers. But it is remarkable that Kürschner has to complain every year about how little writers remember this indispensability at the right moment. “The writing man” - says Kürschner in the preface - “seems to have a preference for treating his address lightly, to his own detriment! Writing is also subject to the same rules of communication, and the same man who protects his clothes from moth damage before going on a journey does nothing to ensure that his mail is received in his absence. If he is constantly in arrears, he is even less likely to think about staying in touch and sinks irretrievably into the quagmire of unreliable contacts for editors and calendar publishers. And then there is the - well, let's call it laziness in answering, in simply returning a form, the consequences of which usually have to be suffered by the innocent. There is a gentleman from Leipzig, the owner of two rubber stamps with addresses on them, who is therefore practically predestined to take care of his formalities, who has gradually fallen into the drain (i.e. is no longer in the literary calendar), because his existence could no longer be proven to me. Now, at last, he reports to my “highborn” using the aforementioned rubber stamps, expressing his particular “astonishment at having fallen under the table. He is neither ‘proud’ nor ‘conceited, to be ’stingy” after being included, but believes he “can claim a right” that “others are undeservedly granted”. The veil of modesty in which the offended innocence had been wrapped up until then now becomes a toga, in whose folds war and peace rest. In a tone that not only I, but also the rules of Alberti's feud, the renegade concludes his epistle: “Of course I will not find myself obliged to work for a cause that - as I must believe - fights with superficiality or partiality.”» There can truly be no question of superficiality here. The literary legal relationships, the literary associations and foundations, and everything that one would like to know about these things are listed with admirable thoroughness. The “literary chronicle” of the past year is carefully treated, and the names, titles, works and addresses, as well as the age of the writers, are recorded in a way that cannot be praised enough in this literary address book. And no authority could proceed more impartially when it comes to compiling an address book. The directory of publishers, magazines and newspapers, German theaters and their boards, agencies, etc. is also useful. In short, Kürschner does what he can. One can only hope that his justified complaints about the lack of support from his colleagues in the field will become less frequent from year to year.

On June 30 [1898], Professor Dr. Leo, who had rendered outstanding services to Shakespeare research, died. He was one of the co-founders of the German Shakespeare Society and for many years the editor of the Shakespeare Yearbook. Every year on April 23, a small group of German Shakespeare scholars gathered in the popular city of Weimar. Leo's character was always there to be seen. He was one of the pillars of this society.

Died on July 14, 1898

The Austrian writer Victor Wodiczka died in Graz on July 14. In him, we have lost a person who was likeable in every respect. He first became known to a wider public through his story “Der schwarze Junker” (The Black Junker). Of his later works, I would like to mention the appealing book “Aus Herrn Walthers jungen Tagen” (From Mr. Walther's Young Days). A fine and thoughtful artist can be recognized in his works. I met Wodiczka years ago and spent many an inspiring hour with him. Then life took us in different directions. For a long time, I only heard about him what everyone else heard: his interesting works of art. Suddenly, the newspapers report briefly that the man from whom I had expected so much has died at the age of [forty-seven]. I would like to express here, at this point, the painful feeling that has overcome me at the news of the passing of the man I so admired.

I

Dear reader, I cannot find the words to describe to you the impression that the poems that came to me today have made on me. Listen to the poet himself:

Year after year...
In the park
I tease the young girls,
who no longer blush, no longer smile.
Don't make a bad face!
They just keep quiet, look past me.

Cross their arms.
The distant sound of
chattering happiness.

Here,
where my sweetheart fell into my arms,
loud

Love sobbed
the red mouth of a flower is silent,
it was quiet around me.
My mother's coffin collapses under the earth!

And if you still haven't had enough, dear reader, I'll give you a second sample:

This morning I sang three love songs
over the melting snow
into the soft air.

At noon I was so hungry;
my dreams almost fell into my peas.
I stuffed.

Now the moon is shining.

From my heart
three hundred cats are screaming.

But now I won't bring you another sample. I love you too much, dear reader. But I had to tell you about the latest volume of poetry, “Neues Leben” by Georg Stolzenberg, which has just been published in Berlin by Johann Sassenbach. If you think it is intended to compete with the “Kladderadatsch”, which contains many a cheerful stylistic experiment in its “Correspondence of the Editorial Office”, you are mistaken. It is really and truly serious “modern poetry”, and the booklet is dedicated to no less a person than Mr. Stolzenberg's “friend” Arno Holz.

Mr. Georg Stolzenberg has truly discovered the new lyricism with his singing. On May 7, 1898, he announced this in the “Zukunft”, which is so suitable for “self-advertisements”. He says that he has been searching for many years to be able to put his feelings into the appropriate form. “Then I read some of the newest poems by Arno Holz. As soon as I grasped their essence, it was clear to me what had held back the development of a truly contemporary art of verse for so long: the thick tangle of words that even those of our poets who have long since been beyond criticism had to stuff by the cartload into their verse buildings so that there were no too large cracks, the compulsion to twist the reluctant thread of thought through the rhyme ear each time, the necessity to constantly make the word dance. With the technique created by Arno Holz, in which, as he himself puts it, ultimate simplicity is the highest law and [possible] naturalness seems to be the most intense form of art, lyric poetry is beginning anew, as it were.” And now enough. Stolzenberg's prose is worthy of his ‘poetry.’

II

Poetry is now blossoming in new ways. The editors of this journal have not yet reformed their tastes enough to be able to pass judgment on this latest artistic direction. Therefore, without passing judgment, they present readers with a few samples of these latest achievements. However, it should be noted that these lyrical creations are meant to be taken seriously by their creators.

The master, Arno Holz, leads the way. In his latest collection, “Phantasus” (Berlin, Sassenbach. Second issue 1899) contains:

I ride my winged steed
I whip my winged steed.
through!

Beyond shattered planetary systems, beyond glaciated
primeval suns, behind deserts of night and nothingness
shimmering new worlds grow - trillions of crocus flowers!

Now the students: Georg Stolzenberg, “Neues Leben” (Second Issue. Berlin 1899):

Spring wind
touches the skirts.
All the girls are beautiful.
They buy little bunches of violets
and laugh for no reason.
I
twirl my beautifully curled
Maikaterbart! [ruffled]

*

Robert Hess writes in his “Fables” (Berlin 1899):

The evening sky is shining metallic.
Under dark branches
a shepherd is blowing.
The goats are still gambolling.
mosquitoes dance.
A sheep looks at the setting sun.
Yuck!

Rolf Wolfgang Martens “Befreite Flügel” (Berlin 1899) contains:

In water boots,
with rolled-up sleeves,
he roams the primeval forests.
His gaze
measures the giant trees.
On the summit of Gaurisankar
he proudly builds himself a castle.
There he carouses with Ramses, Timur and Alexander the Great. I approach
I approach him and show him a colorful, shimmering
Indignant [meadow flowers]
he throws me down the stairs!

The stormy national struggles within Austria have meant that today, more than even a short time ago, the complicated cultural conditions of this state are also being examined outside its borders. However, the ideas that have been formed by the increased attention paid to the thoughts and feelings of the Austrian peoples are still very deficient. A large part of the German Reich knows nothing about these thoughts and feelings. I would like to point out one thing. The struggle that the Germans are waging for their nationality has produced a German national battle poetry that is hardly ever spoken of outside of Austria. The poetic fighters of the present include: Aurelius Polzer - who publishes his poems under the pseudonym Erich Fels -, Adolf Harpf - under the name Adolf Hagen -, Keim, Naaff and many others. The artistic value of the poems created in this area is, however, not very high. Nevertheless, the whole movement deserves attention. For it sings of how a large and important part of the Austrian Germans think and feel. There is a lot of character, strength and heart in the songs of these German poets of Austria. We would like to draw your attention to a work by one of these poets. Adolf Hagen has just published a booklet entitled “Über deutschvolkliches Sagen und Singen” (Leipzig 1898). He describes the nature of the German national soul from the point of view of the German-nationalist Austrian. The booklet is a good way to learn many things about Austria that are difficult to find out about in Germany in any other way.

The memorial service for Theodor Fontane, which was organized by the Berlin association “Freie Bühne” on October 16 [1898], included an interesting commemorative speech by Otto Brahms, director of the Deutsches Theater. Brahm was one of the first to put his critical talent at the service of the new literary movements that were emerging in Germany in the 1880s, and Theodor Fontane, although he was already one of the “old guard” at the time, warmly welcomed the “young” and showed them an understanding as if he had become young again with them. The critic Brahm had personal connections with Theodor Fontane, and in his speech he was able to share memories and passages from letters that shed a beautiful light on the poet's personality. After the establishment of the “Freie Bühne”, Fontane immediately pointed out Gerhart Hauptmann as the artist of the future and followed every further step of the same with heartfelt interest. He expressed this interest in his letters in a way that testifies to the high artistic sense as well as the fine humor of the poet. Fontane found significant and also witty words for what Sudermann, Georg Hirschfeld and other younger poets have achieved. Otto Brahm shed light on the relationship between the “Poet of the Mark” and the “Nordic liberator” Henrik Ibsen in a somewhat dry but nonetheless subtle manner. He showed how close the two poets were to each other in their understanding of human relationships and mental processes, and how they touched on social criticism in their works. Otto Brahm has excellently brought out the artistic and human physiognomy of Fontane. He counts the poet among the naturalists because he never believed in a legislative aesthetic in his whole life, but left himself to the free rule of his nature. Nobody can be more convinced than Fontane was that the ethical and artistic standards of people are constantly changing. He never asked how a work of art related to general rules, but always based his judgment on the individual impression it made on him. Even when the “young” behaved somewhat boisterously, Fontane did not confront them with the aesthetic rules in a blustering manner, as other “old” people did. He understood them even in their excesses, for he knew that many futile attempts must be made if something fruitful and future-proof is to develop in the end. For him, even the rejection of the younger generation by his contemporaries was incomprehensible. He could not really understand why the old trees did not want to tolerate the young offspring that had grown from the seeds they themselves had ripened.

On Sunday, October 23 [1898], the Berlin “Freie litterarische Gesellschaft” organized a Fontane celebration. It was introduced by an obituary written by Julius Rodenberg and spoken by Josef Kainz. Max Lorenz then characterized Fontane's artistic individuality and significance in a subtle and detailed way. This was followed by the recitation of Fontane's poetry by the great recitation artist Josef Kainz and the Löwe composition “Douglas”, which A. van Eweyk sang in an effective way.

On October 20 [1898], the Dessau Artists' Association organized a memorial service for Konrad Telmann, at which the widow of the popular storyteller, Mrs. Hermione von Preuschen, was present as guest of honor. Stanislaus Art'! and Ferdinand Neubürger explained the importance of the poet and writer in their memorial speeches.