Adolf Wilbrandt
Encyclopedia
Adolf Wilbrandt was a German
novelist and dramatist.
. His father was a professor at the university in Rostock. He received early education in his native town, and then entered the university and engaged in the study of law
. He soon abandoned law in favour of philology
and history
, and continued these studies in Berlin
and Munich
. After taking the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
, he joined the staff of the Süddeutsche Zeitung in Munich.
He travelled abroad for a time and in 1871 he settled in Vienna
, where, two years later, he married the actress, Auguste Baudius. In 1881, Wilbrandt was appointed director of the Hofburg theatre in succession to Franz Dingelstedt, an office he held until 1887. In this year he returned to his native town, and remained actively engaged in literary production.
Wilbrandt is distinguished both as a dramatist and novelist. His merits were acknowledged by the award of the Grillparzer prize on two occasions—in 1895 for the tragedy Gracchus
der Volkstribun, and in 1890 for his dramatic poem Der Meister von Palmyra
, while in 1878 he received the Schiller prize for his dramatic productions.
Among his novels the following deserve notice:
He also published translations of Sophocles
and Euripides
(1866), Gedichte (1894, 1889 and 1907), and a volume of Erinnerungen (1905).
See V. Klemperer, Adolf Wilbrandt. Eine Studie über seine Werke (1907), and A. Stern, Studien zur Literatur der Gegenwart (3rd ed., 1905).
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
novelist and dramatist.
History
Wilbrant was born in RostockRostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
. His father was a professor at the university in Rostock. He received early education in his native town, and then entered the university and engaged in the study of law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. He soon abandoned law in favour of philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, and continued these studies in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. After taking the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, he joined the staff of the Süddeutsche Zeitung in Munich.
He travelled abroad for a time and in 1871 he settled in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, where, two years later, he married the actress, Auguste Baudius. In 1881, Wilbrandt was appointed director of the Hofburg theatre in succession to Franz Dingelstedt, an office he held until 1887. In this year he returned to his native town, and remained actively engaged in literary production.
Wilbrandt is distinguished both as a dramatist and novelist. His merits were acknowledged by the award of the Grillparzer prize on two occasions—in 1895 for the tragedy Gracchus
Gracchi
The Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Gaius, were Roman Plebian nobiles who both served as tribunes in 2nd century BC. They attempted to pass land reform legislation that would redistribute the major patrician landholdings among the plebeians. For this legislation and their membership in the...
der Volkstribun, and in 1890 for his dramatic poem Der Meister von Palmyra
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
, while in 1878 he received the Schiller prize for his dramatic productions.
Works
Among his plays may be mentioned:- Tragedies
- Arria and Messalina (1874)
- Nero (1876)
- Kriemhild (1877)
- Comedies
- Unerreichbar (1870)
- Die Maler (1872)
- Jugendliebe (1873)
- Der Kampf ums Dasein (1874)
- Drama
- Die Tochter des Herrn Fabricius (1883).
Among his novels the following deserve notice:
- Fridolins heimliche Ehe (1875)
- Meister Amor (1880)
- Hermann Ifinger (1892)
- Der Dornenweg (1894)
- Die Osterinsel (1895)
- Die Rothenburger (1895)
- Hildegard Mahlmann (1897)
He also published translations of Sophocles
Sophocles
Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides...
and Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
(1866), Gedichte (1894, 1889 and 1907), and a volume of Erinnerungen (1905).
See V. Klemperer, Adolf Wilbrandt. Eine Studie über seine Werke (1907), and A. Stern, Studien zur Literatur der Gegenwart (3rd ed., 1905).
Literature
- Franz Horch: Das Burgtheater unter Laube und Wilbrandt. Wien: Österreichischer Bundesverlag 1925.
- Karl Jacobs: Die Dramendichtung Adolf Wilbrandts in zeitgeschichtlicher und -kritischer Darstellung. Köln: Univ. Diss. 1929.
- Victor KlempererVictor KlempererVictor Klemperer was a businessman, journalist and eventually a Professor of Literature, specialising in the French Enlightenment at the Technische Universität Dresden. His diaries detailing his life under successive German states—the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany and the German...
: Adolf Wilbrandt. Eine Studie über seine Werke. Stuttgart u.a. 1907. - Eduard Scharrer-Santen: Adolf Wilbrandt als Dramatiker, München: Sachs u.a. 1912.
- Robert Wilbrandt: Mein Vater Adolf Wilbrandt. Berlin u.a.: Österreichischer Wirtschaftsverlag 1937.