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Nicolaas Thomas Bernhard (; 9 February 1931 – 12 February 1989) was an Austrian
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 ...
who explored death, social injustice, and human misery in controversial literature that was deeply pessimistic about modern civilization in general and Austrian culture in particular. Bernhard's body of work has been called "the most significant literary achievement since
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 widely considered to be one of the most important German-language authors of the postwar era.


Life

Thomas Bernhard was born in 1931 in
Heerlen Heerlen (; li, Heële ) is a city and a municipality in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is the third largest settlement proper in the province of Limburg. Measured as municipality, it is the fourth municipality in the province of Limburg ...
in the Netherlands, where his unmarried mother Herta Bernhard worked as a maid. From the autumn of 1931 he lived with his grandparents in Vienna until 1937 when his mother, who had married in the meantime, moved him to
Traunstein Traunstein (Central Bavarian: ''Traunstoa'') is a town in the south-eastern part of Bavaria, Germany, and is the administrative center of a much larger district of the same name. The town serves as a local government, retail, health services, ...
,
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, in
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. There he was required to join the ''
Deutsches Jungvolk The ''Deutsches Jungvolk in der Hitlerjugend'' (; DJ, also DJV; German for "German Youngsters in the Hitler Youth") was the separate section for boys aged 10 to 13 of the Hitler Youth organisation in Nazi Germany. Through a programme of outdoor a ...
'', a branch of the
Hitler Youth The Hitler Youth (german: Hitlerjugend , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth organisation of the Nazi Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. ...
, which he hated. Bernhard's natural father Alois Zuckerstätter was a carpenter and petty criminal who refused to acknowledge his son. Zuckerstätter died in Berlin from gas poisoning in an assumed suicide in 1940; Bernhard never met him. Bernhard's grandfather, the author , pushed for an artistic education for him, including musical instruction. Bernhard went to elementary school in Seekirchen and later attended various schools in Salzburg including the ''Johanneum'' which he left in 1947 to start an
apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners ...
with a
grocer A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, a ...
.
George Steiner Francis George Steiner, FBA (April 23, 1929 – February 3, 2020) was a Franco-American literary critic, essayist, philosopher, novelist, and educator. He wrote extensively about the relationship between language, literature and society, and the ...
describes Bernhard's schooling as "hideous... under a sadistically repressive system, run first by Catholic priests, then by Nazis". Bernhard's ''Lebensmensch'' (a predominantly Austrian term, which was coined by Bernhard himself and which refers to the most important person in one's life) was Hedwig Stavianicek (1894–1984), a woman more than thirty-seven years his senior, whom he cared for alone in her dying days. He had met Stavianicek in 1950, the year of his mother's death and one year after the death of his beloved grandfather. Stavianicek was the major support in Bernhard's life and greatly furthered his literary career. The extent or nature of his relationships with women is obscure. Thomas Bernhard's public persona was asexual. Suffering throughout his teens from lung ailments, including
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
, Bernhard spent the years 1949 to 1951 at the Grafenhof
sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...
in
Sankt Veit im Pongau Sankt Veit im Pongau is a market town in the St. Johann im Pongau district in the Austrian state of Salzburg. St.Veit is the first healthy climate spa town in Salzburg. Submontane to the "Hochglocker" there is the 1912 founded sanatorium. Author ...
. He trained as an actor at the
Mozarteum Mozarteum University Salzburg (German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the “Mozarteum” moniker in Salzburg municipality; the International Mo ...
in
Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...
(1955–1957) and was always profoundly interested in music. His lung condition, however, made a career as a singer impossible. After that he worked briefly as a journalist, mainly as a crime reporter, and then became a full-time writer. In 1970, he won the
Georg Büchner Prize The Georg Büchner Prize (german: link=no, Georg-Büchner-Preis) is the most important literary prize for German language literature, along with the Goethe Prize. The award is named after dramatist and writer Georg Büchner, author of '' Woyzeck ...
. In 1978, Bernhard was diagnosed with
sarcoidosis Sarcoidosis (also known as ''Besnier-Boeck-Schaumann disease'') is a disease involving abnormal collections of inflammatory cells that form lumps known as granulomata. The disease usually begins in the lungs, skin, or lymph nodes. Less commonly a ...
. After a decade of needing constant medical care for his lungs, he died in 1989 in
Gmunden Gmunden () is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden (district), Gmunden. It has 13,204 inhabitants (estimates 2016 ). It is much frequented as a health and summer resort, and has a variety of lake, brine, vegetable and pine-c ...
,
Upper Austria Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, a ...
. Although there have been claims that he died by assisted suicide, contemporaneous obituaries reported, and Bernhard's half-brother, Dr. Peter Fabjan, confirmed that Bernhard had a heart attack. His death was announced only after his funeral. In his will, which aroused great controversy on publication, Bernhard prohibited any new stagings of his plays and
publication To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Conve ...
of his unpublished work in Austria; however, in 1999 this was annulled by his heir, Peter Fabjan. Bernhard's attractive house in Ohlsdorf-Obernathal 2 where he had moved in 1965 is now a museum and centre for the study and performance of his work.


Work

Often criticized in Austria as a ''Nestbeschmutzer'' (one who dirties his own nest) for his critical views, Bernhard was highly acclaimed abroad. Nevertheless, while reviled by some Austrians for his outspoken and harsh views of his homeland, including its Nazi past, he was, during his lifetime, also highly acclaimed in Austria, winning major awards, and was seen by many as the preeminent writer of the time. His work is most influenced by the feeling of being abandoned (in his childhood and youth) and by his incurable illness, which caused him to see death as the ultimate essence of existence. His work typically features loners' monologues explaining, to a rather silent listener, their views on the state of the world, often with reference to a concrete situation and sometimes reported secondhand by the listener. Alongside his serious and pessimistic views, his works also contain funny observations on life. Bernhard is often considered a verbose writer, but Andreas Dorschel has broadened this view by showing that Bernhard's characters (specifically in ''Das Kalkwerk'') oscillate between excessive speech and highly economical expressions. As Dorschel argues, the two modes produce a series of oppositions with mutually informing sides. Bernhard's main protagonists, often scholars or, as he calls them, ''Geistesmenschen'' (intellectuals), denounce everything that matters to the Austrian in
contumacy Contumacy is a stubborn refusal to obey authority or, particularly in law, the willful contempt of the order or summons of a court (see contempt of court). The term is derived from the Latin word ''contumacia'', meaning firmness or stubbornness. I ...
-filled tirades against a "stupid populace". He also attacks the state (often called "Catholic-National-Socialist"), generally respected institutions such as Vienna's Burgtheater, and much-loved artists. His work also deals with the isolation and self-destruction of people striving for an unreachable perfection, since this same perfection would mean stagnancy and therefore death.
Anti-Catholic Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics or opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and/or its adherents. At various points after the Reformation, some majority Protestant states, including England, Prussia, Scotland, and the Uni ...
rhetoric is not uncommon. "Es ist alles lächerlich, wenn man an den Tod denkt" (It's all ridiculous, when one thinks of death) was his comment when he received a minor Austrian national award in 1968, which resulted in one of the many public scandals he caused over the years and which became part of his fame. His novel ''Holzfällen'' (1984), for instance, could not be published for years because of a defamation claim by a former friend. Many of his plays—above all ''Heldenplatz'' (1988)—were met with criticism from many Austrians, who claimed they sullied Austria's reputation. One of the more controversial lines referred to Austria as "a brutal and stupid nation ... a mindless, cultureless sewer which spreads its penetrating stench all over Europe." ''Heldenplatz'', as well as the other plays Bernhard wrote in these years, were staged at Vienna's famous Burgtheater by the controversial director . Even in death Bernhard caused disturbance by his ''
posthumous Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' ...
literary
emigration Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
'', as he supposedly called it, by which his will disallowed all publication and stagings of his work within Austria. The International Thomas Bernhard Foundation, established by his executor and half-brother Dr. Peter Fabjan, has since made exceptions, although the German firm of Suhrkamp remains his principal publisher. The correspondence between Bernhard and his publisher Siegfried Unseld from 1961 to 1989 – about 500 letters – was published in December 2009 at Suhrkamp Verlag, Germany.


Bibliography


Novels

* ''
Frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
'' (1963). Translated by
Michael Hofmann Michael Hofmann (born 25 August 1957) is a German-born poet who writes in English and is a translator of texts from German. Biography Hofmann was born in Freiburg into a family with a literary tradition. His father was the German novelist Ger ...
(2006). *'' Verstörung'' (1967). ''Gargoyles'', translated by
Richard and Clara Winston Richard Winston (1917 – December 22, 1979) and Clara Brussel Winston (1921 – November 7, 1983), were prominent American translators of German works into English.Fraser, C. Gerald (5 January 1980)Richard Winston, 62, Translator of Books from Ger ...
(1970). *'' Das Kalkwerk'' (1970). ''The Lime Works'', translated by
Sophie Wilkins Sophie is a version of the female given name Sophia, meaning "wise". People with the name Born in the Middle Ages * Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson * Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess of ...
(1973). *'' Korrektur'' (1975)''. Correction'', translated by Sophie Wilkins (1979). *'' Ja'' (1978''). Yes'', translated by
Ewald Osers Ewald Osers (13 May 1917 – 11 October 2011) was a Czech translator and poet born in Prague, Austria-Hungary. Career He translated several important Czech poetry works of the 20th century into English, including Jaroslav Seifert, Vítězsla ...
(1991). *''Die Billigesser'' (1980). ''The Cheap-Eaters'', translated by Ewald Osers (1990) and Douglas Robertson (2021). *'' Beton'' (1982)'', Concrete'', translated by David McLintock (1984). *'' Wittgensteins Neffe. Eine Freundschaft'' (1982)''. Wittgenstein's Nephew'', translated by Ewald Osers (1986) and David McLintock (1989). *'' Der Untergeher'' (1983). ''The Loser'', translated by Jack Dawson (1991). *'' Holzfällen. Eine Erregung'' (1984)''.'' Translated by David McLintock as ''Woodcutters'' (1987) and Ewald Osers as ''Cutting Timber: An Irritation'' (1988). *'' Alte Meister. Komödie'' (1985)''. Old Masters: A Comedy'', translated by Ewald Osers (1989). *'' Auslöschung. Ein Zerfall'' (1986)''. Extinction'', translated by David McLintock (1995). *'' In der Höhe. Rettungsversuch, Unsinn'' (written 1959, published 1989)''. On the Mountain'', translated by Russell Stockman (1991).


Novellas and short story collections

*''Amras'' (1964). *''Watten. Ein Nachlaß'' (1964). ''Playing Watten''. *''Prosa'' (1967). ''Prose'', translated by Martin Chalmers (Seagull Books, 2010). Includes seven stories. *''Gehen'' (1971). ''Walking''. *''Midland in Stilfs'' (1971). Includes three stories: "Midland in Stilfs", "Der Wetterfleck", and "Am Ortler". *' (1978). ''The Voice Imitator: 104 Stories'', translated by Kenneth J. Northcott (1997). *''Goethe schtirbt'' (2010). ''Goethe Dies'', translated by James Reidel (Seagull Books, 2016). Includes four stories from the early 1980s.


Plays

*''Ein Fest für Boris'' (1968). ''A Party for Boris''. *''Die Jagdgesellschaft'' (1974). ''The Hunting Party'', translated by Gita Honegger (1980). *''Die Macht der Gewohnheit. Komödie'' (1974). ''The Force of Habit: A Comedy'', translated by Neville and Stephen Plaice (1976). *''Der Präsident'' (1975). ''The President''. *''Minetti. Ein Portrait des Künstlers als alter Mann'' (1977). ''Minetti'', translated by Gita Honegger (2000) as well as Tom Cairns and Peter Eyre (2014). * ' (1978). First performed on 15 April 1978, directed by Claus Peymann at the Staatstheater Stuttgart. *''Der Weltverbesserer'' (1979). ''The World-Fixer'', translated by Josef Glowa, Donald McManus and Susan Hurly-Glowa (2005). *''Vor dem Ruhestand. Eine Komödie von deutscher Seele'' (1979). ''Eve of Retirement''. *''Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh'' (1981). ''Over All the Mountain Tops'', translated by Michael Mitchell (2004). *'' Am Ziel'' (1981). ''Destination'', translated by Jan-Willem van den Bosch (2001). *''Der deutsche Mittagstisch'' (1981). ''The German Lunch Table'', translated by Gita Honegger (1981). *''Der Schein trügt'' (1983). ''Appearances Are Deceiving'', translated by Gita Honegger (1983). *''
Der Theatermacher ''Der Theatermacher'' (''The Showman'' in Eng.) is a play written by Austrian author Thomas Bernhard in 1984. Content The play is about an actor called Bruscon from the state theater, who stops in the small village of Utzbach on tour to perfor ...
'' (1984). ''Histrionics''. *''Ritter, Dene, Voss'' (1984). *''Einfach kompliziert'' (1986). ''Simply Complicated''. *''Elisabeth II'' (1987). ''Elizabeth II,'' translated by Meredith Oakes (1992). *''
Heldenplatz Heldenplatz (german: Heroes' Square) is a public space in front of the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Located in the Innere Stadt borough, the President of Austria resides in the adjoining Hofburg wing, while the Federal Chancellery is on adj ...
'' (1988). Translated by Gita Honegger (1999) as well as Andrea Tierney and Meredith Oakes (2010). *''Claus Peymann kauft sich eine Hose und geht mit mir essen'' (1990). ''Claus Peymann Buys Himself a Pair of Pants and Joins Me for Lunch'', translated by Damion Searls (1990).


Miscellaneous

*''Auf der Erde und in der Hölle'' (1957). ''On Earth and in Hell: Early Poems'', translated by Peter Waugh (Three Rooms Press, 2015). *''Viktor Halbnarr. Ein Wintermärchen nicht nur für Kinder'' (1966). ''Victor Halfwit: A Winter's Tale'', translated by Martin Chalmers (Seagull Books, 2011). *''Meine Preise'' (2009). ''My Prizes: An Accounting'', translated by Carol Brown Janeway (2010).


Compilations in English

* ''The President and Eve of Retirement'' (1982). Collects ''The President'' and ''Eve of Retirement''; translated by Gitta Honegger. *''Gathering Evidence'' (1985, memoir). Collects ''Die Ursache'' (1975), ''Der Keller'' (1976), ''Der Atem'' (1978), ''Die Kälte'' (1981) and ''Ein Kind'' (1982); translated by David McLintock. * ''Histrionics: Three Plays'' (1990). Collects ''A Party for Boris''; ''Ritter, Dene, Voss''; and ''Histrionics''; translated by Peter Jansen and Kenneth Northcott. * ''Three Novellas'' (2003). Collects ''Amras'', ''Playing Watten'' and ''Walking''; translated by Peter Jansen and Kenneth J. Northcott. *''In Hora Mortis / Under the Iron of the Moon'' (2006, poetry). Collects ''In Hora Mortis'' (1958) and ''Unter dem Eisen des Mondes'' (1958); translated by James Reidel. *''Collected Poems'' (2017). Translated by James Reidel. *''The Rest Is Slander: Five Stories'' (2022). Collects "Ungenach" (1968), "The Weatherproof Cape" ("Der Wetterfleck", 1971), "Midland in Stilfs" (1971), "At the Ortler" ("Am Ortler", 1971), and "At the Timberline" ("An der Baumgrenze", 1969); translated by Douglas Robertson.


References


Sources


Website dedicated to Thomas Bernhard: works, essays, reviews
* List of works from the German Wikipedia entry
Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz in the press
(German)


Random Evidence on Thomas Bernhard


Further reading

*
Theo Breuer Theo Breuer (born 30 March 1956) is a German poet, essayist, editor, translator and publisher. Life and work Theo Breuer was born in Bürvenich, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany and educated at Cologne University where he studied German an ...

Die Arbeit als Leidenschaft, die fortgesetzte Partitur als Leben. Hommage zum 80. Geburtstag
* Samuel Frederick, ''Narratives Unsettled: Digression in Robert Walser, Thomas Bernhard, and Adalbert Stifter''. Evanston, Ill: Northwestern University Press, 2012. * Gitta Honegger, ''Thomas Bernhard: The Making of an Austrian'', New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2001, . * Kay Link, ''Die Welt als Theater. Künstlichkeit und Künstlertum bei Thomas Bernhard''. Akademischer Verlag Stuttgart, Stuttgart 2000, . * Jonathan J. Long, ''The Novels of Thomas Bernhard: Form and its Function'', Rochester, NY: Camden House Inc., 2001, . * ''Thomas Bernhard: 3 Days, From the film by Ferry Radax'', Blast Books, 2016, . * Fatima Naqvi, ''How We Learn Where We Live: Thomas Bernhard, Architecture, and Bildung'', Northwestern University Press, Evanston, Illinois, 2015. Reviews * Baskin, Jason M., "Thomas Bernhard," ''Boston Review'', Summer 2002). Review of Gitta Honegger's biography and three books by Bernhard. * Craft, Robert, "The Comedian of Horror," ''The New York Review of Books'', Sept. 27, 1990. Review of ten books by Bernhard. * Review of ''Concrete''.


Films

* Ferry Radax: ''Thomas Bernhard – Drei Tage'' (Thomas Bernhard – three days, 1970). Directed by Ferry Radax and based on a written self-portrait by Thomas Bernhard. * Ferry Radax: ''Der Italiener'' (The Italian, 1972), a feature film directed by Ferry Radax and based on a script by Thomas Bernhard.


External links

* * *
Five stories
from ''The Voice Imitator''.
Shooting of "Monologe auf Mallorca"
Pictures by Stephan Mussil


''Bernhardiana'', a critical anthology on/of Thomas Bernhard
(English/Italian)

1986 interview with Thomas Bernhard
An essay
on ''Wittgenstein's Nephew'' by
Ben Lerner Benjamin S. Lerner (born February 4, 1979) is an American poet, novelist, essayist, and critic. He has been a Fulbright Scholar, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, a finalist for the National Book Award, a finalist for the National Bo ...
in ''
The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication i ...
'', September 20, 2019
"The Genius of Bad News"
Tim Parks Timothy Harold Parks (born 19 December 1954) is a British novelist, translator, author and professor of literature. Career He is the author of eighteen novels (notably ''Europa'', which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1997). His first ...
, ''
The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of i ...
'', January 11, 2007
"The Darkest Comedian,"
Adam Kirsch Adam Kirsch (born 1976) is an American poet and literary critic. He is on the seminar faculty of Columbia University's Center for American Studies, and has taught at YIVO. Life and career Kirsch was born in Los Angeles in 1976. He is the son of ...
, ''The New York Review of Books'', February 10, 2011
Sound recordings with Thomas Bernhard
in the Online Archive of the
Österreichische Mediathek The Österreichische Mediathek ("Austrian Mediathek") is the Austrian archive for sound recordings and videos on cultural and contemporary history. It was founded in 1960 as Österreichische Phonothek (Austrian Phonothek) by the Ministry of Educat ...
(Literary readings, interviews and radio reports) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bernhard, Thomas 1931 births 1989 deaths People from Heerlen 20th-century Austrian novelists Austrian male novelists Austrian male dramatists and playwrights Austrian expatriates in the Netherlands Austrian people of Dutch descent Anton Wildgans Prize winners Prix Médicis étranger winners Georg Büchner Prize winners Members of the German Academy for Language and Literature 20th-century Austrian dramatists and playwrights German-language poets Austrian male poets 20th-century Austrian male writers Philosophical pessimists Hitler Youth members