John Knittel, originally Hermann Emanuel Knittel (March 24, 1891 in

Dharwar Dharwad (), also known as Dharwar, is a city located in the north western part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Dharwad district of Karnataka and forms a contiguous urban area with the city of Hubballi. It was merge ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

– April 26, 1970 in

Maienfeld Maienfeld ( rm, Maiavilla) is a municipality in the Landquart Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It is a tourist destination in the Alps, both because of the local wine and because it was the setting of the story ''Heidi''. History ...

, Graubünden) was a Swiss writer.

Life

John Knittel was the son of a

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Württ ...

missionary, Hermann Wilhelm Knittel, who was in the service of the Baseler Mission, along with his wife Ana née Schultze, was from the

South Tyrol it, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige lld, Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan – Südtirol , settlement_type = Autonomous area, Autonomous Provinces of Italy, province , image_skyline = ...

. Knittel was born in

, where his parents were engaged in missionary work. In 1895, the Knittels traveled with their children from India and returned to Switzerland and settled in Basel. John Knittel enrolled at the Gymnasium am Münsterplatz and was a schoolmate of

Carl Jacob Burckhardt Carl Jacob Burckhardt (September 10, 1891 – March 3, 1974) was a Swiss diplomat and historian. His career alternated between periods of academic historical research and diplomatic postings; the most prominent of the latter were League of Nati ...

. He left the school and search for a vocational school in which to study and eventually became an apprentice in a cotton textile factory owned by an uncle.

Writing career

In 1908 he moved to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and worked as a bank teller for

Crédit Lyonnais The Crédit Lyonnais (, "Lyon Credit ompany) was a major French bank, created in 1863 and absorbed by former rival Crédit Agricole in 2003. Its head office was initially in Lyon but moved to Paris in 1882. In the early years of the 20th c ...

. He then worked as a projectionist in some theaters. In London, he met his future wife Frances White Mac Bridger, whom he married in 1915 against the will of her parents. This marriage produced three children. A meeting with the English writer

Robert Smythe Hichens Robert Hichens (Robert Smythe Hichens, 14 November 1864 – 20 July 1950) was an English journalist, novelist, music lyricist, short story writer, music critic and collaborated on successful plays. He is best remembered as a satirist of the " ...

in 1917 was the start of his life as a writer. Hichens recognized Knittel's talent and urged him to write in English. In 1919, his first novel appeared ''The Travels of Aaron West'', which became a commercial success. In England, he became a member of P.E.N. Club.

Return to Switzerland and foreign travels

In 1921, Knittel settled in Switzerland with his wife, children and Hichens near Genfersee. In the following years, he took his family on his wide travels:

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. In Egypt, he was impressed by

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

and supported a Schweizer Project dedicated to improving the life of poor

fellaheen A fellah ( ar, فَلَّاح ; feminine ; plural ''fellaheen'' or ''fellahin'', , ) is a peasant, usually a farmer or agricultural laborer in the Middle East and North Africa. The word derives from the Arabic word for "ploughman" or "tiller" ...

. The uncertain world political situation compelled the Knittels to return to Europe. In 1938 they began to live in the Haus Römersteig at the vineyards of Maienfeld in Graubünden.

World War II and its results

After the beginning of

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 opposing ...

, he visited Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and with an introduction by

Hans Carossa Hans Carossa (15 December 1878 in Bad Tölz, Kingdom of Bavaria – 12 September 1956 in Rittsteig near Passau) was a German novelist and poet, known mostly for his autobiographical novels, and his "innere Emigration" ( inner emigration) during ...

became a member of the ''Europäische Schriftsteller-Vereinigung'' (European Writers' League). In 1943 several friends of his daughter were sentenced to death for their participation in

White Rose The White Rose (german: Weiße Rose, ) was a Nonviolence, non-violent, intellectual German resistance to Nazism, resistance group in Nazi Germany which was led by five students (and one professor) at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, ...

(Weiße Rose) -

Willi Graf Wilhelm Graf (better known as Willi Graf) (2 January 1918 – 12 October 1943) was a member of the White Rose (Weiße Rose) resistance group in Nazi Germany. The Catholic Church in Germany included Graf in their list of martyrs of the 20th centu ...

, Alexander Schmorell and

Kurt Huber Kurt Huber (24 October 1893 – 13 July 1943) was a university professor and resistance fighter with the anti-Nazi group White Rose. For his involvement he was imprisoned and guillotined. Early life Huber was born in Chur, Switzerland, to G ...

. He was denounced by his Swiss colleagues as a "Nazi Friend" (''Nazifreund'') and was expelled from the Schweizer Schriftsteller Verband ( SSV). Knittel died in his home in Maienfeld on April 26, 1970 at the age of 79

Works

All works were written in English and the German translations were sold by his Swiss publisher without any indication as to the translators.

Novels and stories

* ''The Travels of Aaron West'', Novel, 1919 (dt. ''Die Reisen des Aaron West'' / ''Kapitän West'', 1922) * ''A Traveller in the night'', Novel, 1924 (dt. ''Der Weg durch die Nacht'', 1926) * ''Into the abyss'', Roman, 1927 (dt. ''Thérèse Etienne'', 1927) * ''Nile Gold'', Novel, 1929 (dt. ''Der blaue Basalt'', 1929) * ''Midnight People'', Novel, 1930 (dt. ''Abd-el-Kader'', 1930) * ''Cyprus Wine'', 1933 (no German translation) * ''The Commander'', Novel, 1933 (dt. ''Der Commandant'', 1933) * '' Via Mala'', Novel, 1934 (dt. ''Via Mala'', 1934) * ''Dr. Ibrahim'', Novel, 1935 (dt. ''El Hakim'', 1936) * ''The asp and other stories'', Stories, 1936 (dt. ''Die Aspis-Schlange und andere Erzählungen'', 1942) * ''Power for sale'', Novel, 1939 (dt. ''Amadeus'', 1939; sequel of ''Thérèse Etienne'' in promotion of the

Atlantropa Atlantropa, also referred to as Panropa, was a gigantic engineering and colonisation idea that was devised by the German architect Herman Sörgel in the 1920s, and promoted by him until his death in 1952. The project was devised to contain seve ...

project) * ''Terra Magna'', Novel, 1948 * ''Jean-Michel'', Novel, 1953 * ''Arietta'', Novel, 1957 (dt. ''Arietta. Marokkanische Episode'', 1959)

Theater

* ''The Torch'', drama, 1922 * ''High Finance'', drama, 1934 * ''Protektorat. A Folkdrama from our ancient times'', 1935 (Dramatization of ''Abd-el-Kader'') * ''Via Mala'', drama, 1937 * ''Sokrates'', drama, 1941 * ''La Rochelle'', drama, 1943/44 * ''Thérèse Etienne'', drama, 1950

Filmography

* '' Hidden Lives'' (Netherlands, United Kingdom, 1920), directed by

Maurits Binger Maurits Binger (5 April 1868 – 9 April 1923) was a Dutch film director, film producer, producer and screenwriter of the silent film, silent era. He directed 39 films between 1913 and 1922 and is considered one of the pioneers of fictional ...

and B. E. Doxat-Pratt * ''Der Weg durch die Nacht'' (Germany, 1929), directed by

Robert Dinesen Robert Theodor Camillo Dinesen (23 October 1874 – 8 March 1972) was a Danish film actor and film director, director. He was first married to actress Laura Johanne Winter (1882-1930) and secondly to Christine Marie Christensen (1877-1935). He is ...

, mit Margita Alfvén,

Friedrich Ettel Friedrich Ettel (8 June 1890 – 12 March 1941) was a Swiss film actor. Ettel was born in Zurich and died at the age of 50 in Berlin, Germany. Selected filmography * ''Ludwig II, King of Bavaria'' (1929) * '' Two People'' (1930) * '' Louise, Qu ...

u.a. * ''Se abre el abismo'' (Argentina, 1944), directed by

Pierre Chenal Pierre Chenal (; 5 December 1904 – 23 December 1990) was a French director and screenwriter who flourished in the 1930s. He was married to Czech-born French film actress Florence Marly from 1937 to 1955. Work Chenal was best known for film no ...

, with Pablo Acciardi u.a. * '' Via Mala'' (Germany, 1944/48), directed by

Josef von Báky Josef may refer to *Josef (given name) *Josef (surname) Josef is the surname of the following people: * Jens Josef (born 1967), German composer of classical music, a flutist and academic teacher * Michelle Josef (born 1954), Canadian musician and tr ...

, mit

Karin Hardt Karin Hardt Meta Therese (28 April 1910 in Altona, Hamburg – 5 March 1992 in Berlin) was a German actress. Life A merchant's daughter, Hardt first took private acting lessons with Alex Otto and received theatrical engagements in Mönch ...

Carl Wery Carl Sebastian Martin Wery (born Wery de Lemans; 7 August 1897 in Trostberg, Upper Bavaria – 14 March 1975 in Munich) was a German actor. Selected filmography * '' No Day Without You'' (1933) * ''Anna and Elizabeth'' (1933) - Annas Vate ...

Albert Florath Albert Peter Adam Florath (7 December 1888, Bielefeld – 11 March 1957, Gaildorf) was a German stage and film actor. Early life and education Born to Joseph Florath, a locksmith, and his wife Matilda, née Burkart, he attended school in Brakel ...

Hilde Körber Hilde Körber (3 July 1906 – 31 May 1969) was an Austrian film actress who worked largely in the German Film Industry. She appeared in 53 films between 1930 and 1964. She was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary and died in West Berlin, West G ...

u.a. * ' (Germany, 1957), directed by Rolf Thiele, with

O. W. Fischer Otto Wilhelm Fischer (german: O. W. Fischer, ; 1 April 1915 – 29 January 2004) was an Austrians, Austrian film and theatre actor, a leading man of Cinema of Germany, West German cinema during the ''Wirtschaftswunder'' era of the 1950s and 19 ...

Michael Ande Michael Ande (born 5 October 1944, Bad Wiessee) is a German actor, best-known for his role as Gerd Heymann in the West German crime-drama television series ''The Old Fox'' which he played between 1977 and 2016. He was a well-known German film c ...

, Nadja Tiller,

Charles Régnier Karl Friedrich Anton Hermann 'Charles' Regnier (Régnier)"Wedekind aus Horst Kreis Neustadt am Rübenberge in Niedersachsen". In: ''Niedersächsisches Geschlechterbuch''. (Genealogical studies). Limburg an der Lahn: Verlag C. A. Starke Volume 1 ...

u.a. * ''

Thérèse Étienne ''Thérèse Étienne'' is a 1958 French-Italian drama film directed by Denys de La Patellière, and starring James Robertson Justice, Françoise Arnoul, and Pierre Vaneck. It was based on a 1939 novel by John Knittel. The film's sets were design ...

'' (France, 1958), directed by

Denys de La Patellière Denys de La Patellière (8 March 1921 in Nantes, France–21 July 2013) was a French film director and scriptwriter. He also directed Television series. of 92. Filmography as director * 1955 : '' Les Aristocrates'', with Pierre Fresnay * ...

, with

James Robertson Justice James Robertson Justice (15 June 1907 – 2 July 1975) was a British actor. He is best remembered for portraying pompous authority figures in comedies including each of the seven films in the '' Doctor'' series. He also co-starred with Greg ...

, Françoise Arnoul u.a. * '' Via Mala'' (Germany, 1961), directed by

Paul May Paul May (8 May 1909 – 25 February 1976) was a German film director and editor. He directed 40 films between 1935 and 1972. Biography He was the son of Peter Ostermayr, a film producer with Universum Film AG, and his wife Olga, ''né ...

, with Gert Fröbe,

Christine Kaufmann Christine Maria Kaufmann (; 11 January 1945 – 28 March 2017) was a German-Austrian actress, author, and businesswoman. The daughter of a German father and a French mother, she won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress f ...

, Christian Wolff u.a. * '' Via Mala'' (Germany-TV 1985), directed by Tom Toelle, with

Mario Adorf Mario Adorf (; born 8 September 1930) is a German actor, considered to be one of the great veteran character actors of European cinema. Since 1954, he has played both leading and supporting roles in over 200 film and television productions, am ...

Maruschka Detmers Maruschka Detmers (born 16 December 1962, Schoonebeek) is a Dutch actress. She moved to France as a teenager after finishing school, where she captured the attention of director Jean-Luc Godard. In 1983, she made her dramatic debut under Godard' ...

Sissy Höfferer Sissy Höfferer (born April 23, 1955 in Klagenfurt, Austria) is an Austrian television actress. She had engagements at numerous theater companies such as the Residenztheater Munich, the Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg and the Volkstheater Munic ...

u.a.

Bibliography

* Reto Carisch: ''Der Romancier John Knittel. Probleme, Strukturen und Leserpsychologische Hintergründe seiner Werke''. Univ. Diss., Freiburg (Schweiz) 1972. * Elisabeth Höhn-Gloor: ''John Knittel. Ein Erfolgsautor und sein Werk im Brennpunkt von Fakten und Fiktionen''. Univ. Diss., Zürich 1984. * Elisabeth Knöll: ''John Knittel''. Univ. Diss., Wien 1950.

External links

* * * *
John Knittel's official Website, run by his daughter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knittel, John 1970 deaths 1891 births Swiss writers