Karl Wolfskehl (17 September 1869 – 30 June 1948) was a

German Jewish The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (''circa'' 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish ...

author and translator. He wrote poetry, prose and drama in

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 **Ge ...

, and translated from French, English, Italian, Hebrew, Latin and Old/Middle High German into German.

Biography

Wolfskehl's family had a long history in Germany. During the

10th century The 10th century was the period from 901 ( CMI) through 1000 ( M) in accordance with the Julian calendar, and the last century of the 1st millennium. In China the Song dynasty was established. The Muslim World experienced a cultural zenith, ...

, one of his ancestors, a rabbi, had emigrated to Germany from

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

with the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

Otto II Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (''der Rote''), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy ...

. Wolfskehl's ancestors then settled in

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...

, where they lived for the next thousand years. Karl Wolfskehl was born in

Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it the fourth largest city in the state of Hesse ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

, the son of the banker and politician . He studied

Germanic languages The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family spoken natively by a population of about 515 million people mainly in Europe, North America, Oceania and Southern Africa. The most widely spoken Germanic language, ...

and

philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as ...

and a range of humanities courses in

Giessen Giessen, spelled Gießen in German (), is a town in the German state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of both the district of Giessen and the administrative region of Giessen. The population is approximately 90,000, with roughly 37,000 unive ...

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

and

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

. Under

Otto Behaghel Otto Behaghel (May 3, 1854 in Karlsruhe – October 9, 1936 in Munich) was a germanist and professor in Heidelberg, Basel, and Gießen. He added theoretical contributions to the German and Middle High German language. He formulated Behaghel's la ...

, he gained a

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...

with a dissertation on a topic in German mythology. In 1898 he married Hanna de Haan (1878-1946), daughter of the Dutch conductor at the Grand Ducal court theatre at

. They had two daughters, Judith (born 1899) and Renate (born 1901). He defined himself by pride in his German Jewish faith and heritage as well as in his roots in

German literature German literature () comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy and to a less ...

and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

. He developed a lasting friendship with the poet

Stefan George Stefan Anton George (; 12 July 18684 December 1933) was a German symbolist poet and a translator of Dante Alighieri, William Shakespeare, Hesiod, and Charles Baudelaire. He is also known for his role as leader of the highly influential literary ...

and was a leading figure in the poet's circle of friends and followers. With the philosopher

Ludwig Klages Friedrich Konrad Eduard Wilhelm Ludwig Klages (10 December 1872 – 29 July 1956) was a German philosopher, psychologist, graphologist, poet, writer, and lecturer, who was a two-time nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature. In the Germanosp ...

and the

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

Alfred Schuler Wolfskehl Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

formed the short-lived so-called

Munich Cosmic Circle The Munich Cosmic Circle was a group of writers and intellectuals in Munich, Germany at the turn of the 20th century, founded by esotericist Alfred Schuler (1865–1923), philosopher Ludwig Klages (1872–1956), and poet Karl Wolfskehl (1869–194 ...

around 1900. His family's wealth allowed Wolfskehl to pursue an independent career devoted to his literary, intellectual, and art related interests. Holding a jour fixe at his house, Wolfskehl became a central personality in the literary bohemia in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

's borough of

Schwabing Schwabing is a borough in the northern part of Munich, the capital of the German state of Bavaria. It is part of the city borough 4 (Schwabing-West) and the city borough 12 (Schwabing-Freimann). The population of Schwabing is estimated about 100 ...

during the last two decades of the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

. Amongst his friends and associates were

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 recogn ...

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 novell ...

Wassily Kandinsky Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky (; rus, Василий Васильевич Кандинский, Vasiliy Vasilyevich Kandinskiy, vɐˈsʲilʲɪj vɐˈsʲilʲjɪvʲɪtɕ kɐnʲˈdʲinskʲɪj; – 13 December 1944) was a Russian painter a ...

Franz Marc Franz Moritz Wilhelm Marc (8 February 1880 – 4 March 1916) was a German painter and printmaker, one of the key figures of German Expressionism. He was a founding member of '' Der Blaue Reiter'' (The Blue Rider), a journal whose name later ...

Paul Klee Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented ...

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 and Expressionism. Biography Kubin was born in Bohemia ...

and

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 ...

. In 1915, Wolfskehl bought an estate at Kiechlinsbergen an der Kaiserstuhl, in the

wine country Wine Country is the region of California, in the northern San Francisco Bay Area, known worldwide as a premier wine-growing region. The region is famed for its wineries, its cuisine, Michelin star restaurants, boutique hotels, luxury resor ...

of the

Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918. It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subs ...

. He and his family moved there in 1919 after he lost his family fortune due to the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and the ensuing

inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reduct ...

. He was forced to earn a living as a tutor in Italy and as an editor, cultural journalist and translator in Munich. In 1933 appalled by

Hitler's rise to power Adolf Hitler's rise to power began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919 when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He rose to a place of prominence in the early years of the party. B ...

, Wolfskehl left Germany for

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 ...

the day after the

Reichstag fire The Reichstag fire (german: Reichstagsbrand, ) was an arson attack on the Reichstag building, home of the German parliament in Berlin, on Monday 27 February 1933, precisely four weeks after Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of ...

. Following

's death on December 3, 1933, Wolfskehl and fellow Jewish member of the ''George-Kreis''

Ernst Morwitz Ernst Morwitz (September 13, 1887 – September 20, 1971) was a German-American poet, literary historian, and judge. Born in Danzig in 1887, after studying law at Freiburg, Heidelberg, and Berlin, Morwitz served as a judge in Fürstenwalde from 1 ...

were informed and attended the Master's funeral in

Minusio Minusio is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. History In the Ceresole section, a significant Iron Age necropolis (c. 6th-5th century BC) was discovered. It held about 20 graves and rich grave goods. ...

. Wolfskehl moved on to

in 1934. During his years as a refugee, Karl Wolfskehl became a central figure in the

anti-Nazi Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...

literary movement with

known as ''

Exilliteratur German ''Exilliteratur'' (, ''exile literature'') is the name for works of German literature written in the German diaspora by refugee authors who fled from Nazi Germany, Nazi Austria, and the occupied territories between 1933 and 1945. These dis ...

''. In defiance of what Peter Hoffmann calls the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...

s, "absurd efforts", to exclude him from the

German people , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

, Wolfskehl often said that wherever he was, there was the German ''Geist'' ("Spirit"). Also in 1934, Wolfskehl published a collection of poems titled, ''Die Stimme Spricht'' ("A Voice Speaks"), in which he affirmed his belief in

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...

and warned of the impending dangers posed by the Nazis. Some fellow members of the ''

George-Kreis The George-Kreis (; George Circle) was an influential German literary group centred on the charismatic author Stefan George. Formed in the late 19th century, when George published a new literary magazine called ''Blätter für die Kunst'', the gro ...

'', however, feared that Wolfskehl's denunciations of

Nazism 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) i ...

might put every other member of the Circle in very real physical danger. In 1938, due to the rapprochement between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, he moved to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

with his partner Margot Ruben (1908–1980). There he became a staunch friend of the conductor

Georg Tintner Georg Tintner, (22 May 19172 October 1999) was an Austrian conductor whose career was principally in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Although best known as a conductor, he was also a composer (he considered himself a composer who conducted) ...

, also a refugee from Nazi Austria. He was granted New Zealand citizenship after

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and remained there until his death in 1948.Tanya Buchdahl Tintner, ''Out of Time: The Vexed Life of Georg Tintner'', p. 63

Works (selection)

* ''Ulais.'' 1897. * ''Gesammelte Dichtungen.'' 1903. * ''Maskenzug.'' 1904. * ''Saul.'' 1905. * (with Friedrich von der Leyen) ''Älteste Deutsche Dichtungen.'' 1908 (translations). * ''Sanctus.'' 1909. * ''Gedichte des Archipoeta an Kaiser Friedrich Barbarossa und seinen Kanzler: nach Jakob Grimms Ausgabe.'' 1921 (translation). * ''de Coster, Charles: Die Geschichte von Ulenspiegel und Lamme Goedzak und ihren heldenmäßigen, fröhlichen und glorreichen Abenteueren im Lande Flandern und anderwärts.'' München 1926 (translation). * (with Curt Sigmar Gutkind) ''Das Buch vom Wein.'' 1927 (translations). * ''Der Umkreis.'' 1927. * ''Bild und Gesetz. Gesammelte Abhandlungen'' 1930. * ''Die Stimme spricht.'' 1934/1936. * ''An die Deutschen.'' 1947. posthumously published: * ''Hiob oder Die vier Spiegel.'' 1950. * ''Sang aus dem Exil.'' 1950. * ''Gesammelte Werke. 2 Vol.'' 1960. * ''Briefwechsel aus Neuseeland 1938-1948. 2 Vol.'' Ed. C. Blasberg'' 1988. * ''Briefwechsel aus Italien 1933–1938.'' Ed. C. Blasberg'' 1993. * ''Von Menschen und Mächten. Stefan George, Karl und Hanna Wolfskehl. Der Briefwechsel 1892-1933.'' Ed. B. Wägenbaur and U. Oelmann, 2015 * ''Three Worlds / Drei Welten. Selected Poems. German and English.'' Transl. and ed. by A. P. Wood and F. Voit. 2016 * ''Poetry and Exile. Letters from New Zealand 1938-1948.'' Ed. and transl. By N. Wattie. 2017

References

Sources

* Norman Franke, ‘''Jüdisch, römisch, deutsch zugleich…’? Eine Untersuchung der literarischen Selbstkonstruktion Karl Wolfskehls unter besonderer Berücksichtigung seiner Exillyrik.'' Universitätsverlag Winter, Heidelberg 2006, (German) * Norman Franke, ’"Mirobuk!"Karl Wolfskehl als satirische Romangestalt'. In: ''Studia Niemcoznawcze, Studien zur Deutschkunde.'' (Vol. XXXI., Warsaw, 2005), pp. 339 - 360 (German) * Norman Franke, 'The last European and the first New Zealander'. In: ''SPAN'', Brisbane, Hamilton 1998/99, pp. 57 – 71 * Manfred Schlösser, ''Karl Wolfskehl 1869-1948. Leben und Werk in Dokumenten'', Darmstadt: Agora Verlag, 1969 (German) * Manfred Schlösser, ''Karl Wolfskehl – Bibliographie'', Darmstadt: Erato-Presso (AGORA Verlag), 1971, (German) * Elke-Vera Kotowski, Gert Mattenklott: ''"O dürft ich Stimme sein, das Volk zu rütteln!" Leben und Werk von Karl Wolfskehl'' Olms, Hildesheim 2007, (German) * Friedrich Voit: ''Karl Wolfskehl. A Poet in Exile.'' Cold Hub Press, Lyttelton / Christchurch 2019,

External links

- 1869 births 1948 deaths Writers from Darmstadt Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to Italy German poets German translators English–German translators French–German translators Hebrew–German translators Italian–German translators Latin–German translators German male poets German male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century German dramatists and playwrights German male non-fiction writers Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to New Zealand {{Germany-translator-stub