Hermann Lenz: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia


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{{Short description|German writer}}

{{More citations needed|date=February 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Hermann Lenz

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| birth_name = <!-- if different -->

| birth_date = 26 February 1913

| birth_place = [[Stuttgart]], [[Germany]]

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|05|12|1913|02|26|df=y}}

| death_place = [[Munich]], Germany

| other_names =

| occupation = German writerWriter

| years_active =

| spouse =

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== Life and work ==

[[File:Künzelsau Lenz Tür.jpg|thumb|upright|The front door of '''Hermann Lenz'''' later home in [[Künzelsau]].]]

Lenz, son of art teacher Hermann Friedrich Lenz and his wife Elise, grew up until his eleventh year in [[Künzelsau]] and then in [[Stuttgart]]. After graduation and failed [[theology]] studies in [[Tübingen]], he began, in 1933, to study [[Art history]], [[philosophy]], [[Archaeology]] and Germanic studies in [[Heidelberg]] and to study from 1937 in Munich. After early dramatic reading impressions ([[Eduard Moerike|Mörike]], [[Adalbert Stifter|Stifter]], [[Arthur Schnitzler|Schnitzler]], [[Hugo von Hofmannsthal|Hofmannsthal]] and others), Lenz first wrote poems and prose pieces. He first appeared in 1936, mediated by [[Georg von der Vring]], with the poetry collection ''Gedichte'', his first publication, which was followed before the war, with the repeatedly revised narrative ''Das stille Haus'' ("The Silent House").

From 1940, Lenz was a soldier in [[France]] and [[Russia]], and in 1946 [[prisoner of war]] in the United States. Those experiences, that made the student and soldier, influenced his entire literary output. From the start in opposition to [[Nazism]], Lenz moved back into inner worlds -– the [[Biedermeier]] or the [[Vienna]] [[Fin de siècle]] -– the scene of many narrative texts and the object of reflections in countless character monologues. After returning from captivity, Lenz was dedicated, except for secretary work in cultural institutions, just to write. In 1946 he married the art historian Hanne Trautwein, whom he had met in 1937. By 1975, both lived in Stuttgart, at Lenz' home, but inheritance disputes forced a move to Munich, home of his wife.

In the midpoint of his work is a - depending on the counting - 10nine-volume [[autobiographical novel]] cycle about the alter-ego figure "Eugen Rapp", which began with ''Verlassene Zimmer'' [''The Abandoned Room''] (1966) and concluded with ''Freunde'' [''Friends''] (1997). Almost without parallel in the German [[publications]] of 1945, this novel explores autobiographical events, and both cuts and captures the political history of Germany in the 20th century. Just as notable are the novels ''Andere Tage'' [''Other Days''] (1968) and ''Neue Zeit'' [''New Age''] (1975), of the daily confrontation with the [[Third Reich]]. Lenz comes from an autobiographical concept ("Write as you are," is one of the central maxims). It strives to accurately depict life in the details of a metaphysical background to indicate "flow into each other past and present". In books like ''Lady and Executioner'' (1973) and ''Der Wanderer'' (1986) Lenz succeeded, again and again, with the autobiographical and merge of the transcendental component of his writing. As the most prominent stylistic device he uses here the form of "internal dialogue", which makes the character perspective transparent and transferred to the reflections of the outside world directly into sensations. In addition to his novels, and Rapp occasionally published [[poetry]] submitted by Lenz, a large number of novels and short stories. These delve, like ''Die Begegnung'' [''The Encounter''] (1979) and ''Memory of Edward'' (1981), into the 19th century world, or they design, as in the 1980 completed trilogy ''Der Innere Bezirk'' [''The Inner District''], conscious alternative plans for their own [[biography]]. Lenz occasionally followed narrative traditions, especially with ''The Double Face'' (1949) or ''Spiegelhütte'' ("Mirror Cabins") (1962), building on forms of [[magic realism]].

[[File:HKLenz.jpg|thumb|right|Hermann Lenz house in [[Stuttgart]].]]

Lenz has been for many years little attention until then but stopped recognition and fame. [[Peter Handke]] helped him break through in 1973. Lenz published during 1936-19971936–1997 more than 30 books. ''"Ich bin eben ein schwäbischer Dickschädel"'' ("I'm just a [[Swabia]]n mule-head"), said Hermann Lenz on his 85th birthday, 26 February 1998, shortly before his death in May of that year.

Hermann Lenz had a reading in October 1951 before the [[Gruppe 47]], at the Laufenmühle, a place near Ulm, from an earlier version of the novel ''Nachmittag einer Dame'' ("Afternoon of a Lady"), the first part of ''Der innere Bezirk'' ("The Inner District"). His detached attitude to the group coincides with [[Paul Celan]], who had read a year later in Niendorf. The experience went into the novel ''Ein Fremdling'' ("A Stranger").<ref>

Notes in the correspondence of Paul Celan and Hanne and

Hermann Lenz, op cit, p.8, p.169 (note 10); from

''Ein Fremdling'' [''A Stranger''], pp. 77-8577–85.

</ref>

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* ''Leben und Schreiben'' [''Living and Writing'']. Frankfurter Vorlesungen, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp 1986

* ''Hermann Lenz, Bilder aus meinem Album'' [''Pictures from my album''], Frankfurt am Main: Insel Verlag 1987.

* ''Im Hohenloher Land''. Mit 38 Fotos von Karlheinz Jardner. In Zusammenarbeit mit dem ZDF. Freiburg i. Brsg.: Eulen-Verl., 1989. (Reihe „Ganz"Ganz persönlich“persönlich")

* ''Stuttgart. Porträt einer Stadt'' [''Portrait of a City'']. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp 2003 (zuerst Belser Verlag, Stuttgart und Zürich, 1983).

* ''Hermann Lenz zum 80. Geburtstag'' [''~ on His 80th Birthday'']. Festschrift, herausgegeben von Thomas Reche und Hans Dieter Schäfer. Passau: Verlag Thomas Reche 1993.

== Awards ==

{{div col}}

Awards to Hermann Lenz (award titles in German):

* 1962 Ostdeutscher Literaturpreis

* 1978 [[Georg Büchner Prize]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Hermann Lenz |url=https://www.deutscheakademie.de/en/awards/georg-buechner-preis/hermann-lenz |website=[[Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung]] |access-date=12 November 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

* 1978 [[Georg Büchner Prize]]

* 1981 [[Franz- Nabl-Preis Prize]]

* 1981 [[Wilhelm Raabe Literature Prize|Wilhelm-Raabe-Preis]]

* 1983 [[Gottfried-Keller-Preis]]

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* 1995 [[Literaturpreis der Stadt München]]

* 1997 [[Würth-Preis für Europäische Literatur]]

{{div col end}}

== Notes ==

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* Werner Jung: ''Sein, Dasein, Anderssein. Das Werk von Hermann Lenz'' ("Being, Existence, Being Different"). In: ''Juni''. Magazin für Kultur und Politik. Nr. 1/92. Juni-Verlag. Mönchengladbach 1992. {{ISSN|0931-2854}}.

* Helmut Hornbogen: ''Erinnerung an Anfänge'' ("Memory of Beginnings"). Tübingen. ''Vom Gedenken: Gespräche mit Albrecht Goes und Hermann Lenz'' ("From memory: Conversations with Albecht..."). Narr Francke Attempto, Tübingen 1996. {{ISBN|978-3-8233-5174-0}}

* Herlinde Koelbl: "Hermann Lenz". In: ''Im Schreiben zu Haus − Wie Schriftsteller zu Werke gehen − Fotografien und Gespräche'' ("Writing at Home: How Writers Go to Work -– Photographs and Conversations"), Knesebeck Verlag, München 1998, {{ISBN|978-3-89660-041-7}}; S.48-5348–53; <small>Photo documentation of Lenz; the author portrays in his work and in personal life and in the interview, how to get started with an idea.</small>

* Daniel Hoffmann: ''Stille Lebensmeister. Dienende Menschen bei Hermann Lenz''. Tübingen: Stauffenburg Colloquium 46, Stauffenburg Verlag 1998. {{ISBN|978-3-86057-146-0}}.

* Themenheft Hermann Lenz, ''Text und Kritik'' Heft 141, Januar 1999, {{ISBN|978-3-88377-602-6}}; <small>with extensive bibliographic information on primary and secondary sources.</small>

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* Helmut Böttiger. ''Im Eulenkräut. Hermann Lenz and Hohenlohe''. Warmbronn: Verlag Ulrich Keicher 2006.

* Peter Hamm: ''Dort wäre ich gerne geblieben. Hermann Lenz and his Stuttgart''. Warmbronn: Verlag Ulrich Keicher 2007.

* Lothar Quinkenstein: "Holocaust im Abendlicht. Zur Problematik von Erinnerung und Verdrängung in Hermann Lenz' erzählerischem Triptychon ‘Das'Das doppelte Gesicht’Gesicht'" ("Holocaust in Evening Light: On the problems of memory and repression in Hermann Lenz's narrative [[triptych]] 'The Double Face'&nbsp;"). In: ''Convivium''. Germanistisches Jahrbuch Polen. 2008. p.&nbsp;221–239.

* [[Norbert Hummelt]]: ''Im stillen Haus. Where Hermann Lenz wrote in Munich''. With photographs by Isolde Ohlbaum and a bibliography by Rainer Moritz. Edition monacensia München: Allitera Verlag 2009, {{ISBN|978-3-86906-024-8}}.

* Daniel Hoffmann: "Unsichtbare Nabelschnüre. Jüdische Lebenswelten in Hermann Lenz’Lenz' Erzählwerk". In: ''Integration und Ausgrenzung'' ("Exclusion"). Studies of German-Jewish literary and cultural history of the early modern period to the present; Festschrift for Hans Otto Horch 65th Birthday, of Mark H. Gelber, Jakob Hessing and Robert Jütte, Max Niemeyer Verlag, Tübingen 2009, S. 367-378367–378. {{ISBN|978-3-484-62006-3}}.

== External links ==

* {{cite web | title=Hermann Lenz auf suhrkamp.de | website=Suhrkamp Verlag | date=16 June 2021 | url=https://www.suhrkamp.de/person/hermann-lenz-p-2875 | language=de | access-date=23 February 2024}} {{in lang|de}}

* {{in lang|de}} [http://www.suhrkamp.de/autoren/autor.cfm?id=2875 Autorenporträt auf www.suhrkamp.de]

* {{in lang|de}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20130318011403/http://hermann-lenz-preis.de/index_01.html Kurzbiographie]

* {{in lang|de}} [https://www.literaturportal-bayern.de/component/lpbauthors/?view=lpbauthor&pnd=118571648&highlight=WyJoZXJtYW5uIiwibGVueiIsImxlbnonIiwiJ2xlbnonIiwibGVueicsIiwiaGVybWFubiBsZW56Il0= baylit.de Author] – Database of literary Bavaria

{{Georg Büchner Prize}}

{{Gottfried-Keller-Preis winners}}

{{Authority control}}