Franz Viktor Werfel (; 10 September 1890 – 26 August 1945) was an

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

, and

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

whose career spanned

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the

Interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...

, and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He is primarily known as the author of ''

The Forty Days of Musa Dagh ''The Forty Days of Musa Dagh'' (german: Die vierzig Tage des Musa Dagh) is a 1933 novel by Austrian- Bohemian writer Franz Werfel based on events that took place in 1915, during the second year of World War I and at the beginning of the Armenian ...

'' (1933, English tr. 1934, 2012), a novel based on events that took place during the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...

of 1915, and '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1941), a novel about the life and visions of the French Catholic saint

Bernadette Soubirous Bernadette Soubirous (; ; oc, Bernadeta Sobirós ; 7 January 184416 April 1879), also known as Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, was the firstborn daughter of a miller from Lourdes (''Lorda'' in Occitan), in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées in ...

, which was made into a Hollywood film of the same

name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A personal ...

Life and career

Born in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

(then part of the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

), Werfel was the first of three children of a wealthy manufacturer of gloves and leather goods, Rudolf Werfel. His mother, Albine Kussi, was the daughter of a mill owner. His two sisters were Hanna (born 1896) and Marianne Amalie (born 1899). His family was

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

ish. As a child, Werfel was raised by his Czech Catholic governess, Barbara Šimůnková, who often took him to mass in Prague's main cathedral. Like the children of other progressive German-speaking Jews in Prague, Werfel was educated at a Catholic school run by the

Piarists The Piarists (), officially named the Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools ( la, Ordo Clericorum Regularium pauperum Matris Dei Scholarum Piarum), abbreviated SchP, is a religious order of clerics regular of the ...

, a teaching order that allowed for a

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

to instruct Jewish students for their Bar Mitzvahs. This, along with his governess's influence, gave Werfel an early interest (and expertise) in

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, which soon branched out to other faiths, including

Theosophy Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion a ...

and

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

, such that his fiction, as well as his nonfiction, provides some insight into

comparative religion Comparative religion is the branch of the study of religions with the systematic comparison of the doctrines and practices, themes and impacts (including migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study of religion yie ...

. Werfel began writing at an early age and, by 1911, had published his first book of poems, ''Der Weltfreund'', which can be translated as "the friend to the world" as well as philanthropist, humanitarian, and the like. By this time, Werfel had befriended other German Jewish writers who frequented Prague's , chief among them

Max Brod Max Brod ( he, מקס ברוד; 27 May 1884 – 20 December 1968) was a German-speaking Bohemian, later Israeli, author, composer, and journalist. Although he was a prolific writer in his own right, he is best remembered as the friend and biog ...

and

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It ...

, and his poetry was praised by such critics as Karl Kraus, who published Werfel's early poems in Kraus's journal, ''Die Fackel'' (The Torch). In 1912, Werfel moved to Leipzig, where he became an editor for Kurt Wolff's new publishing firm, where Werfel championed and edited

Georg Trakl Georg Trakl (3 February 1887 – 3 November 1914) was an Austrian poet and the brother of the pianist Grete Trakl. He is considered one of the most important Austrian Expressionists. He is perhaps best known for his poem " Grodek", which he wr ...

's first book of poetry. While he lived in Germany, Werfel's milieu grew to include

Else Lasker-Schüler Else Lasker-Schüler (née Elisabeth Schüler) (; 11 February 1869 – 22 January 1945) was a German-Jewish poet and playwright famous for her bohemian lifestyle in Berlin and her poetry. She was one of the few women affiliated with the Expressi ...

Martin Buber Martin Buber ( he, מרטין בובר; german: Martin Buber; yi, מארטין בובער; February 8, 1878 – June 13, 1965) was an Austrian Jewish and Israeli philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of existentialism c ...

Rainer Maria Rilke René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 – 29 December 1926), shortened to Rainer Maria Rilke (), was an Austrian poet and novelist. He has been acclaimed as an idiosyncratic and expressive poet, and is widely recogni ...

, among other German-language writers, poets, and intellectuals in the first decades of the twentieth century. With the outbreak of World War I, Werfel served in the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...

on the Russian front"Franz Werfel", U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
/ref> as a telephone operator. His duties both exposed him to the vicissitudes of

total war Total war is a type of warfare that includes any and all civilian-associated resources and infrastructure as legitimate military targets, mobilizes all of the resources of society to fight the war, and gives priority to warfare over non-combata ...

as well as provided him with enough of a haven to continue writing

Expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

poems, ambitious plays, and letters voluminously. His eclectic mix of

humanism Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...

confessionalism Confessionalism may refer to: * Confessionalism (poetry) * Confessionalism (religion) * Confessionalism (politics) Confessionalism is a system of government that is a ''de jure'' mix of religion and politics. It typically entails distributing poli ...

, autobiography, as well as mythology and religiosity developed further during this time. His poems and plays ranged from scenes of ancient Egypt (notably the

monotheism Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity, an all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God. Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford ...

Akhenaton Akhenaten (pronounced ), also spelled Echnaton, Akhenaton, ( egy, ꜣḫ-n-jtn ''ʾŪḫə-nə-yātəy'', , meaning "Effective for the Aten"), was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh reigning or 1351–1334 BC, the tenth ruler of the Eighteenth Dy ...

) to occult allusions (Werfel had participated in séances with his friends Brod and Kafka) and incorporate a parable from the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...

in the poem "Jesus and the Carrion Path". His bias for Christian subjects, as well as his antipathy for Zionism, eventually alienated many of his Jewish friends and readers, including early champions such as Karl Kraus. Others, however, stood by him, including Martin Buber, who published a sequence of poems from Werfel's wartime manuscript, ''Der Gerichtstag'' (Judgment Day, published in 1919) in his monthly journal, ''Der Jude'' (''The Jew''). and wrote of Werfel in his prefatory remark:

Since I was first moved by his poems, I have opened (knowing well, I should say, it's a problem) the gates of my invisible garden .e.,_an_imaginarium.html" ;"title="imaginarium.html" ;"title=".e., an imaginarium">.e., an imaginarium">imaginarium.html" ;"title=".e., an imaginarium">.e., an imaginariumto him, and now he can do nothing for all eternity that would bring me to banish him from it. Compare, if you will, a real person to an anecdotal one, a late book to an earlier, the one you see to you yourself; but I am not putting a value on a poet, only recognizing that he is one—and the way he is one.

In the summer of 1917, Werfel left the frontline for the Military Press Bureau in Vienna, where he joined other notable Austrian writers serving as propagandists, among them Robert Musil, Rilke, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, and Franz Blei. Through the latter, Werfel met and fell in love with Alma Mahler, widow of Gustav Mahler, the former lover of the painter Oskar Kokoschka, and the wife of the

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Walter Gropius Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969) was a German-American architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in conne ...

, then serving in the Imperial German Army on the Western Front. Alma, who was also a composer, had already set one of Werfel's poems to music, reciprocated despite Werfel being much younger, shorter, and having Jewish features that she, being both anti-Semitic and attracted to Jewish men, initially found distasteful. Their love affair culminated in the premature birth of a son, Martin, in August 1918. Martin, who was given the surname of Gropius, died in May of the following year. Despite attempts to save his marriage to Alma, with whom he had a young daughter,

Manon ''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was first ...

, Gropius reluctantly agreed to a divorce in 1920. Ironically, Alma refused to marry Werfel for the next nine years. However, Alma, more so than with her first two husbands and lovers, lent herself to the development of Werfel's career and influenced it in such a way that he became an accomplished playwright and novelist as well as poet. They married on 6 July 1929. Schillerpark 20

In April 1924, ''Verdi – Roman der Oper'' (Novel of the Opera) was published by Zsolnay Verlag, establishing Werfel's reputation as a novelist. In 1926, Werfel was awarded the Grillparzer Prize by the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and in Berlin,

Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born Theatre director, theatre and film director, theater manager, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his innovative stage productions, he i ...

performed his play ''Juarez and Maximilian'' (depicting the struggle in 1860's

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

between the Republican leader

Benito Juárez Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Liberalism in Mexico, Mexican liberal politician and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. As a Zapotec peoples, Zapo ...

and the French-backed Emperor Maximilian). By the end of the decade, Werfel had become one of the most important and established writers in German and Austrian literature and had already merited one full-length critical biography. Werfel's journey (with his wife Alma) in 1930, to British ruled Palestine , and his encounter with the Armenian refugee community in Jerusalem, inspired his novel ''

'' which drew world attention to the

by the

Ottoman government The Ottoman Empire developed over the years as a despotism with the Sultan as the supreme ruler of a centralized government that had an effective control of its provinces, officials and inhabitants. Wealth and rank could be inherited but were j ...

. Werfel lectured on this subject across Germany. The Nazi newspaper ''

Das Schwarze Korps ''Das Schwarze Korps'' (; German for "The Black Corps") was the official newspaper of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS). This newspaper was published on Wednesdays and distributed free of charge. All SS members were encouraged to read it. The chief edit ...

'' denounced him as a propagandist of "alleged Turkish horrors perpetrated against the Armenians". The same newspaper, suggesting a link between the Armenian and the later Jewish genocide, condemned "America's Armenian Jews for promoting in the U.S.A. the sale of Werfel's book". Werfel was forced to leave the

Prussian Academy of Arts The Prussian Academy of Arts (German: ''Preußische Akademie der Künste'') was a state arts academy first established in Berlin, Brandenburg, in 1694/1696 by prince-elector Frederick III, in personal union Duke Frederick I of Prussia, and late ...

in 1933. His books were burned by the Nazis. Werfel left Austria after the

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...

in 1938 and went to France, where they lived in a fishing village near Marseille. Visitors to their home at this time included

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

and

Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novella ...

. After the German invasion and occupation of France during World War II, and the deportation of French Jews to the

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps, (officially) or (more commonly). The Nazi concentration camps are distinguished from other types of Nazi camps such as forced-labor camps, as well as concen ...

, Werfel had to flee again. With the assistance of

Varian Fry Varian Mackey Fry (October 15, 1907 – September 13, 1967) was an American journalist. Fry ran a rescue network in Vichy France that helped approximately 2,000 to 4,000 anti-Nazi and Jewish refugees to escape Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. ...

and the Emergency Rescue Committee in

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

, he and his wife narrowly escaped the Nazi regime, finding shelter for five weeks in the pilgrimage town of Lourdes. He also received much help and kindness from the Catholic orders that staffed the shrine. He vowed to write about the experience and, safe in the United States, he published '' The Song of Bernadette'' in 1941. Fry organized a secret crossing over the Pyrenees on foot. Assisted by

Justus Rosenberg Justus Rosenberg (January 23, 1921 – October 30, 2021) was a literature professor who spent most of his life teaching in the United States, ending his career as a professor emeritus of languages and literature at Bard College. Before that, as a t ...

, they went to Madrid and then traveled on to Portugal. They stayed in Monte Estoril, at the Grande Hotel D'Itália, between 8 September and 4 October 1940. On the same day they checked out, they boarded the ''S.S. Nea Hellas'' headed for New York City, arriving on 13 October. Werfel and his family settled in Los Angeles, where they met other German and Austrian emigrants, such as Mann, Reinhardt, and

Erich Wolfgang Korngold Erich Wolfgang Korngold (May 29, 1897November 29, 1957) was an Austrian-born American composer and conductor. A child prodigy, he became one of the most important and influential composers in Hollywood history. He was a noted pianist and compo ...

. In southern California, Werfel wrote his final play, ''Jacobowsky and the Colonel'' (''Jacobowsky und der Oberst'') which was made into the 1958 film ''

Me and the Colonel ''Me and the Colonel'' is a 1958 American comedy film based on the play ''Jacobowsky und der Oberst'' by Franz Werfel. It was directed by Peter Glenville and stars Danny Kaye, Curd Jürgens and Nicole Maurey. Kaye won a Golden Globe Award for B ...

'' starring

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...

;

Giselher Klebe Giselher Wolfgang Klebe (28 June 19255 October 2009) was a German composer, and an academic teacher. He composed more than 140 works, among them 14 operas, all based on literary works, eight symphonies, 15 solo concerts, chamber music, piano w ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

'' Jacobowsky und der Oberst'' (1965) is also based on this play. Before his death, he completed the first draft of his last novel ''Star of the Unborn'' (''Stern der Ungeborenen''), which was published posthumously in 1946. ZentralfriedhofWerfelFranz

Franz Werfel died of heart failure in Los Angeles in 1945 and was interred there in the Rosedale Cemetery. However, his body was returned in 1975 to Vienna for reburial in the

Zentralfriedhof The Vienna Central Cemetery (german: Wiener Zentralfriedhof) is one of the largest cemeteries in the world by number of interred, and is the most well-known cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries. The cemetery's name is descriptive of its ...

Honours and awards

* 1926

Grillparzer Prize The Franz Grillparzer Prize was a literary award, named after the writer Franz Grillparzer. It was established in 1872, shortly after his death, by his lover, Katharina Fröhlich. After her death in 1879, the award was continued by a donation to the ...

* 1927 Czechoslovak State Award * 1930 Schiller Prize * 1937

Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (german: Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system. History The "Austrian D ...

* 1949 Naming of Werfelstrasse in

Hernals Hernals (; Viennese German: Hernois) is the 17th district of Vienna, Austria (german: 17. Bezirk, Hernals). Hernals is in northwest Vienna.Statistik Austria, 2007, webpagestatistik.at-23450. Wien.gv.at webpage (see below: References). It was anne ...

(Vienna) * 1975 Grave of honor (german: Ehrengrab) in the Zentralfriedhof (Vienna) * 1990 Stamp Austria, Franz Werfel 1890–1945 * 1995 Stamp Germany, Franz Werfel, 50th anniversary of Werfel's death * 1995 Stamp Armenia, Franz Werfel and 40 Days of Musa Dagh HeroHayPost stamps from 1995
/ref> * 2000 Monument on Schillerplatz in Vienna * 2006 Posthumous Award of Armenian Honorary Citizenship; the plaque was presented to the

Austrian National Library The Austrian National Library (german: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek) is the largest library in Austria, with more than 12 million items in its various collections. The library is located in the Neue Burg Wing of the Hofburg in center of V ...

Bibliography

In English (some of these titles are out of print): *''Mirror-Man: A Magic Trilogy'' (''Spiegelmensch: Magische Trilogie'') (1920), play *''The Trojans'' (1922) Play Published by Kurt Wolff as ''Die Troerinnen''. *''Verdi. Novel of the Opera'' (1924), novel *''Juarez and Maximilian'' (1925), play *''Paul Among the Jews: A Tragedy'' (1926), play *''The Man Who Conquered Death'' (''Der Tod des Kleinbürgers'') (1928), short story *'' Class Reunion'' (''Der Abituriententag'') (1928), novel (translated into English by

Whittaker Chambers Whittaker Chambers (born Jay Vivian Chambers; April 1, 1901 – July 9, 1961) was an American writer-editor, who, after early years as a Communist Party member (1925) and Soviet spy (1932–1938), defected from the Soviet underground (1938), ...

) *''

'' (1933; revised and expanded edition, 2012), novel *''Hearken Unto the Voice'', or ''Listen to the Voice'', or ''Jeremiah'' (''Höret die Stimme'', or ''Jeremias'') (1937), novel *''Embezzled Heaven'' (''Der veruntreute Himmel'') (1939), novel *'' The Song of Bernadette'' (1941), novel *''Pale Blue Ink in a Lady's Hand'' (''Eine blass-blaue Frauenschrift'') (1941; 2012), novella *''Jacobowsky und der Oberst'' (1944), play *''Star of the Unborn'' (1945/46), science-fiction novel *''Verdi: The Man and His Letters'', with

Paul Stefan Paul Stefan, born Paul Stefan Grünfeld (25 November 1879, in Brno – 12 November 1943, in New York City) was an Austrian music historian and critic. Born into an assimilated Jewish family, Paul Stefan came to live in Vienna in 1898. He attended ...

. New York, Vienna House 1973 *''Totentanz: 50 zeitlose Gedichte'', editor

Martin Werhand Martin Werhand (born May 13, 1968, in Neuwied, Rhineland-Palatinate) is a German publisher, editor and writer. 1997 he founded the publishing house Martin Werhand Verlag in Melsbach with focus on Fiction. Life and work Martin Peter Werhand was ...

. Melsbach,

Martin Werhand Verlag The Martin Werhand Verlag is a German publishing house with a focus on contemporary literature and poetry. More than 25% of the 150 published authors have an immigrant background with parents who were born outside of Germany and have their roots ...

2016

Filmography

*'' Juarez'', directed by

William Dieterle William Dieterle (July 15, 1893 – December 9, 1972) was a German-born actor and film director who emigrated to the United States in 1930 to leave a worsening political situation. He worked in Hollywood primarily as a director for much of his ...

(1939, based on the play ''Juarez and Maximilian'') *'' The Song of Bernadette'', directed by Henry King (1943, based on the novel '' The Song of Bernadette'') *''

'', directed by

Peter Glenville Peter Glenville (born Peter Patrick Brabazon Browne; 28 October 19133 June 1996) was an English film and stage actor and director. Biography Born in Hampstead, London, into a theatrical family, Glenville was the son of Shaun Glenville (born Jo ...

(1958, based on the play ') *', directed by

Ernst Marischka Ernst Marischka (2 January 1893 – 12 May 1963) was an Austrian screenwriter and film director. He wrote for more than 90 films between 1913 and 1962. He also directed 29 films between 1915 and 1962. He wrote and directed the Sissi trilogy ...

(West Germany, 1958, based on the novel ''Embezzled Heaven'') *''Die wahre Geschichte vom geschändeten und wiederhergestellten Kreuz'', directed by (West Germany, 1963, TV film, based on the eponymous story) *''Jacobowsky and the Colonel'', directed by (West Germany, 1967, TV film, based on the play ') *''The Man Who Conquered Death'', directed by

Hans Hollmann Hans Erich (Eric) Hollmann (4 November 1899 – 19 November 1960) was a German electronic specialist who made several breakthroughs in the development of radar. Hollmann was born in Solingen, Germany. He became interested in radio and even as ...

(West Germany/Austria, 1974, TV film, based on the story ') *''Class Reunion'', directed by (West Germany, 1974, TV film, based on the novel '' Class Reunion'') *''Cella oder Die Überwinder'', directed by (West Germany/Austria, 1978, TV film, based on the unfinished novel ''Cella oder Die Überwinder'') *', directed by (East Germany, 1978, TV film, based on the eponymous story) *''

'', directed by Sarky Mouradian (1982, based on the novel ''

'') *', directed by

Axel Corti Axel Corti (born ''Axel Fuhrmanns''; 7 May 1933 – 29 December 1993) was an Austrian screenwriter, film director and radio host. Life He was born in Paris. His father was a businessman of Austrian and Italian descent, his mother was from Berlin. ...

(Austria, 1984, TV film, based on the story ') *''Jacobowsky and the Colonel'', directed by

Martin Huba Martin Huba (born 16 July 1943 in Bratislava) is a Slovak actor and director on stage and in film. In 1964 he graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (VŠMU). He joined the Východoslovenské štátne divadlo (Košice State ...

(Czechoslovakia, 1987, TV film, based on the play ') *''Embezzled Heaven'', directed by

Ottokar Runze Ottokar Runze (19 August 1925 – 22 September 2018) was a German film producer, director and screenwriter. His 1974 film '' In the Name of the People'' was entered into the 24th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Be ...

(Germany, 1990, TV film, based on the novel ''Embezzled Heaven'') *''Class Reunion'', directed by (Czech Republic, 2000, TV film, based on the novel '' Class Reunion'')

References

External links

* * * *
Mahler-Werfel papers
Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.
Franz Werfel Papers at UCLA

Franz Werfel Family Papers at the Leo Baeck Institute, NY

by

Bertold Hummel Bertold Hummel (27 November 1925 – 9 August 2002) was a German composer of modern classical music. Life Bertold Hummel was born in Hüfingen, Baden. He studied at the Academy of Music in Freiburg from 1947 to 1954, taking composition with Har ...

after the novel ''Jeremias'' by Franz Werfel {{DEFAULTSORT:Werfel, Franz 1890 births 1945 deaths Writers from Prague Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Austro-Hungarian writers Austrian male dramatists and playwrights German male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century German dramatists and playwrights Austrian historical novelists Austrian male short story writers American male short story writers American short story writers American writers in German 20th-century Austrian poets German male poets Austro-Hungarian Jews Jewish novelists Jewish poets Jewish American writers Austrian World War I poets World War II poets 20th-century German male writers Exilliteratur writers Expressionist poets Jewish emigrants from Austria to the United States after the Anschluss Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class Burials at the Vienna Central Cemetery German male novelists 20th-century German novelists Austrian male poets 20th-century short story writers Austrian science fiction writers 20th-century Austrian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American Jews