Gustav von Moser

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gustav von Moser on a photograph by Nicola Perscheid

Gustav Albert von Moser (born May 11, 1825 in Spandau , † October 23, 1903 in Görlitz ) was a German writer and comedy poet.

Life

Memorial plaque to Gustav von Moser's place of death, Elisabethstrasse 16 in Görlitz

Moser was born the son of a major and was raised in the Berlin Cadet Corps for a military career. In September 1843 he joined the Guard Rifle Battalion in Berlin as a lieutenant . In 1848 he was used in the suppression of uprisings in Schleswig-Holstein and in the Prussian war against Denmark , where he was promoted to lieutenant and transferred to Görlitz . There, in 1854 or 1855, his first comedy "A female hussar" was performed, which was later reworked into the play "A woman who was in Paris". In 1856 he quit his job and initially devoted himself to agriculture and settled on his Holzkirch estate near Lauban in Silesia. It was there that he developed his inclination to write for the theater . Of the two one-act plays written there - chess and matt & he should be your master - the second piece celebrated great success at the Wallner Theater .

A cooperation with the theater poet Roderich Benedix for a joint play, "Das Stiftungsfest", failed, but Moser finished the piece on his own. For this he received a prize from Heinrich Laube of 100 ducats for the most successful comedy of the year.

Around 1874 Gustav von Moser committed himself entirely to the Wallner Theater, whose repertoire he dominated from then on. In 1875, “The Violet Eater”, his first military swank, premiered there after, like many of his works, it had first been tried out on the provincial theaters of Görlitz, Bad Warmbrunn or Lauban. Veilchenfresser was a popular hit and celebrated great success and strengthened the reputation of Moser, who was favored by the patriotic mood that had prevailed since the founding of the empire and by the corresponding design of the game boards.

In 1880 Moser brought out his second largest play "War in Peace" with Franz von Schönthan . With 1,066 performances at 79 theaters in the first season, it became one of the most popular pieces in German theater history. In 1882 von Moser brought out the sequel "Reif-Reiflingen", which was similarly popular.

Moser also celebrated great successes internationally, in particular at the Vienna Burgtheater as well as in Switzerland, Italy and at the New York Germania Theater . Years after his death, he was one of the most played German authors. It was not until 1914 that the frequency of his plays began to wane. Around 1933 they experienced a small renaissance.

Gustav von Moser was a member of the Freemasons Association , his Isis Lodge was based in Lauban ; Freemasonry is also dealt with in his dialogue series “Kaudels Curtain Sermons”.

Style of the pieces

A comprehensive study of the milieu can hardly be found in Moser's plays, the character portrayal is mainly limited to stereotypes . The plot is focused on situation comedy and love affairs . The specifically military everyday life with its drill is left out. From a socio-historical perspective, the works deal with the increasing presence of the imperial military in everyday life and take advantage of its acceptance by combining bourgeois and soldier clichés . The soldier appeared as a citizen, just as, conversely, military virtues were suggested to the citizen .

The plays were genre-related by the writer Theodor Fontane , but heavily criticized by the theater critic Otto Brahm .

monument

The Berlin sculptor Harro Magnussen created a memorial to the poet in his studio, which was erected next to the Kaisertrutz in 1907 . The statue shows von Moser in an open frock coat . The left arm rests on a column adorned with a mask. The left leg is slightly forward, the gaze is directed into the distance.

Works

Moser was the author of comic comedy plays and pranks. Through his previous military career, he wrote many military parodies and pranks. For a long time Moser was one of the most important authors at the Berlin theater . A collection of his later pieces appeared in 17 volumes (Berlin 1873–1886).

  • From lieutenant to playwright (autobiography). Hinstorff, Wismar 1908.
  • A female hussar. Joking in an elevator. Self-published, Berlin 1857.
  • He should be your master! Comedy in one act. Bloch, Berlin 1860. ( digitized version )
  • (With Lvin Schücking) The novices . Intrigue comedy in 4 acts. Michaelson, Berlin 1862.
  • (With W. Drost) A sick family . Waver in three acts. Kolbe, Berlin 1862. ( digitized version )
  • Do not neglect women . Comedy in one act. Luttmann, Berlin 1862.
  • Moritz Schnörche or an illicit love . 1863. ( digitized version )
  • For the love of art . Posse with singing in 1 act. Bloch, Berlin 1864. ( digitized version )
  • I'll invite the major over . Comedy in one act. Bloch, Berlin 1865. ( digitized 3rd edition )
  • The foundation festival . Stagger in three acts. Michaelson, Berlin 1871.
  • The elephant . Comedy in four acts. Michaelson, Berlin 1873.
  • Ultimo . Comedy in 4 acts. Görlitz 1874. ( digitized edition 1875 )
  • The tempter . Comedy in one act. Vierling, Görlitz 1874. ( digitized version )
  • An American duel . Comedy in 1 act. Bloch, Berlin 1874.
  • Our women . Comedy in five acts. Bloch, Berlin 1875. ( digitized version )
  • The violet eater . Comedy in four acts. 1876. ( digitized directorial book )
  • Reflexes . Comedy in one act. Leipzig 1877.
  • The ravens . Character picture in three acts. Ferber and Seydel, Leipzig 1877. ( digitized version )
  • The librarian Schwank in 4 acts. Bloch, Berlin 1879.
  • The family doctor . Comedy in one act. Ferber and Seydel, Leipzig 1879. ( digitized version )
  • (With Franz Schönthan) War in Peace . Comedy in 5 acts. Bloch, Berlin 1880.
  • A small lunar eclipse . Life picture in 1 act. Bloch, Berlin 1880 ( digitized 4th edition )
  • The mold . Comedy in one act. Mutze, Leipzig 1877. ( digitized version )
  • The modern barbarian .
  • Check and mate
  • The hypochondriac . Comedy in four acts. Ferber and Seydel, Leipzig 1877. ( digitized version )
  • Happiness in women . Comedy in four acts. Bloch, Berlin 1882.
  • Reif-Reiflingen . Variation in 5 acts. Bloch, Berlin 1882.
  • Köpnickerstraße 120 . Schwank in 4 acts, Bloch, Berlin 1884.
  • The Salon Tyrolean . Comedy in four acts. Bloch, Berlin 1885.
  • (With Adolph L'Arronge) The registrar on the move . Farce with singing in 3 acts. Bloch, Berlin 1886.
  • (With Thilo von Trotha) A hussar coup . Bloch, Berlin 1894.
  • (With Franz von Schönthan) The migratory bird . Bloch, Berlin 1881.
  • (With Thilo von Trotha) The beautiful sinner . Reclam, Leipzig 1900.
  • (With Thilo von Thotha) On penal leave . Reclam, Leipzig 1900.

literature

Web links

Commons : Gustav von Moser  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Eugen Lennhoff, Oskar Posner, Dieter A. Binder: Internationales Freemaurerlexikon , revised and expanded new edition of the edition from 1932, Munich 2003, 951 pages, ISBN 3-7766-2161-3
personal data
SURNAME Moser, Gustav von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Moser, Gustav Albert von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German writer and comedy poet
DATE OF BIRTH May 11, 1825
PLACE OF BIRTH Spandau
DATE OF DEATH October 23, 1903
Place of death Goerlitz