The Watch on the Rhine (novel)
The Watch on the Rhine is a novel by the German writer Clara Viebig . The novel, which has little in common with the patriotic song of the same name , was preprinted in serial form from 1901 to 1902 in the entertainment journal “Über Land und Meer” and was published in book form in 1902 by the Friedrich Fontane publishing house .
In the historical novel, which takes place in Düsseldorf , which has become Prussian in the 19th century , Clara Viebig traces in three books how the Rhinelanders grew together with the formerly unloved Prussians over three generations using the example of the Rinke family. In addition, she creates a colorful picture of life in the old garden city, where industrialization is taking hold, and sets a literary monument to the poet Heinrich Heine , whom she admires .
action
first book
The first book, which begins in 1830, focuses on the Prussian-Protestant Sergeant Friedrich Rinke and his wife Katharina. The Prussians, especially the Lutherans, enjoy little sympathy in Düsseldorf. Nevertheless, the Catholic-Rhenish innkeeper daughter Katharina fell in love with Rinke, and the marriage was defied by the daughter against the resistance of the parents Peter and Josefine Zillges. Trina moves to her husband in a barren barracks where the soldier has to take up residence. The young sergeant-major soon gives birth to her first child, Josefine. The midwife Dauwenspeck, who wants to show the father the child at the window, disapproves of the Prussian in the barracks yard, who only thinks about his professional duties.
The marriage between the Düsseldorf citizen's daughter and the Prussian sergeant is not a happy one. Rinke wishes to prove himself in war and upholds military virtues. Trina, on the other hand, loves Rhenish cheerfulness and believes in her region. She soon regrets agreeing to raise the children 'Lutheran', which she finds sinful. Josefine skilfully lends a hand to the mother, who has to look after five children with the smaller siblings Wilhelm, Friedrich, Ferdinand and Karl.
The ailing Wilhelm is despised by his father. Fortunately, he finds understanding with his grandparents and is allowed to live with them. Josefine becomes the joy of the father. On his initiative, however, she has to switch from the Catholic Ursulines to the Protestant secondary school for girls against her will. The father proudly teaches his favorite daughter military virtues, while the mother thinks this is nonsense:
"How many elements do we have?" "Five!" "What's their name?" So she answered with shining eyes: "Loyalty, bravery, obedience, sense of duty and honor!" but she said nothing - if only they enjoyed it! 'Every Dierken has its Pläsierken', she thought. "
Josefine befriends Cäcilie and Viktor von Clermont, the children of Rinke's superiors, and the children experience a St. Martin's procession and St. Nicholas Day together. These celebrations impress the young girl very much. She loves 'puffers' made from buckwheat flour and currants and the train: “It sparkles like fireflies in the dark streets, past houses in colorful rows, overheads swaying and confusing lights in white and yellow, in red and white Green. Light, light - a sea of swaying lights! ”The now grown-ups also experience floods together. Here Josefine exchanges the first kiss with Viktor.
second book
The events of the second book, which began in 1847, are dominated by Josefine and her siblings as young adults. The harbingers of the 1848 revolution are gaining influence over the people. Things are fermenting in Düsseldorf, but Rinke doesn't like to see the citizens express their desire for freedom.
Wilhelm, who is unhappy in his tailoring apprenticeship, succeeds after hard arguments with his father, to take over the 'Bunter Vogel', the inn of his grandparents. The economy experiences a rare boom, as the young man is able to attract artists who particularly represent the ideas of the 1848 revolution. It is inevitable that Wilhelm is infected by these ideas.
On the occasion of the wedding of Cäcilie von Clermont to the Wuppertal factory owner vom Werth, Josefine sees her childhood friend, Viktor, again. Both have a happy time, although both are aware that legalization of the connection is impossible due to the differences in class. At the same time, the simple but honest Sergeant Conradi woos Josefine. At the behest of the father, the daughter marries the man of the same rank and follows him to Vohwinkel . The brothers Ferdinand and Karl go to the military, while Friedrich becomes a locksmith's apprentice.
Before she said goodbye, Viktor gave Josefine a little book with poems by Heinrich Heine , whom she admired , which she kept like a treasure: “... a small ribbon, as small as a prayer book, but bright, striking because of its fiery red. Golden passion flowers twined over it, a yellow silk ribbon was in it as a bookmark ... ”In particular, Heine's poem“ Die Lore-Ley ”with the introductory verse , which is still famous today, I don't know what it is supposed to mean, did it to her. Josefine visits Heine's house, but she is disappointed that the poet is not honored by the people of Düsseldorf: “She was standing in a narrow courtyard on Bolkerstrasse and looked up at the bare back house, which was pelted with lime. So up there, behind those windows he was born, he who made the beautiful songs ?! Who found the words for all the things that flew in the wind over the roofs and rustled outside in front of the gate in the Rhine! "
Uprisings that were initially limited to Berlin and the industrial centers also spread to Düsseldorf. Black, red and gold flags can be seen everywhere. The differences between the people of Düsseldorf and the Prussian military intensify, especially when some citizens die. When Josefine experiences that her childhood friend Viktor is persecuting her brother Wilhelm and threatening her grandmother, she turns away from him for good.
Rinke, too, is called to work against the barricade fighters whom Wilhelm has joined without his father's knowledge. Without knowing this, father and son suddenly stand facing each other: "Without thinking twice, the soldier pulls out his pistol and strikes - man to man - a stream of fire driving past shows him a powder-blackened, fear-distorted boy's face - Wilhelm!" Rinke, who is hit by a cobblestone feels deeply hurt in his soldier's honor. He leaves a piece of paper with the words "Above all, honor!" And commits suicide. He is denied an honorable burial. Wilhelm escapes and from then on remains missing.
Third book
The plot of the third book begins in 1866 after the end of the Austro-Prussian War and shows in particular the meanwhile widowed Josefine and her sons Peter and Fritz. After the early death of her husband, Josefine decided to return to Düsseldorf and set up a shop opposite the barracks. She is helped by her mother, who married her wealthy childhood friend Hendrich Schnakenberg after her father's death. Friedrich, who earns well, also supports the sister.
Josefine looks after her brother Ferdinand, who lost a leg in the war. After a short period of euphoria as the 'hero of war', he turned to drink and fell into depression. Josefine is popular with the soldiers, but she rejects advances and looks after her children. Peter wants to become a painter, Fritz should find a profitable professional field with Uncle Friedrich.
The Franco-German war breaks out, against the will of the people of Düsseldorf: “Many citizens shook their heads angrily - all the mishap came from the war, the unhappy fratricidal war [...] Were the Austrians not German brothers, and the Hanoverians, the Hessians , the Nassau, the Saxons, the Bavarians especially? But Bismarck didn't care, his whole policy was called 'blood and iron' - if only the place where the pepper grows! "
Josefine is scared of losing her children. In fact, her favorite son Peter falls in the Battle of Spichern , as does Cäcilie's son Eugen. Josefine, who sees her mission in caring for the wounded soldiers, is initially hostile to the French wounded because she blames them for the loss of their beloved son. However, a dying French soldier teaches them to see the young man as human:
"His eye wandered from her face, petrified in pain, down over her black mourning dress, with a great effort of will he lifted his head a little and nodded:" Pau-vre mère! "What, what had he said ?! She sat frozen, very frightened. [...] Poor mother - suddenly something like a tire jumped from her heart [...]. That was no longer the enemy standard-bearer, a hated French face - that was just a son, also a mother's dear son! [...] When she opened the heavy barracks gate, the street yawned as dark as a grave. The songs of the Fatherland and Victory fell silent, only the night wind whimpered a pitiful melody around the corners. It sounded like crying. "
The country breathes a sigh of relief when a dispatch reports peace. In the cemetery at her father's grave, Josefine tries to give meaning to her life and the loss of her son by seeing his death as a necessary sacrifice for a united Germany.
Material history and topics
Clara Viebig's novel is based on historical events from the time of Napoleon - which, however, are only present in the memories of grandfather Zillges - until the proclamation of peace after the 1870/71 war . The writer focuses the historical events on the city of Düsseldorf and the surrounding area, with a particular focus of her presentation on the initial conflicts between the Prussians and Rhinelanders. In addition to this general historical component, it traces the development of sleepy old Düsseldorf, which was transformed into a big city at that time.
In addition to historical events, the writer, who moved to Düsseldorf with her parents in 1868 and lived there until 1883, deals with numerous personal experiences of her youth. The protagonist Josefine Rinke was a friend of Clara Viebig who actually lived with her family in the old Düsseldorf barracks.
The youngster experienced and loved the Düsseldorf customs and festivals, such as the carnival, the St. Martin's procession or St. Nicholas Day. She also experienced a flood of the Rhine herself, and during the war of 1870/71 she was allowed to accompany her mother to the military service in the old barracks.
Another episode with an autobiographical background is the mention of Heinrich Heine and his “ Book of Songs ”. In her youth, Clara Viebig was an ardent admirer of this poet. In her autobiographical writings she reports that she actually visited the house where he was born in Düsseldorf and was disappointed that the city did not better preserve the memory of the poet.
Interpretative approaches
In her novel, Clara Viebig traces the atmosphere of the city of Düsseldorf in the mid-19th century. This can be seen particularly vividly in passages in which the writer describes the customs of folk festivals, such as Carnival, St. Martin's Day or St. Nicholas Day, or in the recording of events during floods, which Clara Viebig has already worked out similarly in earlier sketches. In the portrayal of these homeland customs, Gottfried Scheuffler notes, despite the cosmopolitan tone of the novel, "the trusty song of homeland love", which for him, however, is "free and pure from any party sound".
In addition to the old garden city, Bernd Kortländer believes that the 'real hero' of the novel is “the large barracks on Kasernenstrasse.” As the main location of the action, she refers to more than a mere location; it is at the same time "a symbol of war, but also a sign and power center of Prussian influence in Düsseldorf".
The dominant theme of the novel is the depiction of the growing together between Prussia and Rhinelanders in their historical context. Overall, this work by Clara Viebig is described as one of the few noteworthy contributions of naturalism to the genre history of the historical novel. In terms of narration, she reproduces the historical material artistically in the sense of a poetic transformation. Clara Viebig does not choose "the end result of a historical development, the historical moment, [...] as the object of poetic design, but rather the process of historical becoming itself in its causal connection and conditionality." In doing so, she usually cultivates a personal narrative perspective with experienced speech, which, in the multitude of different figures appearing, allows multiple perspectives. In the literary creation of many different characters and opinions over a span of about 40 years and three generations, the reproach is understandable that the composition of the plot is sometimes erratic.
Ludwig Schröder speaks of a successful psychological drawing of the figures. However, some figures appear pale, such as Josefine's husband Conradi. The juxtaposition of the Prussian soldiers with the cheerful Rhenish characters at the beginning of the novel is also quite woodcut-like. Sergeant Rinke is more reminiscent of an “instruction book made flesh for NCOs.” However, the composition of this figure also earns praise, because Rinke “in his barreness and poverty [...] rises above the sleepy satiety of the in The philistine who grew up in their cozy corner. ”In the course of the action, the drawing of the figures becomes more vivid; Josefine in particular is described as "the freshest, poetic figure in the book", who represents a successful mixture between Prussian sense of duty and the Rhenish way of life. In contrast to the female characters in Viebig's novel “ Das Weiberdorf ”, Josephine is by no means the type of instinctual woman. Her interest in the world of men is limited, despite the possibilities; she rejects two marriage candidates. Her love episode with Viktor von Clermont is reminiscent of Fontane's Theodor Fontane novel Irrungen, Wirrungen : Here, too, both partners accept the impossibility of a marital union without questioning the rules that society gives them.
The stylistic view of the novel leads to a split judgment. Joachim Burkhardt criticizes the exhausted literary value of some of the formulations: "There is a gentle wafting across the Rhine, pale roses lie on the graves, dull bells ring over the city." Other scenes, however, such as the above-mentioned description of the folk festivals or the design of the crowd scene at The 1848 uprising are samples of Clara Viebig's poetic creative power full of vitality and freshness. Such passages found their way into the school books of the Rhine Province and into anthologies.
Work history, editions
"Die Wacht am Rhein" is one of the most successful books by Clara Viebig. The novel was published at an opportune time, since in 1902 Düsseldorf was the focus of public interest because of the industrial and commercial exhibition .
After the preprint in “Über Land und Meer”, the book was published by Fontane in a total of 9 editions. This success continues at Fleischel and the Deutsche Verlagsanstalt . In the 1910s Clara Viebig went on reading tours with this novel. The 44th edition appeared in 1929; further editions from Knaur (1933) and Franke (1940). Numerous excerpts were printed in anthologies or in newspapers. From 1914 onwards, the Martinszug-Passage was included in some reading books in the Rhine Province for the popularity of the work.
After the Second World War, Erb-Verlag added the book to its program in 1983, and three newspapers reprinted the novel in sequels. A new edition was published in 2014 by Rhein-Mosel-Verlag .
Translations
Shortly after its German publication, the novel was translated into Italian, French, Russian, Norwegian and Dutch, and it was also transcribed in braille.
- around 1903: La Guardia al Reno (Italian. ›Die Wacht am Rhein‹), trans. v. Luigi Guidi, Rome, Laziale [244 pp.].
- 1906: La garde au Rhin (French. ›Die Wacht am Rhein‹), trans. v. Béatrix Rodès, Paris: Juven [320 pp.].
- 1906: Дюссельдорфскіе граждане; Dûssel'dorfskìe graždane (Russian ›Die Wacht am Rhein‹; ›Düsseldorfer Bürger‹), trans. vR Landau and M. Slavinskìoj, St. Petersburg: Skorohodova [122 pp.].
- 1911: Et samlet folk (norwegian. ›Die Wacht am Rhein‹; ›Ein unified Volk‹), trans. v. Nico Hambro, Kristiania: Aschehoug [196 pp.].
- 1915: De Wacht aan den Rijn (Dutch. ›Die Wacht am Rhein‹), trans. v. Wilhelmine van Westhreene, Meppel: Ten Brink [267 pp.].
supporting documents
- ^ Viebig, Clara: Die Wacht am Rhein, Berlin: Fontane, p. 36 f.
- ^ Viebig, Clara: Die Wacht am Rhein, Berlin: Fontane, p. 82.
- ^ Viebig, Clara: Die Wacht am Rhein, Berlin: Fontane, p. 178.
- ^ Viebig, Clara: Die Wacht am Rhein, Berlin: Fontane, p. 181 f.
- ^ Viebig, Clara: Die Wacht am Rhein, Berlin: Fontane, p. 293.
- ^ Viebig, Clara: Die Wacht am Rhein, Berlin: Fontane, p. 300.
- ^ Viebig, Clara: Die Wacht am Rhein, Berlin: Fontane, p. 314.
- ^ Viebig, Clara: Die Wacht am Rhein, Berlin: Fontane, p. 435 f.
- ↑ Cf. From the path of my youth, in: Almanach von Velhagen and Klasings MONTHS 1908, pp. 24–39.
- ↑ Early similar sketches are e.g. E.g. Am Martinsabend, in: Memoiren-Correspondenz, 1st year No. 19/20 v. November 8, 1894 (1–2), Fastnachtspuk, in: The narrator on the Spree. Entertainment supplement of the ›Deutsche Warte‹, Berlin: 6th year No. 48 v. Chr. February 26, 1895 (1–2) or Die Geschichte vom Weckmann und other things, in: Memoiren-Correspondenz, 2nd vol. No. 20 (undated, probably 1895) (10–12), also: Groundwater, in: Memoiren-Correspondenz, 2nd vol. No. 5 v. March 15, 1895 (1-3).
- ↑ Scheuffler, Gottfried: Clara Viebig. Time and Century, Erfurt 1927, p. 72.
- ↑ Kortländer, Bernd: The novel "The Watch on the Rhine" by Clara Viebig, in: War and Peace in Düsseldorf: Visible Signs of the Past, Düsseldorf 2004, pp. 89–93, here: p. 91.
- ↑ Cf. Hugo Aust: Clara Viebig and the historical novel in the 20th century, in: Volker Neuhaus and Michel Durand: The province of the feminine. On the narrative work of Clara Viebig, Bern: Peter Lang 2004 (77–96), here: p. 81.
- ↑ Cf. Morisse, AM: The design of the historical material for the work of art in Clara Viebig's "Die Wacht am Rhein, in: Mitteilungen der literäre Gesellschaft Bonn, Jg. 4, 1909 (Reproduction Nendeln: Kraus 1975) p. 138, here p. 109.
- ↑ Morisse, AM: The design of the historical material for the work of art in Clara Viebig's "Die Wacht am Rhein", in: Mitteilungen der literäre Gesellschaft Bonn, Jg. 4, 1909 (reproduction Nendeln: Kraus 1975) p. 138, here p. 109.
- ↑ Cf. Hugo Aust: Clara Viebig and the historical novel in the 20th century, in: Volker Neuhaus and Michel Durand: The province of the feminine. On the narrative work of Clara Viebig, Bern: Peter Lang 2004 (77–96), here: pp. 82–83.
- ↑ See Ludwig Schröder: Clara Viebig (introduction), in: Clara Viebig: Simson and Delila, Leipzig, Max Hesse, around 1907, p. 16.
- ↑ Aram, Kurt: Three new women's books from yesterday, in; The Nation, XIX. Vol., H. 33, 1902, pp. 522-524, here p. 524.
- ^ Hegeler, Wilhelm: Clara Viebigs new novel, in: Die Zeit v. April 5, 1902, Vienna, Volume 21, No. 392, pp. 8–8, here: p. 9.
- ↑ F. Hans: Gute Romane, in: Kunstwart, Munich 1902, June 1st issue, pp. 190–193, here: p. 192.
- ↑ Burkhardt, Jochen: Blick ins 19. Jahrhundert, in: Der Tagesspiegel No. 11816 of August 5, 1984, p. 47.
- ↑ Cf. Clara Viebig: Martinsfeuer, in: Herd und Scholle. Reader for rural advanced training schools in the Rhine Province, ed. v. Rhenish school men, Leipzig: Teubner 1914 (174).
- ↑ See Ludwig Schröder: Clara Viebig (introduction), in: Clara Viebig: Simson and Delila, Leipzig, Max Hesse, around 1907, p. 13.
- ↑ Cf. Carola Stern: Come on, Cohn! Friedrich Cohn and Clara Viebig, Cologne: Kiepenheuer & Witsch 2006 p. 93.
- ↑ Viebig, Clara: Die Wacht am Rhein, Berlin 1940, Paul Franke, p. 127 or omission, p. 128.