On the Chimborazo

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The last of the six “German pieces” by Tankred Dorst is on the Chimborazo . It was premiered on January 23, 1975 in the Schlosspark Theater Berlin under the direction of Dieter Dorn . In his revision in 1977, the author withdrew the genre designation " Comedy " from the 1975 publication year.

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The story of Dorothea Merz from the novel of the same name is continued. Dorothea paints a pink-red picture of her two capable sons Heinrich and Tilmann. The latter dismantle the incorrect portrayal of the dear mother.

The Merz family of manufacturers in the GDR has since been expropriated, has left its headquarters in Grünitz and lives in the FRG .

As children, Heinrich and Tilmann had occasionally taken a look south from Grünitz. In the distance the boys had spotted a single mountain, which they had named Chimborazo , based on an adventure book . The Merz family climbed this mountain and want to light a fire after dusk, which the poor GDR citizens can see from Grünitz.

The mother Dorothea is happy because the sons found time for her once. Tilmann has to achieve a lot in his responsible position as a scientist at the university library. Heinrich also had duties and responsibilities. He purposefully did his doctorate on Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz . Heinrich frankly admits that two years ago he stopped working on his dissertation and is making his way through the professions of tour guide and waiter. Since Heinrich is once about to tell the truth, he makes it clear that the scholar Tilmann only sorts books in the library cellar. The mother cries and says: “You have ruined everything for me.” Dorothea Merz had already cried when she came to Germany and finally became a free person.

It's about the poor people mentioned above in the Eastern Zone, for whom the beautiful BRD mountain remains inaccessible. Dorotha speaks of herself and her own people: "We have become very poor people." And the view from this Chimborazo northwards towards Grünitz suddenly appears as something like homesickness for a lost world that Dorothea has had since her arrival in Grünitz wanted to hold on.

shape

Anyone who knows the other five “German Pieces” will learn some - sometimes surprising - details in the sixth piece, “Chimborazo”. Klara has always been hard of hearing. She went to the same school class with Dorothea's future husband Rudolf Merz. After the 1933 election , Klara joined the NSDAP the very next day out of sheer fear .

Then Dorothea gives a value judgment on the communist theater director Herzog from the " villa ". He was a "terrible actor".

Heinrich makes himself smaller than he is. With the quote from Gryphius "until the found death makes you free from madness" he identifies himself as a poet in the Merz family, who puts his finger on the wound. The wound in the "German Pieces" has been open since the fateful guilt of World War II .

interpretation

Under the impression of the revelations in the play “Chimborazo”, all six “German plays” taken together can appear as something like a novel of development - albeit a development into “nothing”, as Heinrich admits. That fatal development affects all members of the Merz family. However, in the film “Mosch” the name Arno Frühwaldt would have to be replaced by Heinrich Merz. That is not as absurd as it might seem at first glance. Because in the piece “Chimborazo” there is talk of Dorothea's cousin Paul from Wuppertal . The latter plays a role in "Mosch". Paul is allowed to live there rent-free at his grandfather's disposal. In addition, the “German Pieces” must also be taken as Klara Falk's development novel.

reception

In Barner's literary history, a "metarealistic poetic process" is noted.

Adaptations

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literature

  • Tankred Dorst: On the Chimborazo. A comedy. Collaboration with Ursula Ehler. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1975. First edition. 69 pages

Used edition

Secondary literature

Web links

Footnotes

Partly in English

  1. ^ Günther Erken bei Arnold, p. 86, left column, last entry and edition used, p. 613 below
  2. ↑ Dorst means his place of birth Oberlind .
  3. ↑ Dorst refers to the Muppberg , which protrudes south of Sonneberg from the Linder plain .
  4. ↑ Edition used, p. 564, 14. Zvo
  5. ↑ Edition used, p. 598, 1. Zvu
  6. ↑ Edition used, p. 585, 19. Zvu
  7. ↑ Edition used, p. 583
  8. ↑ Edition used, p. 588, 15. Zvo
  9. ↑ Edition used, p. 597, 6. Zvo, see also Gryphius anno 1658 : Heading to the Temple of Mortality
  10. ↑ Edition used, p. 595, 1. Zvu
  11. ↑ Edition used, p. 593, 15. Zvu
  12. ↑ Edition used, p. 469, 2nd Zvu
  13. ↑ Barner, p. 678, 11. Zvu
  14. ↑ eng. Metarealism
  15. ^ Günther Erken in Arnold, p. 86, right column above