Gustav Heinse
Encyclopedia
Gustav Heinse born Josef K. Klein (1896–1971), was an Austro–Hungarian-born poet and translator who was mostly active in Bulgaria
, where he lived and worked from 1924 until his death.
's Kingdom of Dalmatia
(today Herceg Novi
in the Bay of Kotor
, on the Adriatic
coast of Montenegro
). Heinse's father was an officer in the Austro–Hungarian Army of Bohemian German extraction, while his mother was an Italian. His father's career as an officer meant that Heinse as a first-born son was destined to a military education. He studied at the military schools in Sankt Pölten
, Straß and Mährisch Weißkirchen (today Hranice in Přerov District) and graduated from the Theresian Military Academy
in Wiener Neustadt
.
As a newly-promoted officer, in 1916 the 20-year-old Heinse was dispatched to the Italian Front
of World War I
. He served as part of the 43rd Infantry Regiment and fought at the Isonzo
, taking part in the battle of Doberdò
, San Martino del Carso and Monte San Michele. The horrors of war shaped Heinse as a pacifist
, and it was at the time (1916–1917) that he published his first poems. He would send his poetic works, complemented by articles, to newspapers in the Banat
that would publish them. Major influences on the developing writer were Hermann Hesse
, Rabindranath Tagore
, Romain Roland and later Rainer Maria Rilke
, whom he also met in person. Heinse's earliest works authored during World War I were later republished by the independent Viennese
literary magazine Das Tage-Buch. Years later, in 1937, he would publish these in Sofia
in a book of poetry titled Der brennende Berg (“The Burning Mountain”).
In 1924, Gustav Heinse arrived in Sofia, the capital of the Kingdom of Bulgaria
, as a factory engineer for German
company Siemens & Halske
's Vienna branch. Heinse married and settled down in Bulgaria. The 1930s and 1940s were Heinse's most productive period as a poetry writer. They saw the release of the books Der brennende Berg (1937), an autobiographical account of Heinse's experiences on the Italian Front in his youth, and Der Garten ("The Garden", 1932), a collection of lyrical and love poetry.
He continued his interest in poetry, though he also assumed a new role as a translator of eminent Bulgarian writers and poets from Bulgarian to German
. His anthology
Bulgarische Gesänge ("Bulgarian Melodies"), issued in 1938, features German translations of poems by Hristo Botev
, Pencho Slaveykov
, Peyo Yavorov, Teodor Trayanov, Nikolay Liliev, Elisaveta Bagryana and Nikola Furnadzhiev. In 2006, the enlarged anthology was republished by Veliko Tarnovo
publisher PIC; it includes German translations of Bulgarian poetry ranging from 19th-century Bulgarian National Revival
champions Lyuben Karavelov
and Ivan Vazov
to modern authors Leda Mileva and Valeri Petrov
.
While Heinse would continue to translate Bulgarian lyric poetry until the end of his life, he also worked on translations of prose works (e.g. tales by Yordan Yovkov
and Angel Karaliychev). Some of his translations were published in German magazines like Westermanns Monatshefte, Die Literatur and Der Türmer or by the German-language Bulgarian press like Der Bulgarienwart, Bulgarische Wochenschau and Sofioter Nachrichten. In 1957, East Berlin
-based publisher Volk und Welt released Heinse's translation of Dimitar Dimov
's influential novel Tyutyun ("Tobacco"), signed by Heinse under his real name, Josef Klein. Heinse died in Sofia in 1971.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, where he lived and worked from 1924 until his death.
Biography and work
Heinse was born in 1896 in Castelnuovo in the Habsburg MonarchyHabsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
's Kingdom of Dalmatia
Kingdom of Dalmatia
The Kingdom of Dalmatia was an administrative division of the Habsburg Monarchy from 1815 to 1918. Its capital was Zadar.-History:...
(today Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 inhabitants...
in the Bay of Kotor
Bay of Kotor
The Bay of Kotor in south-western Montenegro is a winding bay on the Adriatic Sea. The bay, sometimes called Europe's southernmost fjord, is in fact a submerged river canyon of the disintegrated Bokelj River which used to run from the high mountain plateaus of Mount Orjen...
, on the Adriatic
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
coast of Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
). Heinse's father was an officer in the Austro–Hungarian Army of Bohemian German extraction, while his mother was an Italian. His father's career as an officer meant that Heinse as a first-born son was destined to a military education. He studied at the military schools in Sankt Pölten
Sankt Pölten
Sankt Pölten is the capital city of the State of Lower Austria in northeast Austria. With inhabitants , it is Lower Austria's largest city...
, Straß and Mährisch Weißkirchen (today Hranice in Přerov District) and graduated from the Theresian Military Academy
Theresian Military Academy
The Theresian Military Academy is an academy, where the Austrian Armed Forces train their officers. The Academy is located in the castle of Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria.- History :...
in Wiener Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt
-Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to...
.
As a newly-promoted officer, in 1916 the 20-year-old Heinse was dispatched to the Italian Front
Italian Campaign (World War I)
The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy between 1915 and 1918. Italy hoped that by joining the countries of the Triple Entente against the Central Powers it would gain Cisalpine Tyrol , the...
of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He served as part of the 43rd Infantry Regiment and fought at the Isonzo
Battles of the Isonzo
The Battles of the Isonzo were a series of 12 battles between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies in World War I. They were fought along the Soča River on the eastern sector of the Italian Front between June 1915 and November 1917...
, taking part in the battle of Doberdò
Battle of Doberdò
The Battle of Doberdò was one of the bloodiest battlefields of World War I, fought in August 1916 between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian Army, composed mostly of Hungarian and Slovenian regiments....
, San Martino del Carso and Monte San Michele. The horrors of war shaped Heinse as a pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
, and it was at the time (1916–1917) that he published his first poems. He would send his poetic works, complemented by articles, to newspapers in the Banat
Banat
The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
that would publish them. Major influences on the developing writer were Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature...
, Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
, Romain Roland and later Rainer Maria Rilke
Rainer Maria Rilke
René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke , better known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was a Bohemian–Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language...
, whom he also met in person. Heinse's earliest works authored during World War I were later republished by the independent Viennese
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...
literary magazine Das Tage-Buch. Years later, in 1937, he would publish these in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
in a book of poetry titled Der brennende Berg (“The Burning Mountain”).
In 1924, Gustav Heinse arrived in Sofia, the capital of the Kingdom of Bulgaria
Kingdom of Bulgaria
The Kingdom of Bulgaria was established as an independent state when the Principality of Bulgaria, an Ottoman vassal, officially proclaimed itself independent on October 5, 1908 . This move also formalised the annexation of the Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia, which had been under the control...
, as a factory engineer for German
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...
company Siemens & Halske
Siemens & Halske
Siemens & Halske AG was a German electrical engineering company that later became part of Siemens AG.It was founded on 12 October 1847 as Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske by Ernst Werner von Siemens and Johann Georg Halske...
's Vienna branch. Heinse married and settled down in Bulgaria. The 1930s and 1940s were Heinse's most productive period as a poetry writer. They saw the release of the books Der brennende Berg (1937), an autobiographical account of Heinse's experiences on the Italian Front in his youth, and Der Garten ("The Garden", 1932), a collection of lyrical and love poetry.
He continued his interest in poetry, though he also assumed a new role as a translator of eminent Bulgarian writers and poets from Bulgarian to German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. His anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
Bulgarische Gesänge ("Bulgarian Melodies"), issued in 1938, features German translations of poems by Hristo Botev
Hristo Botev
Hristo Botev , born Hristo Botyov Petkov , was a Bulgarian poet and national revolutionary. Botev is widely considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and national hero.-Early years:...
, Pencho Slaveykov
Pencho Slaveykov
Pencho Petkov Slaveykov was a noted Bulgarian poet and one of the participants in the Misal circle. He was the youngest son of the writer Petko Slaveykov....
, Peyo Yavorov, Teodor Trayanov, Nikolay Liliev, Elisaveta Bagryana and Nikola Furnadzhiev. In 2006, the enlarged anthology was republished by Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists...
publisher PIC; it includes German translations of Bulgarian poetry ranging from 19th-century Bulgarian National Revival
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival , sometimes called the Bulgarian Renaissance, was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian people under Ottoman rule...
champions Lyuben Karavelov
Lyuben Karavelov
Lyuben Stoychev Karavelov was a Bulgarian writer and an important figure of the Bulgarian National Revival....
and Ivan Vazov
Ivan Vazov
Ivan Minchov Vazov was a Bulgarian poet, novelist and playwright, often referred to as "the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature". He was born in Sopot, a town in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria ....
to modern authors Leda Mileva and Valeri Petrov
Valeri Petrov
Valeri Petrov , pseudonym of Valeri Nisim Mevorah is a popular Bulgarian poet, screenplay writer, playwright and translator of paternal Jewish origin....
.
While Heinse would continue to translate Bulgarian lyric poetry until the end of his life, he also worked on translations of prose works (e.g. tales by Yordan Yovkov
Yordan Yovkov
Yordan Yovkov was a Bulgarian writer, considered one of the best in the country during the period between the two world wars.-Biography:...
and Angel Karaliychev). Some of his translations were published in German magazines like Westermanns Monatshefte, Die Literatur and Der Türmer or by the German-language Bulgarian press like Der Bulgarienwart, Bulgarische Wochenschau and Sofioter Nachrichten. In 1957, East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
-based publisher Volk und Welt released Heinse's translation of Dimitar Dimov
Dimitar Dimov
Dimitar Todorov Dimov was a Bulgarian dramatist, novelist, and veterinary surgeon.Born in Lovech, he is best known for his best-selling novel Tobacco , which was made into the 1962 film Tobacco, directed by Nikola Korabov...
's influential novel Tyutyun ("Tobacco"), signed by Heinse under his real name, Josef Klein. Heinse died in Sofia in 1971.