Inge Müller
Encyclopedia
Inge Müller (March 13, 1925 – June 1, 1966) was an East German poet.
in 1925. During World War II
, she participated in the Reichsarbeitsdienst
in different towns in Styria until she would be sent to Berlin as a Luftwaffe
aide. Her parents died in an air strike. They lied buried together under rubble for three days with a dog. This was a traumatic experience which would accompany her the rest of her life.
In the post war era, she was a secretary, Trümmerfrau
, worker, journalist and correspondent. Her first marriage to Kurt Loose lasted only a short time but produced a son. Already by 1948, she married Herbert Schwenker who was the leader of the Friedrichstadtpalast
and later the Zirkus Busch. She became a member of the SED
and lived in Lehnitz, a district of the town of Oranienburg
, from 1954 until 1959 where she enjoyed a privileged and unburdened existence.
In autumn of 1953, she got to know Heiner Müller
at a function of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Junger Autoren. She soon afterwards moved into a shared apartment with him and they were married in 1955. The pair, who now earned their money as freelance writers, worked together on radio drama
and theater pieces
.
However, Inge Müller's dream of working together with Heiner as equals soon began to fade. She stood in the shadow of Heiner, who she earlier considered a coworker rather than as an equal partner. She began an affair with Heiner's 16 year–old brother Wolfgang Müller in 1956 which failed and the relations with her husband visibly worsened.
The awarding of the Heinrich Mann Prize
to the both of them in 1959 did nothing to change their relations. In addition, the expulsion of Heiner from the Schriftstellerverband der DDR added to these problems. Plagued by depressions and psychosomatic troubles caused her to try several times to take her life. She was finally successful after an attempt on June 1, 1966. Only 41 years old, the writer died in her apartment on Kissingenstraße 9 of poisonous gas. Futiley, the Aufbau Verlag endeavored shortly after her death to publish a volume with her poetry. Her works quickly passed into oblivion because a suicide
did not fit in the literary picture of East German politics and, also, Heiner reclaimed the sole authorship of the collaboration. The first posthumous publication of her works was carried out by Bernd Jentzsch in 1976 in his first seriesPoesiealbum, first appeared in 1985, 20 years after her death, a book, which made accessible Inge Müller's literary work of broad public nature, with Richard Pietraß' Wenn ich schon sterben muß.
Her final resting place is in Friedhof Pankow III, a cemetery
in Berlin.
She had remained above all a poet. Although nearly 300 lyrical works were created in her lifetime, only a few were published, mostly in the anthology
In diesem besseren Land.
Works published:
Life
Inge Müller was born in BerlinBerlin
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...
in 1925. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she participated in the Reichsarbeitsdienst
Reichsarbeitsdienst
The Reichsarbeitsdienst was an institution established by Nazi Germany as an agency to reduce unemployment, similar to the relief programs in other countries. During the Second World War it was an auxiliary formation which provided support for the Wehrmacht.The RAD was formed during July 1934 as...
in different towns in Styria until she would be sent to Berlin as a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
aide. Her parents died in an air strike. They lied buried together under rubble for three days with a dog. This was a traumatic experience which would accompany her the rest of her life.
In the post war era, she was a secretary, Trümmerfrau
Trümmerfrau
Trümmerfrau is the German-language name for women who, in the aftermath of World War II, helped clear and reconstruct the bombed cities of Germany and Austria...
, worker, journalist and correspondent. Her first marriage to Kurt Loose lasted only a short time but produced a son. Already by 1948, she married Herbert Schwenker who was the leader of the Friedrichstadtpalast
Friedrichstadt Palast
The Friedrichstadt-Palast is a revue in the Berlin district of Mitte . The term Friedrichstadt-Palast designates both the building itself, and the revue theater as a body with his ensemble...
and later the Zirkus Busch. She became a member of the SED
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic from its formation on 7 October 1949 until the elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist political party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology...
and lived in Lehnitz, a district of the town of Oranienburg
Oranienburg
Oranienburg is a town in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Oberhavel.- Geography :Oranienburg is a town located on the banks of the Havel river, 35 km north of the centre of Berlin.- Division of the town :...
, from 1954 until 1959 where she enjoyed a privileged and unburdened existence.
In autumn of 1953, she got to know Heiner Müller
Heiner Müller
Heiner Müller was a German dramatist, poet, writer, essayist and theatre director. Described as "the theatre's greatest living poet" since Samuel Beckett, Müller is arguably the most important German dramatist of the 20th century after Bertolt Brecht...
at a function of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Junger Autoren. She soon afterwards moved into a shared apartment with him and they were married in 1955. The pair, who now earned their money as freelance writers, worked together on radio drama
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
and theater pieces
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
.
However, Inge Müller's dream of working together with Heiner as equals soon began to fade. She stood in the shadow of Heiner, who she earlier considered a coworker rather than as an equal partner. She began an affair with Heiner's 16 year–old brother Wolfgang Müller in 1956 which failed and the relations with her husband visibly worsened.
The awarding of the Heinrich Mann Prize
Heinrich Mann Prize
The Heinrich Mann Prize is a literary award given annually by the Berlin Academy of Art . The prize given for works with socially critical aspects in a character that would honor Heinrich Mann...
to the both of them in 1959 did nothing to change their relations. In addition, the expulsion of Heiner from the Schriftstellerverband der DDR added to these problems. Plagued by depressions and psychosomatic troubles caused her to try several times to take her life. She was finally successful after an attempt on June 1, 1966. Only 41 years old, the writer died in her apartment on Kissingenstraße 9 of poisonous gas. Futiley, the Aufbau Verlag endeavored shortly after her death to publish a volume with her poetry. Her works quickly passed into oblivion because a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
did not fit in the literary picture of East German politics and, also, Heiner reclaimed the sole authorship of the collaboration. The first posthumous publication of her works was carried out by Bernd Jentzsch in 1976 in his first seriesPoesiealbum, first appeared in 1985, 20 years after her death, a book, which made accessible Inge Müller's literary work of broad public nature, with Richard Pietraß' Wenn ich schon sterben muß.
Her final resting place is in Friedhof Pankow III, a cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in Berlin.
Works
In her lifetime, Inge Müller published only a little among them the children's books Wölfchen Ungestüm (1955) and Zehn Jungen und ein Fischerdorf (1958), the emancipating and time relevant radio drama Die Weiberbrigade and the collaboration with Wiktor Rosows Auf dem Wege. Many stayed only fragments like the novel Ich Jona. With Heiner Müller, she created the dramas Der Lohndrücker (1956), Die Umsiedlerin (1956), Die Korrektur (1957), Klettwitzer Bericht (1958) and Unterwegs (1963).She had remained above all a poet. Although nearly 300 lyrical works were created in her lifetime, only a few were published, mostly in the 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...
In diesem besseren Land.
Literature
Biographies:- Ines Geipel: Verlag 2002
- Sonja Hilzinger: . Aufbau Verlag Berlin 2005
Works published:
- Richard Pietraß (Editor): . Aufbau Verlag Berlin 1985
- Sonja Hilzinger (Editor): . Aufbau Verlag Berlin 2002