The black galley

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The black galley is a historical story by Wilhelm Raabe from 1861. Raabe got the inspiration for it from The Dutch Revolutionary War , an update of Schiller's story of the waste of the united Netherlands , which Karl Curths wrote in 1823.

The novella takes place in November 1599 in and in front of the port city of Antwerp in the Dutch Revolutionary War , which at that time had already lasted 32 years and will continue for another 10 years.

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An explosion on the sea can be heard from the Spanish Fort Liefkenhoek. The old captain Jeronimo claims that the black galley , the privateer ship of the Dutch freedom fighters, destroyed another ship, which was confirmed the next morning. Jeronimo then tells the story of his life.

The news of the destruction of the ship spreads in Antwerp. The black galley, which always attacks ghostly at night and in fog, quickly disappears again. The Spaniards put warships on them again.

Only the Andrea Doria , the galleon of the Spanish captain Antonio Valani and his lieutenant Leone della Rota , has to stay in port. Valani is in love with the Dutch woman Myga van Bergen , but does nothing to show his affection. His friend Leone tries to cheer him up and drags him into the tavern , which is also home to Jan Norris , the fiancée Mygas and the second mate of the black galley. While both are planning to kidnap Myga, Jan overhears them. Jan is recognized, but can flee to Myga and warn her. Leone claims to have seen Jan at Valani in Myga's house and suspects that Jan tried to kidnap his fiancée. Jan is actually found there and wounds Valani to his death before he is arrested and taken to the "Andrea Doria" with Myga. Jan escapes shortly afterwards. On the night that captain Valani dies, Jan returns with the black galley to free Myga before the new captain Leone can attack her. He kills Leone and captures the "Andrea Doria".

As soon as the internal narrative is over, the “Black Galley” fires a cannonball during its escape from Antwerp into the open sea, which kills Jeronimo.

Main characters of the novella

  • Jan Norris , the young and agile helmsman of the black galley, is determined, impulsive and willing to take risks. He believes in the meaningfulness of the war and in the victory of the Dutch.
  • The beautiful young Myga van Bergen is portrayed as fearful and dependent and wishes to die in captivity.
  • The conceited Lieutenant Leone della Rota on the Andrea Doria also appears agile and passionate, but also unscrupulous, which the kidnapping of Myga's proves.
  • Antonio Valani , the Genoese captain of the Andrea Doria, is a childhood friend of the lieutenant. He is in love with Myga, rather shy and lets Della Rota drag him along because of his lovesickness.
  • The old and silent captain Jeronimo on the side of the Spaniards no longer believes in the victory of the Spaniards and considers the war, which has been going on for 32 years, to be pointless.

criticism

In the literary history he edited, Leo Krell writes about the poet and the story:

... Although it (the novella) gives eloquent testimony to the joy of its author in storytelling, it only shows the beginnings of a developed own style or a firmly established own worldview. The color is still the main thing ... The black galley is the atmospheric story of how the Dutch defend themselves against the overpowering Spaniards, demonstrated by the experience of the brave Jan and the beautiful Myga.

Film adaptations

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wilhelm Raabe (1831-1910): The black galley (1860).
  2. ^ Leo Krell: German literary history for higher schools . Revised due to Rackl-Ebner-Hunger. 4th, verb. Edition. Buchner Verlag, Bamberg 1954, DNB  452581680 , p. 314 .