Karl Frenzel (writer)

Karl Frenzel

Karl Wilhelm Theodor Frenzel (born December 6, 1827 in Berlin ; † June 10, 1914 there ) was a novelist, essayist and theater critic.

Life

Born in Berlin as the son of a landlord, Frenzel studied philology, philosophy and history here since 1849 , graduated with a doctorate in 1853 and initially worked full-time as a teacher at the Friedrich and Dorotheenstädtische Realschule . At the same time Frenzel published in various magazines; before 1850 he had under the pseudonym Carl Frey in Berlin Figaro published poems and in 1848 the guerrillas of Louise Aston involved. In 1853 he turned to his role model Karl Gutzkow , whom he admired as a versatile writer and first-rate critic, and became one of the most important contributors to Gutzkow's conversations at home . In 1863 he took over the management of this magazine and also published the last volume in 1864. In 1861 he joined the editorial team of the liberal Berliner National-Zeitung , of which he was a head of the feature pages and theater critic until 1908. In addition to Theodor Fontane , who became a theater critic for the Vossische Zeitung in 1870 , Frenzel was regarded by his contemporaries as a leading theater critic in Berlin. His influential position was undisputed for a long time and only weakened when naturalism emerged with Gerhart Hauptmann and others , which Frenzel condemned and opposed in contrast to Fontane. His stage reviews were published under the title: Berlin Dramaturgy Collected.

On Frenzel's 70th birthday in 1897, the Prussian state awarded him the title of professor. Frenzel died on June 10, 1914 in his Berlin apartment at Dessauer Strasse 19 and was buried in the Berlin Invalidenfriedhof on Scharnhorststrasse. The tomb no longer exists.

Artistic creation

As early as 1857 Frenzel had a drama printed ( Attila , only printed as a manuscript), but for good reasons did not embark on the career of a theater poet. He began his independent literary career in 1859 with a collection of historical essays Poets and Women , which was soon followed by other collections of essays and reviews, and volumes of novels and short stories. Frenzel first turned to the genre of the historical novel and wrote a number of short stories, the plot of which is preferably set in the 18th century, during the Enlightenment with its then predominant French education. Later, Frenzel also wrote novels from the present, in which the growing capital of Berlin is the scene of the action. Temporarily (1866–67) Frenzel was also co-editor of the German Museum founded by Robert Eduard Prutz . In 1874 he played a decisive role in the founding of the Deutsche Rundschau of his friend Julius Rodenberg . Many of his novels and short stories were published in this monthly, and he was a speaker for the Berlin stage for many years. Other activities were also important for the literary life of Berlin in the last third of the 19th century. a. Co-founder of the Berlin Press Association, an important member of the Berlin branch of the German Schiller Foundation and a sought-after speaker for various cultural events. He gave the funeral oration at Theodor Fontane's funeral in 1898.

Works (selection)

• Poets and women . Studies. (Hanover 1859–66, 3 vols.)
• Melusine . Novel. (Breslau 1860)
• Vanitas . A novel in 6 books. (Breslau 1861, 3 vols.)
• The three graces . A novel in 3 books. (Breslau. 1862)
• Busts and pictures . Studies. (Hanover 1864)
• Pope Ganganelli . A historical novel in 5 books. (Berlin 1864, 3 vols.)
• Watteau . A novel (Hanover 1864, 2 vols.)
• Charlotte Corday . Historical novel. (Hanover 1864)
• On home soil . New Novellas (Berlin 1866)
• German journeys (Berlin 1868)
• Free ground . Historical novel in 3 books. (Hanover 1868, 3 vols.)
• New Studies (Berlin 1868)
• In the golden age . Novel. (Berlin 1870, 4 vols.)
• La Pucelle . Novel. (Hanover 1871, 3 vols.)
• Secrets . Novellas. (Leipzig 1872, 2 vols.)
• Lucifer . A novel from the Napoleonic era (Leipz. 1873, 5 vols.)
• German fights (Hanover 1874)
• Sylvia . Novel. (Leipzig 1875, 4 vols.)
• Life riddles , novellas (Leipzig 1875, 2 vol.)
• Renaissance and Rococo . Studies. (Berlin 1876)
• Berlin Dramaturgy (Hanover 1877, 2 vols.)
• Mrs. Venus . Novel. (Berlin 1880, 2 vols.),
• The siblings . Novel in four books. (Berlin 1881, 4 vols.)
• The adventure . Narrative. (Leipzig 1882)
• Chambord . Novella. (Berlin 1883)
• Two novellas (Leipzig 1884)
• The House Friend (Leipzig 1884)
• After the first love (Berlin 1884, 2 vol.)
• Money . Novella. (Berlin 1885)
• The weariness of life. A Berlin story (Minden 1886). Digitized Central and State Library Berlin
• Haze . Novel. German publishing house, Stuttgart and Leipzig 1887.
• Beauty . Novella. (Berlin 1887)
• Memories and currents (Leipzig 1887)
• Truth . Novella. (Berlin 1890)
• Collected works (Leipzig 1890–92, 6 vols.)
• The Berlin March Days and Other Memories (Leipzig 1912)

literature

• WB : Haze. About the characteristics of our modern German fiction . In: The new time . Review of intellectual and public life . 6 (1888), No. 1, pp. 34-41. Digitized
• Ernst Wechsler: Karl Frenzel . Leipzig 1891. (Modern literature in individual biographical representations. 1.)
• Horst Ribeiro: The theater critic Karl Frenzel . o. O .: [1953]. 445 signed sheet; [Typ. vervielf.] (Berlin, Freie Univ., Phil. F., Diss. of 6 Nov. 1953)
• Hartmut Baseler: Gerhart Hauptmann's social drama “Before Sunrise” in the mirror of contemporary criticism. A historical model analysis: Karl Frenzel, Theodor Fontane, Karl Bleibtreu, Wilhelm Bölsche . o. O .: 1993. 565 S. (Kiel, Univ., Diss., 1993)
• Wolfgang Rasch (Ed.): "Nothing was fixed to him and everything was problematic". Karl Frenzel's memories of Karl Gutzkow . With some unprinted letters from Gutzkow to Frenzel. Bargfeld, 1994. (Edition in Luttertaler handshake. 6) ISBN 3-928779-07-9
• Nina Peters: “You know this area like Friedrichstrasse.” The writer Karl Frenzel and his relationship with Karl Gutzkow . In: Berliner Hefte on the history of literary life. Berlin. Volume 6, 2004, pp. 85-104. ISSN  0949-5371

Web links

Wikisource: Karl Frenzel  - Sources and full texts

• Frenzel's manuscripts in German-language archives and libraries