Erich Franzen

Erich Franzen (born December 12, 1892 in Ems ; † November 2, 1961 in Munich ) was a German lawyer, literary critic and writer.

Franzen studied law , literature and social psychology and was able to successfully complete his studies with a doctorate in “Dr. iur. "and" Dr. rer. pol. ”.

Franzen was a soldier during the First World War and then worked as a company lawyer for various companies. In 1926 he settled in Berlin , where he worked as a literary critic for the Frankfurter Zeitung , Die literäre Welt , Vossische Zeitung and Die Weltbühne . Over time, he was also able to make a name for himself as a radio play author and translator.

During this time Franzen also became a leading member of the Protection Association of German Writers (SDA). The Nazis forced into exile Franzen; he emigrated to the USA in 1934 . From 1936 he was allowed to earn his living there with smaller teaching assignments at various universities.

In 1951 Franzen returned to Germany and settled in Darmstadt . Later he accepted a position at the Ulm School of Design . At the same time he was employed as a theater critic and translator for the Neue Zeitung . Since 1954 he was a member of the German Academy for Language and Poetry .

Around 1957 he retired into private life and moved to Munich. Franzen died six weeks before his 69th birthday on November 2, 1961 and also found his final resting place in Munich.

Works (selection)

as an author

• Clarifications. Essays . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt / M. 1964.
• Forms of modern drama. From the illusion stage to the antitheater . Beck, Munich 1970, ISBN 3-406-02416-5 .

as translator

• Samuel Beckett : Molloy. Roman ("Molloy"). Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt / M. 1982
• William Faulkner : The undefeated ("The unvanquished"). Diogenes-Verlag, Zurich 1990, ISBN 3-257-20075-7 .

literature

• Walther Killy (term): German biographical encyclopedia . Saur, Munich 1990.