![Oliver Hilmes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Oliver_Hilmes.jpg)
Oliver Hilmes (born 1971 in
Viersen
Viersen (; li, Veeëse) is the capital of the district of Viersen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Viersen is situated approximately 8 km north-west of Mönchengladbach, 15 km south-west of Krefeld and 20 km east o ...
, Germany) is a German author who has written several historical biographies. His study of
Cosima Wagner
Francesca Gaetana Cosima Wagner (née Liszt; 24 December 1837 – 1 April 1930) was the daughter of the Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt and Franco-German romantic author Marie d'Agoult. She became the second wife of the German comp ...
, the daughter of the 19th century composer
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
and his biography of
Alma Mahler
Alma Maria Mahler Gropius Werfel (born Alma Margaretha Maria Schindler; 31 August 1879 – 11 December 1964) was an Austrian composer, author, editor, and socialite. At 15, she was mentored by Max Burckhard. Musically active from her early yea ...
a Viennese-born socialite, have been translated into English.
Education
Oliver Hilmes studied history, political science and psychology at Marburg University, the Sorbonne in Paris and the University of Potsdam. He earned his doctorate with a dissertation on the history of the 20th century and has worked since 2002 for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been active as personal adviser to the general manager on such projects as the introduction of the Berlin Philharmonic's Education Program and the conversion of the orchestra into a foundation.
Work
Oliver Hilmes achieved prominence through his biographies of Alma Mahler-Werfel, Cosima Wagner, Franz Liszt and Bavarian King Ludwig II.
Tilman Krause, the literary critic of the German daily newspaper “Die Welt” described him in 2007 as the “Wunderkind among the German biographers”.
Oliver Hilmes is on the board (from 1996–2013 as executive director) of the Karg-Elert Society, which promotes the study of the artistic and academic works of composer and music theoretician
Sigfrid Karg-Elert
Sigfrid Karg-Elert (November 21, 1877April 9, 1933) was a German composer in the early twentieth century, best known for his compositions for pipe organ and reed organ.
Biography
Karg-Elert was born Siegfried Theodor Karg in Oberndorf am Neckar, ...
.
In 2016 he discovered the residency card of Richard Friedländer, a German Jew, in Berlin's residence archives, which affirms that
Magda Goebbels
Johanna Maria Magdalena "Magda" Goebbels (née Ritschel; 11 November 1901 – 1 May 1945) was the wife of Nazi Germany's Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. A prominent member of the Nazi Party, she was a close ally, companion, and politic ...
was his biological daughter.
Awards
* 2008: Geisteswissenschaften International – Preis zur Förderung der Übersetzung geisteswissenschaftlicher Literatur for: ''Herrin des Hügels. Das Leben der Cosima Wagner'' (Siedler)
* 2013: Prix des Muses (prix spécial du jury) for: Cosima Wagner. La maîtresse de la colline (Perrin)
* 2018:
William Hill Sports Book of the Year
The William Hill Sports Book of the Year is an annual British sports literary award sponsored by bookmaker William Hill. The award is dedicated to rewarding excellence in sports writing. It was first awarded in 1989, and was devised by Graham ...
(Shortlist) for: ''Berlin 1936. Sixteen Days in August'' (The Bodley Head)
* 2019:
The Sporting Club General Outstanding Book of the Year 2019 for: ''Berlin 1936. Sixteen Days in August''
(The Bodley Head)
Publications
* ''Berlin 1936. Sechzehn Tage im August''. Siedler, Munich 2016,
* ''Malevolent Muse: The Life of Alma Mahler''. Northeastern University Press, 2015, .
* ''Cosima Wagner: The Lady of Bayreuth''. Yale University Press, 2010, .
* ''Ludwig II.: Der unzeitgemäße König''. Siedler, Munich 2013, .
* ''Liszt: Biographie eines Superstars''. Siedler, Munich 2011, .
* ''Cosimas Kinder: Triumph und Tragödie der Wagner-Dynastie''. Siedler, Munich 2009, .
* ''Im Fadenkreuz. Politische Gustav Mahler-Rezeption 1919–1945. Eine Studie über den Zusammenhang von Antisemitismus und Kritik an der Moderne.'' Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main 2003, .
* ''Der Streit ums „Deutsche“. Alfred Heuß und die Zeitschrift für Musik''. Von Bockel, Hamburg 2003, .
* ''Mit Gustav Mahler in Viersen.'' In: Elke Heidenreich (Ed.), ''Ein Traum von Musik, 46 Liebeserklärungen''. Edition Elke Heidenreich bei C. Bertelsmann, Munich 2010, .
External links
Authors Website
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilmes, Oliver
German biographers
Male biographers
1971 births
Living people
Liszt scholars