:''Simplicissimus is also a name for the 1668 novel

Simplicius Simplicissimus ''Simplicius Simplicissimus'' (german: link=no, Der abenteuerliche Simplicissimus Teutsch) is a picaresque novel of the lower Baroque style, written in 1668 by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen and probably published the same year (althou ...

and its protagonist.'' ''Simplicissimus'' () was a

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

weekly

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

, headquartered in Munich, and founded by

Albert Langen Albert Langen (8 July 1869 – 30 April 1909) was a German publisher and founder of the satirical publication ''Simplicissimus''. Early years Langen was, after Martha and Martin, the third of four children born to Antwerp industrialist Friedrich ...

in April 1896. It continued publishing until 1967, interrupted by a hiatus from 1944–1954, and became a biweekly in 1964. It took its name from the protagonist of

Grimmelshausen Grimmelshausen is a municipality in the district of Hildburghausen, in Thuringia, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe afte ...

's 1668 novel ''

Der Abenteuerliche Simplicissimus Teutsch ''Simplicius Simplicissimus'' (german: link=no, Der abenteuerliche Simplicissimus Teutsch) is a picaresque novel of the lower Baroque style, written in 1668 by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen and probably published the same year (althou ...

''. Combining brash and politically daring content, with a bright, immediate, and surprisingly modern graphic style, ''Simplicissimus'' published the work of writers such as

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 ...

and

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 ...

. Its most reliable targets for caricature were stiff

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

n military figures, and rigid German social and class distinctions as seen from the more relaxed, liberal atmosphere of

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

. Contributors included

Hermann Hesse Hermann Karl Hesse (; 2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include ''Demian'', ''Steppenwolf (novel), Steppenwolf'', ''Siddhartha (novel), Siddhartha'', and ''The Glass Bead Game'', ...

Gustav Meyrink Gustav Meyrink (19 January 1868 – 4 December 1932) was the pseudonym of Gustav Meyer, an Austrian author, novelist, dramatist, translator, and banker, most famous for his novel '' The Golem''. He has been described as the "most respected Germa ...

Fanny zu Reventlow Countess Fanny "Franziska" zu Reventlow (''Fanny Liane Wilhelmine Sophie Auguste Adrienne'') 18 May 1871 – 26 July 1918) was a German writer, artist and translator, who became famous as the "Bohemian Countess" of Schwabing (an entertainment dist ...

Jakob Wassermann __NOTOC__ Jakob Wassermann (10 March 1873 – 1 January 1934) was a German writer and novelist. Life Born in Fürth, Wassermann was the son of a shopkeeper and lost his mother at an early age. He showed literary interest early and published v ...

Frank Wedekind Benjamin Franklin Wedekind (July 24, 1864 – March 9, 1918) was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism and was influential in the de ...

Heinrich Kley Heinrich Kley (15 April 1863 in Karlsruhe – 1945 in Munich) was a German illustrator, editorial illustrator and painter. Kley studied "practical arts" at the Karlsruhe Akademie and finished his studies in Munich. His early works were conventio ...

Alfred Kubin Alfred Leopold Isidor Kubin (10 April 1877 – 20 August 1959) was an Austrian printmaker, illustrator, and occasional writer. Kubin is considered an important representative of Symbolism (arts), Symbolism and Expressionism. Biography Kubin wa ...

Otto Nückel Otto Nückel (Cologne, 6 September 1888 – Cologne, 12 November 1955) was a German painter, graphic designer, illustrator and cartoonist. He is best known as one of the 20th century's pioneer wordless novelists, along with Frans Masereel and Ly ...

, Robert Walser,

Heinrich Zille Rudolf Heinrich Zille (10 January 1858 – 9 August 1929) was a German illustrator, caricaturist, lithographer and photographer. Childhood and education Zille was born in Radeburg near Dresden, son of watchmaker Johann Traugott Zill (''Zille'' s ...

Hugo von Hofmannsthal Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (; 1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist. Early life Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, the son of an upper-class ...

Heinrich Mann Luiz Heinrich Mann (; 27 March 1871 – 11 March 1950), best known as simply Heinrich Mann, was a German author known for his Social criticism, socio-political novels. From 1930 until 1933, he was president of the fine poetry division of the ...

Lessie Sachs Lessie Sachs (1897–1942) was a German-born American poet and artist who was active during World War I and World War II. Biography Lessie Sachs was born in 1897 in Breslau, then a city in the German Empire. She was the only child of neurologist ...

, and

Erich Kästner Emil Erich Kästner (; 23 February 1899 – 29 July 1974) was a German writer, poet, screenwriter and satirist, known primarily for his humorous, socially astute poems and for children's books including '' Emil and the Detectives''. He received ...

. Although the magazine's satirical nature was largely indulged by the German government, an 1898 cover mocking Kaiser Wilhelm's pilgrimage to Palestine resulted in the issue being confiscated. Langen, the publisher, spent five years' exile in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

and was fined 30,000 German

gold marks The German mark (german: Goldmark ; sign: ℳ) was the currency of the German Empire, which spanned from 1871 to 1918. The mark was paired with the minor unit of the pfennig (₰); 100 pfennigs were equivalent to 1 mark. The mark was on the ...

. A six-month prison sentence was given to the cartoonist Heine, and seven months to the writer

. All the defendants were charged with "insulting a royal majesty". Again in 1906 the editor

Ludwig Thoma Ludwig Thoma (; 21 January 1867 in Oberammergau – 26 August 1921 in Tegernsee) was a German author, publisher and editor, who gained popularity through his partially exaggerated description of everyday Bavarian life. After graduation from t ...

was imprisoned for six months for attacking the clergy. These controversies only served to increase circulation, which peaked at about 85,000 copies. Upon Germany's entry into

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 weekly dulled its satirical tone, began supporting the war effort and considered closing down. Thereafter, the strongest political satire expressed in graphics became the province of artists

George Grosz George Grosz (; born Georg Ehrenfried Groß; July 26, 1893 – July 6, 1959) was a German artist known especially for his caricatural drawings and paintings of Berlin life in the 1920s. He was a prominent member of the Berlin Dada and New Objec ...

and

Käthe Kollwitz Käthe Kollwitz ( born as Schmidt; 8 July 1867 – 22 April 1945) was a German artist who worked with painting, printmaking (including etching, lithography and woodcuts) and sculpture. Her most famous art cycles, including ''The Weavers'' and ''T ...

(who were both contributors) and

John Heartfield John Heartfield (born Helmut Herzfeld; 19 June 1891 – 26 April 1968) was a 20th century German visual artist who pioneered the use of art as a political weapon. Some of his most famous photomontages were anti-Nazi and anti-fascist statements ...

. The editor

joined the army in a medical unit in 1917, and lost his taste for satire, denouncing his previous work at the magazine, calling it immature and deplorable. During the

Weimar era The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is als ...

the magazine continued to publish and took a strong stand against extremists on the left and on the right. (A

gallery of cartoons posing the question "What Does Hitler Look Like?" was published on the second page of its 5-28-1923 issue, as there were then no publicly available photographs of

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

.) As the

National Socialists Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

gradually came to power, they issued verbal accusations, attacks, threats and personal intimidation against the artists and writers of ''Simplicissimus'', but they did not ban it. The editor

Thomas Theodor Heine Thomas Theodor Heine (28 February 1867 – 26 January 1948) was a German painter, illustrator and cartoonist. Born in Leipzig, Heine established himself as a gifted caricaturist at an early age, which led to him studying art at the Kunstakademie D ...

, a Jew, was forced to resign and went into exile. Other members of the team, including

Karl Arnold Karl Arnold (21 March 1901 – 29 June 1958) was a German politician. He was Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia from 1947 to 1956. Early life and education Arnold was born in Herrlishöfen in Württemberg on 21 March 1901. He was tra ...

Olaf Gulbransson Olaf Leonhard Gulbransson (26 May 1873 in Oslo18 September 1958 in Tegernsee, West Germany) was a Norwegian people, Norwegian artist, Painting, painter and designer. He is probably best known for his caricatures and illustrations. Biography From ...

, Edward Thöny, Erich Schilling and Wilhelm Schulz remained and toed the Nazi party line, for which they were rewarded by the Nazis. The magazine adopted an aggressive satirical approach towards the Jews during this period in line with the Nazi magazine ''

Die Brennessel ''Die Brennessel'' (German: ''Stinging Nettle'') was a weekly satirical magazine which was published in Munich, Germany, between 1931 and 1938. It was one of the publications which were established to gain popularity among Germans in favor of the ...

''. ''Simplicissimus'' continued publishing, in declining form, until finally ceasing publication in 1944. It was revived from 1954–1967. Other graphic artists associated with the magazine included

Bruno Paul Bruno Paul (19 January 1874 – 17 August 1968) was a German architect, illustrator, interior designer, and furniture designer. Trained as a painter in the royal academy just as the Munich Secession developed against academic art, he first ca ...

Josef Benedikt Engl Josef Benedikt Engl (1867 – 1907), also known as J.B. Engl, was a German caricaturist and illustrator. He was known for his work for the journal ''Simplicissimus'', to which he contributed to all issues until his death. Engl's Work Image:Simp ...

, Rudolf Wilke, Ferdinand von Reznicek,

Joseph Sattler Joseph Kaspar Sattler (20 July 1867, Schrobenhausen - 12 May 1931, Munich) was a German painter, bookplate artist and Art Nouveau illustrator. He is best remembered for his work that appeared in the magazine '' Pan''.

, and

Jeanne Mammen Jeanne Mammen (21 November 1890 – 22 April 1976) was a German painter and illustrator of the Weimar period. Her work is associated with the New Objectivity and Symbolism movements. She is best known for her depictions of strong, sensual women ...

Gallery

File:Angelo Jank Otto Erich Hartleben Grübchen Simplicissimus 1896.jpg, Illustration from 1896. File:Plakat Heine - Simplicissimus 1896.jpg, cover from 1896. Art by Thomas Theodor Heine. File:Hans Rossmann - Simplicissimus Nr. 04, 1898.jpg, Cartoon from 1898. Art by Hans Rossmann. File:Simplicissimus Künstler-Kneipe und Kathi Kobus. Herausgegeben vom Hausdichter Hans Bötticher. München, Selbstverlag 1909.jpg, ''Simplicissimus Künstler-Kneipe und Kathi Kobus. Herausgegeben vom Hausdichter Hans Bötticher'', cover from 1909. With the magazine's iconic bulldog designed by Thomas Theodor Heine. File:Badenummer, Simplicissimus Titelseite 1913, Privatbesitz.jpg, Cover from 1913. Art by Brynolf Wennerberg. File:Otto Lendecke Simplicissimus 1917 Seite 333.jpg, Illustration from 1917. Art by Otto Lendecke. File:Erich Schilling – Hunger und Tod (Hunger and Death) Simplicissimus No. 34 Nov. 19 1923 Satirical cartoon No known copyright (low-res).jpg, Cartoon from 1923. Art by Erich Schilling File:Erich Schilling – Greuel-Lügen, Die trojanische Ente ('Abomination lies') Simplicissimus August 1933 Satirical cartoon No known copyright.jpg, Cover from 1933. Art by Erich Schilling. File:Erich Schilling – Der Straßburger Sender "Nicht entgiftet wird die Atmosphäre, sondern vergiftet!" (The Strasbourg Station) Simplicissimus No. 32 5.11.1933 Satirical cartoon No known copyright (low-res).jpg, Cartoon from 1933. Art by Erich Schilling. File:Erich Schilling – Die Ost-China-Bahn, Ex oriente lux? (The East China railway, skeleton with torch on locomotive) Simplicissimus -25 Sept. 16 1934 Satirical cartoon No known copyright (low-res).jpg, Cartoon from 1934. Art by Erich Schilling. File:Erich Schilling – Die Konkurrenz (The competitors, caricature of Stalin, devil) Simplicissimus 20 May 1943 Satirical cartoon No known copyright (low-res).jpg, Cartoon from 1943. Art by Erich Schilling. File:Erich Schilling – Wer liefert wem? (Who supplies whom? caricatures of Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill) Simplicissimus No. 5 Feb. 1943 Satirical cartoon No known copyright (low-res).jpg, Cartoon from 1943. Art by Erich Schilling.

Notes

External links

*
Simplicissimus.info
Digital archive of back issues from 1896–1944
An academic appreciation of several of its notable illustrators

What Does Hitler Look Like? A satirical gallery from the 5-28-23 105-116 issue, early in Hitler's political career, when there were no publicly available photographs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simplicissimus 1896 establishments in Germany 1967 disestablishments in West Germany Defunct magazines published in Germany Visual arts magazines published in Germany Satirical magazines published in Germany Weekly magazines published in Germany Magazines established in 1896 Magazines disestablished in 1967 Magazines published in Munich Weimar culture Biweekly magazines published in Germany

Gallery

See also

Notes

External links