The Nibelungs (Hebbel)

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Data
Title: the Nibelungen
Genus: Tragedy in three departments
Original language: German
Author: Friedrich Hebbel
Literary source: Nibelungenlied
Publishing year: 1861
Premiere: January 31, 1861 first and second departments, and May 16-18, 1861 including third department under the management of Franz von Dingelstedt
Place of premiere: Grand Ducal Court Theater Weimar
Place and time of the action: Worms , Isenland , Etzels Burg and others; 6th century
people
Friedrich Hebbel "The Nibelungs" (school edition around 1900, Vienna / Brno)
Johann Heinrich Füssli : Kriemhild throws herself on the dead Siegfried (1817)

The Nibelungen is a German tragedy in three sections and was originally intended to be performed on two evenings. The individual departments are called: The Horned Siegfried, Siegfried's Death and Kriemhild's Vengeance. Friedrich Hebbel wrote the drama in the years from 1850 to 1860. It is one of the most highly regarded adaptations of the Nibelung material in the theater subject.

action

The Horned Siegfried

Foreplay in one act

Stagnation and boredom rule at the court of the Burgundian King Gunther in Worms . It is Easter Sunday and hunting is prohibited. A song by the minstrel Volker is supposed to provide entertainment. It's about the beautiful but invincible Brunhild . It is clear to Gunther that he wants this woman. In this situation the hero Siegfried comes to the court of the Nibelungs . He is young, full of energy, strong as a bear and wants to compete with anyone who gets in his way. There is a competition. Throwing stones is meant to avoid a sword fight. Siegfried defeats Gunther and his brothers Gernot and Giselher . He sees Kriemhild , Gunther's sister, and falls in love with her. After the victory, Siegfried tells of his heroic deeds: About how he obtained the Balmung sword and the Nibelungen hoard, including a cloak of invisibility, and how he killed a dragon . He tells of the bath in the dragon's blood, which made his skin invulnerable and gives him the opportunity to understand the language of birds. The birds took him to Isenland , where he saw Brunhild unseen, but did not want to fight her. The Burgundians also find out about his loneliness. Gunther wants to use the situation for himself. He proposes a pact to Siegfried: Siegfried should help Gunther to make Brunhild his wife, but this will not stand in the way of Siegfried's marriage to Kriemhild. Confidentiality is agreed. Gunther, his brother Gernot, Gunther's uncle Hagen von Tronje and Siegfried set off together for Isenland, Brunhild's home.

Siegfried's death

Tragedy in five acts

Brunhild receives the warriors and makes it clear that no one will leave Isenland alive if they are not defeated. Since Gunther does not have the strength to do this, Siegfried fights for him under the invisibility cloak . Brunhild, who does not notice the deception, has to move with Gunther. Siegfried hurries ahead to Worms to announce the arrival of Brunhild. On this occasion he saw Kriemhild longer for the first time and obtained a favor from her. He is also introduced to her mother. With the arrival of the other Isenland riders, discordant tones mix in the scene. The belligerent Brunhild does not want to join the courtyard. Hagen points out an additional problem to Siegfried: Gunther cannot assert his claims against Brunhild in bed. Siegfried has to help again. He is supposed to use his magic hat to make Brunhild docile on the wedding night. Again, absolute silence is agreed. Hagen states: "The fourth in our league is death". In the scramble, Siegfried snatches a belt from Brunhild, which then ends up in Kriemhild's hands. Kriemhild confronts Siegfried. Siegfried then tells her about Gunther's disgrace and his part in the story. A scandal breaks out at the church gate of Worms Cathedral . In the dispute over the right of way into the interior of the church, Kriemhild insults Brunhild as the “concubine” (whore / mistress) of her husband Siegfried. Brunhild is deeply offended and demands that King Gunther kill Siegfried. Hagen is ready to avenge Brunhild's disgrace. With the king's permission and under a pretext, he gets Kriemhild to tell him the place where Siegfried is vulnerable. While bathing in the dragon's blood, a linden leaf fell between Siegfried's shoulder blades; only there is he vulnerable. Hagen, Gunther, Gernot and Volker resolve Siegfried's death, only Giselher speaks against it. You invite Siegfried to hunt. Siegfried agrees and blows Kriemhild's warning to the wind: "I'm going out with lots of good friends, and if the mountains don't collapse and cover us, nothing can happen to me." a source has bent from behind. Kriemhild becomes suspicious and demands a lawsuit against Hagen, which King Gunther denies her.

Kriemhild's revenge

Tragedy in five acts

Seven years have passed. Kriemhild is still looking for revenge. Hagen has meanwhile taken the Nibelungen hoard for the Burgundians and sunk it in the Rhine to prevent Kriemhild from recruiting mercenaries. Kriemhild turns to Gunther again. He should bring Hagen to trial. Gunther refuses. Kriemhild realizes that she no longer has any friends among the Nibelungs. When Margrave Rüdiger asks for her hand on behalf of Etzel , the Heunen King, she agrees. However, Margrave Rüdiger must swear beforehand that he will obey her every command. Hagen is against Kriemhild's wedding to Etzel. But Gunther does not respond to his warnings. Another seven years later, the Nibelungs visit Kriemhild at King Etzel's castle with a large retinue. On the trip they also come to Rüdiger's castle. There Giselher becomes engaged to Rüdiger's daughter Gudrun. Dietrich von Bern , a voluntary vassal of Etzel, warns the Nibelungs of Kriemhild's revenge. "Mrs. Kriemhild still cries day and night". Kriemhild demands revenge for Siegfried from Etzel, to whom she gave birth to a son, Odnit. Murder after murder. Etzel rejects her because the Nibelungs enjoy the hospitality . Kriemhild turns to Werbel, to whom she promises the Nibelungenhort if he clears the Nibelungs out of the way. During the princes ' feast , Werbel slaughters the Nibelungs' entourage. When the news of what happened reaches Etzel's banquet, Hagen chops off Odnit's head. The struggle now breaks out among the princes as well. In the end, only Gunther, Gernot, Giselher, Volker and Hagen of the Nibelungs are still alive. Kriemhild asks Rüdiger to keep his oath of loyalty. He kills Gernot and Giselher, but fails because of Hagen. Dietrich now intervenes in the fight, overcomes Hagen and Gunther and brings them tied up to Kriemhild and Etzel. Kriemhild has Gunther killed and slays Hagen. Hildebrand , one of Dietrich's followers, is so disgusted that he kills Kriemhild. In the face of the bloodbath, Etzel sheds his crown and hands over the rule to Dietrich von Bern.

literature

  • Friedrich Hebbel: The Nibelungs A German tragedy in three sections . Reclam, Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-15-003171-0 .

Important recent productions

filming

On October 26th and 29th, 1967 the WDR showed a two-part in-house production entitled Die Nibelungen , which is based on the Hebbel piece. The screenplay was written by the director of the film, Wilhelm Semmelroth . Part 1 was entitled Siegfrieds Tod , Part 2 Kriemhilds Vengeance . It played Gerd silk as Siegfried, Antje Weisgerber as Kriemhild, Alfred Schieske as Hagen Tronje, Lola Müthel as Brunhild and Hans Caninenberg as Gunther. Each part took about 2 hours.

Secondary literature

  • Hayo Matthiesen: Friedrich Hebbel in self-testimonies and image documents . 2nd Edition. Rowohlt, Reinbek 1979, ISBN 3-499-50160-0 .
  • Martin Schaub: Friedrich Hebbel . DTV, Munich 1976, ISBN 3-423-06834-5 .
  • Anni Meetz: Friedrich Hebbel . 3. Edition. Metzler, Stuttgart 1973, ISBN 3-476-10018-9 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. Georg Hensel: Schedule. An actor guide from ancient times to the present . Area, Erftstadt 2006, ISBN 3-89996-612-0 .
  2. ↑ cf. Table “Hebbel / Performance / World Premiere” from www.hebbel-museum.de