Kurt Held
Encyclopedia
Kurt Kläber was a Jewish Communist and writer displaced from Germany
during the Second World War
. He has also been published under the pseudonym Kurt Held. He married writer Lisa Tetzner
.
bewegung and traveled through many countries of Europe. World War I broke out and put an end to his travels.
In 1914 he joined the German Army and fought in World War I, where he was wounded and contracted typhoid fever.
(KPD) and the Spartakusbund. He participated in armed uprisings in Halle, Hamburg
and Berlin
as well as in the strike against the Kapp-Putsch.
He earned his living as a traveling book salesmen for the Thüringen Ministry of Culture, specializing in political literature: social critical lyrics, as well as novels depicting the hardships of the working class. He published his first volume of workers poetry “Neue Saat” (new seed) in 1919.
In 1923 he traveled to the USA and spent a year touring, giving lectures and studying the situation of workers in the USA. His experiences in the USA became his first novel written in 1923, which wasn't published until 1927 “Passagiere der III. Klasse” (Third Class Passengers).
Back in Germany in 1924 he married the writer and professional storyteller Lisa Tetzner
. Together they traveled promoting communist literature. In addition to writing, giving lectures and editing magazines and books Kläber also worked in mines near Köln, as well as other jobs to aid his understanding of the working class laborers. He joined the Bund proletarisch-revolutionäre Schriftsteller (the Association of Proletarian-Revolutionary Authors) and was one of the publishers of the journal regularly sent to their members, Linkskurve. Kläber gained a reputation as a leading authority on Communist literature.
As a known opponent of Nationalsocialism, he was arrested the day after the Reichstag Fire and incarcerated. With the help of his wife, he was soon released from prison and sent into exile over Austria to in Carona in Tessin in neutral Switzerland.
In 1938 he left the KPD as a reaction to Stalinism
.
His greatest success “The Outsiders of Oskoken Castle
” was soon followed by similar books about working class children: “Der Trommler von Faido” (The Drummer of Faido), “Matthias und seine Freunde” (Matthias and his Friends) and the four volume series “Giuseppe und Maria”.
http://www.mdr.de/geschichte-mitteldeutschlands/reise/personen/132251.html
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...
during the Second World War
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...
. He has also been published under the pseudonym Kurt Held. He married writer Lisa Tetzner
Lisa Tetzner
Lisa Tetzner was a German-born Swiss children's writer known for her work with fairy-tales. In 1924 she married Kurt Held. She later fled from Germany due to Nazism and in 1948 became a Swiss citizen. One of her best known works is The Children From No. 67 series written as a collaboration with...
.
Early life
Kläber left school at the age of 14 and began training as a locksmith and later trained to be a mechanic at Zeiss. He joined the WandervogelWandervogel
Wandervogel is the name adopted by a popular movement of German youth groups from 1896 onward. The name can be translated as rambling, hiking or wandering bird and the ethos is to shake off the restrictions of society and get back to nature and freedom...
bewegung and traveled through many countries of Europe. World War I broke out and put an end to his travels.
In 1914 he joined the German Army and fought in World War I, where he was wounded and contracted typhoid fever.
Politics
Upon returning from the war he joined the Communist Party of GermanyCommunist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
(KPD) and the Spartakusbund. He participated in armed uprisings in Halle, Hamburg
Hamburg Uprising
The Hamburg Uprising was an insurrection during the Weimar Republic in Germany. It was begun on October 23, 1923 by the one of the most militant sections of the Hamburg district Communist Party , the KP Wasserkante. From a military point of view, the attempt was futile and it was over within 24...
and 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...
as well as in the strike against the Kapp-Putsch.
He earned his living as a traveling book salesmen for the Thüringen Ministry of Culture, specializing in political literature: social critical lyrics, as well as novels depicting the hardships of the working class. He published his first volume of workers poetry “Neue Saat” (new seed) in 1919.
In 1923 he traveled to the USA and spent a year touring, giving lectures and studying the situation of workers in the USA. His experiences in the USA became his first novel written in 1923, which wasn't published until 1927 “Passagiere der III. Klasse” (Third Class Passengers).
Back in Germany in 1924 he married the writer and professional storyteller Lisa Tetzner
Lisa Tetzner
Lisa Tetzner was a German-born Swiss children's writer known for her work with fairy-tales. In 1924 she married Kurt Held. She later fled from Germany due to Nazism and in 1948 became a Swiss citizen. One of her best known works is The Children From No. 67 series written as a collaboration with...
. Together they traveled promoting communist literature. In addition to writing, giving lectures and editing magazines and books Kläber also worked in mines near Köln, as well as other jobs to aid his understanding of the working class laborers. He joined the Bund proletarisch-revolutionäre Schriftsteller (the Association of Proletarian-Revolutionary Authors) and was one of the publishers of the journal regularly sent to their members, Linkskurve. Kläber gained a reputation as a leading authority on Communist literature.
As a known opponent of Nationalsocialism, he was arrested the day after the Reichstag Fire and incarcerated. With the help of his wife, he was soon released from prison and sent into exile over Austria to in Carona in Tessin in neutral Switzerland.
In 1938 he left the KPD as a reaction to Stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
.
Literary career
With the encouragement of his wife, Lisa, Kläber devoted himself to writing. The conditions of his exile prohibited him from publishing under his own name, so he adopted the pseudonym Kurt Held. He saw children as the true victims of war, class struggle and injustice. His books portrayed children realistically and conveyed messages of morality.His greatest success “The Outsiders of Oskoken Castle
The Outsiders of Oskoken Castle
The Outsiders of Uskoken Castle is a children's novel written by Kurt Kläber. The original German "Rote Zora und ihre Bande" was published under the pseudonym Kurt Held in 1941.The English translation was published in 1967 by Doubleday The Outsiders of Uskoken Castle is a children's novel written...
” was soon followed by similar books about working class children: “Der Trommler von Faido” (The Drummer of Faido), “Matthias und seine Freunde” (Matthias and his Friends) and the four volume series “Giuseppe und Maria”.
Death
He died in exile on December 9, 1959 in Sorango, Switzerland from the consequences of the typhoid fever he contracted in World War I.Books
- Neue Saat poetry Jena: Volksbuchhandlung, 1919
- Empörer! Empor! Stories, Sketches and Travel Reports. Berlin: Verlag Der Syndikalist, 1925
- Revolutionäre. Erzählungen aus den Kämpfen des Proletariats 1918-1925: Leipzig: Roter-Türmer-Verlag, 1925
- Barrikaden an der Ruhr novel 1925
- Passagiere der 3.Klasse novel Berlin: Internationaler Arbeiter-Verlag, 1927
- Die Toten von Pabjanice narrations Moskau: Verlagsgenossenschaft ausländ. Arbeiter in der UdSSR, 1936
- Die rote Zora und ihre Bande (The Outsiders of Oskoken CastleThe Outsiders of Oskoken CastleThe Outsiders of Uskoken Castle is a children's novel written by Kurt Kläber. The original German "Rote Zora und ihre Bande" was published under the pseudonym Kurt Held in 1941.The English translation was published in 1967 by Doubleday The Outsiders of Uskoken Castle is a children's novel written...
) Aarau: Sauerländer, 1941 - Der Trommler von Faido Historical tales of Levantina. 2 Bde. Aarau: Sauerländer, 1947 / 1949
- Matthias und seine Freunde Aarau. Sauerländer, 1950
- Spuk in Neuhausen Berlin: Weiss, 1951
- Alles für zwanzig Rappen The experiences of a small rebel Aarau: Sauerländer, 1951
- Giuseppe und Maria 4 volumes Aarau: Sauerländer, 1955-56 (A Journey to Neapel, of smugglers, mercenaries and soldiers, the children's city, the process)
- Mein Bruder Georg Gütersloh: Rufer-Verlag, 1955
Sources
http://www.buchstart.ch/de/autoren/Held_Kurt/214.htmlhttp://www.mdr.de/geschichte-mitteldeutschlands/reise/personen/132251.html