Franz Josef Degenhardt
Encyclopedia
Franz-Josef Degenhardt was a German
poet
, satirist, novelist, and – first and foremost – a folksinger
/songwriter
(Liedermacher) with decidedly left-wing politics. He was also a lawyer
, bearing the academic degree of Doctor of Law.
Degenhardt was born in Schwelm
, Westphalia
. After studying law from 1952 to 1956 in Cologne
and Freiburg, he passed the first German state bar examination
in 1956 and the second in 1960. From 1961 he worked for the Institute for European Law of the University at Saarbrücken
, where he obtained his doctorate in 1966. Degenhardt joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany
(SPD) in 1961, but was forced out in 1971 because of his support for the German Communist Party
(DKP), which he joined in 1978.
From the early 1960s onward, in addition to practicing law, Degenhardt was also performing and releasing recordings. He is perhaps most famous for his song (and the album of the same name) Spiel nicht mit den Schmuddelkindern ("Don't Play With the Grubby Children," 1965), but has released close to 50 albums, starting with Zwischen Null Uhr Null und Mitternacht ("Between 00:00 and Midnight," 1963), renamed Rumpelstilzchen ("Rumpelstiltskin"); his most recent albums Krieg gegen den Krieg ("War against the War") and Dämmerung ("twilight") came out in 2003 and 2006. In 1968 Degenhardt was involved in trials of members of the German student movement
, principally defending social democrats and communists. At the same time, he was – in his capacity as a singer-songwriter – one of the major voices of the 1968 student movement. On his 1977 album Wildledermantelmann he criticized many of his former comrades from that era for what he saw as their betrayal of socialist ideals and shift towards a social-liberal orientation. The album's title (roughly, "man with velour coat") mocks the style of clothing
they had supposedly adopted.
Notably, the songs on Degenhardt's 1986 album Junge Paare Auf Den Bänken ("Young Couples on the Benches"), along with the song Vorsicht Gorilla ("Beware of Gorilla") on the 1985 album of the same name, are his translations into German of chansons by the French
singer-songwriter Georges Brassens
, spiritually perhaps one of his closest musical allies.
Degenhardt has also written several novels, most in a rather autobiographical vein, among others: "Zündschnüre" ("Slow Matches", 1972), "Brandstellen" ("Scenes of Fires", 1974), "Der Liedermacher" (1982) and "Für ewig und drei Tage" ("For Ever and Three Days", 1999).
He was a cousin of the Catholic
Archbishop of Paderborn, Johannes Joachim Degenhardt
, who died in 2002. He is also the brother-in-law of the American
-born illustrator Gertrude Degenhardt, who has designed many of his album covers for him.
Degenhardt lived, till his death in 2011, in Quickborn
, Kreis Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein.
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...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, satirist, novelist, and – first and foremost – a folksinger
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
/songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
(Liedermacher) with decidedly left-wing politics. He was also a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, bearing the academic degree of Doctor of Law.
Degenhardt was born in Schwelm
Schwelm
Schwelm is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis in the administrative region of Arnsberg within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.It's a town that's noted for the famed basketball player Virgil Matthews.-Geography:...
, Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
. After studying law from 1952 to 1956 in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and Freiburg, he passed the first German state bar examination
Bar examination
A bar examination is an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.-Brazil:...
in 1956 and the second in 1960. From 1961 he worked for the Institute for European Law of the University at Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
, where he obtained his doctorate in 1966. Degenhardt joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(SPD) in 1961, but was forced out in 1971 because of his support for the German Communist Party
German Communist Party
The German Communist Party is a Marxist-Leninist party in Germany.-History:The DKP was formed in West Germany in 1968, in order to fill the place of the Communist Party of Germany , which had been banned by the Federal Constitutional Court in 1956...
(DKP), which he joined in 1978.
From the early 1960s onward, in addition to practicing law, Degenhardt was also performing and releasing recordings. He is perhaps most famous for his song (and the album of the same name) Spiel nicht mit den Schmuddelkindern ("Don't Play With the Grubby Children," 1965), but has released close to 50 albums, starting with Zwischen Null Uhr Null und Mitternacht ("Between 00:00 and Midnight," 1963), renamed Rumpelstilzchen ("Rumpelstiltskin"); his most recent albums Krieg gegen den Krieg ("War against the War") and Dämmerung ("twilight") came out in 2003 and 2006. In 1968 Degenhardt was involved in trials of members of the German student movement
German student movement
The German student movement was a protest movement that took place during the late 1960s in West Germany. It was largely a reaction against the perceived authoritarianism and hypocrisy of the German government and other Western governments, and the poor living conditions of students...
, principally defending social democrats and communists. At the same time, he was – in his capacity as a singer-songwriter – one of the major voices of the 1968 student movement. On his 1977 album Wildledermantelmann he criticized many of his former comrades from that era for what he saw as their betrayal of socialist ideals and shift towards a social-liberal orientation. The album's title (roughly, "man with velour coat") mocks the style of clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
they had supposedly adopted.
Notably, the songs on Degenhardt's 1986 album Junge Paare Auf Den Bänken ("Young Couples on the Benches"), along with the song Vorsicht Gorilla ("Beware of Gorilla") on the 1985 album of the same name, are his translations into German of chansons by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
singer-songwriter Georges Brassens
Georges Brassens
Georges Brassens , 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981), was a French singer-songwriter and poet.Brassens was born in Sète, a town in southern France near Montpellier...
, spiritually perhaps one of his closest musical allies.
Degenhardt has also written several novels, most in a rather autobiographical vein, among others: "Zündschnüre" ("Slow Matches", 1972), "Brandstellen" ("Scenes of Fires", 1974), "Der Liedermacher" (1982) and "Für ewig und drei Tage" ("For Ever and Three Days", 1999).
He was a cousin of the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Archbishop of Paderborn, Johannes Joachim Degenhardt
Johannes Joachim Degenhardt
Johannes Joachim Degenhardt was the Archbishop of Paderborn, Germany, as well as a cardinal.-Life:...
, who died in 2002. He is also the brother-in-law of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born illustrator Gertrude Degenhardt, who has designed many of his album covers for him.
Degenhardt lived, till his death in 2011, in Quickborn
Quickborn
Quickborn is a town in the district of Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. 17 km east of Elmshorn, and 20 km north of Hamburg.-International relations:Quickborn is twinned with:* Boxholm, Sweden...
, Kreis Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein.
Further information
- Official site of Franz-Josef Degenhardt (in German, with discography and most song lyrics): http://www.franz-josef-degenhardt.de/
- Biography (in German): http://www.bards.de/deutsch/degenhardt.htm
- CDs available from: http://www.contraermusik.de/index.htm
- Home page of his elder son Jan DegenhardtJan DegenhardtJan Degenhardt is a German Lawyer and folk-singer. His father is the political poetry and singer Franz Josef Degenhardt.-Life and career:...
, also a singer-songwriter: http://www.j-degenhardt.de/ - Home page of his younger son Kai Degenhardt, also a singer-songwriter: http://www.kai-degenhardt.de