Nico Helminger
Encyclopedia
Nico Helminger is a Luxembourg
author who has written poetry, novels, plays and libretti for operas. In 2008, he was awarded the Batty Weber Prize
for his literary work.
, he is the elder brother of the author Guy Helminger
. After graduating from high school in 1972, Helminger went on to study German, Romance linguistics
and drama in Luxembourg, Saarbrücken
, Vienna
and Berlin
. In 1980, he went to Paris
where he taught German and history at secondary school. From 1984, he became an independent writer working in Munich
, Heidelberg
, Paris und Luxemburg, finally settling in Esch-sur-Alzette
in 1999.
Helminger has written socially critical plays such as Miss Minett und de schantchen in which he brings out the psychological and social problems suffered in the industrial south-western area of Luxembourg. Other works like Kitsch, Läschten eens käe liewen, and Kurzgeschichten address domestic violence and loss of hope and purpose as symptoms of an inhuman, materialistic society. He ascribes these trends to the repression of political and social issues as a result of the Second World War
, the power of the church and the media. In his later works (In eigener säure, Grenzgang) he introduces increasingly poetic, intertextual and multilingual elements.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
author who has written poetry, novels, plays and libretti for operas. In 2008, he was awarded the Batty Weber Prize
Batty Weber Prize
The Batty Weber Prize or Prix Batty Weber is Luxembourg's national literary prize. It has been awarded every three years since 1987 to a Luxembourg writer for his entire literary work...
for his literary work.
Biography
Born on 1 July 1953 in DifferdangeDifferdange
Differdange is a commune with city status in south-western Luxembourg. Differdange is an industrial city that was home to much of Luxembourg's steel production, and lies near the borders with Belgium and France...
, he is the elder brother of the author Guy Helminger
Guy Helminger
Guy Helminger is a Luxembourg author who has written a number of successful novels and plays in German.-Biography:Guy Helminnger, the younger brother of author Nico Helminger, was born on 20 January 1963 in Esch-sur-Alzette in south-western Luxembourg. He studied German literature and philosophy...
. After graduating from high school in 1972, Helminger went on to study German, Romance linguistics
Romance studies
Romance studies is an umbrella academic discipline that covers the study of the languages, literatures, and cultures of areas that speak a Romance language. Romance studies departments usually include the study of Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese...
and drama in Luxembourg, 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....
, 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...
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...
. In 1980, he went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he taught German and history at secondary school. From 1984, he became an independent writer working in 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...
, Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Paris und Luxemburg, finally settling in Esch-sur-Alzette
Esch-sur-Alzette
Esch-sur-Alzette is a commune with city status, in south-western Luxembourg. It is the country's second city, and its second-most populous commune, with a population of 29,853 people...
in 1999.
Helminger has written socially critical plays such as Miss Minett und de schantchen in which he brings out the psychological and social problems suffered in the industrial south-western area of Luxembourg. Other works like Kitsch, Läschten eens käe liewen, and Kurzgeschichten address domestic violence and loss of hope and purpose as symptoms of an inhuman, materialistic society. He ascribes these trends to the repression of political and social issues as a result of 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...
, the power of the church and the media. In his later works (In eigener säure, Grenzgang) he introduces increasingly poetic, intertextual and multilingual elements.