Herbert Birken
Herbert Birken (born August 25, 1914 in Borbeck , † October 12, 2007 in Altea la Vella , Spain ) was a German writer , columnist and dramaturge .
Life
Herbert Birken was born as the son of the director of a higher language and business school in Borbeck. In the 1920s, his father founded the Frankonia Art Institute in Berlin-Moabit, so that Herbert started school in Berlin. After his parents separated, his stepfather took him from high school and let him do a culinary apprenticeship at the renowned Berlin Hotel Adlon .
During the Second World War , Birken suffered several serious wounds, including losing his right eye. In his memoirs he reports about it with the remark: "I got away with a black eye from the Second World War" (Herbert Birken had blue eyes).
During the war he made the acquaintance of people who were important for his artistic work. With Kurt Edelhagen , Helmut Zacharias , Rudi Schuricke , Helmut Lob u. v. a. he staged three revues that he wrote especially to look after the troops. There his all-rounder developed as an entertainer .
After the war, he moved to Düsseldorf in 1960, now married again. At the beginning of the 1970s, like many Germans, he discovered Spain as a second home and retirement home. On the Costa Blanca (Altea) he was at home in many media for many years. He regularly filled several sections of the newspaper "Here in Spain" (forerunner of the "Costa Blanca News" CBN), and also made radio and theater in Altea.
Herbert Birken was best known as a children's book author. His most successful and award-winning book "The wise court jester Achmed" is popular beyond the borders of Germany and is still used today in school lessons. In this book his haunting narrative power unfolds, which achieves its effect in the vivid parable through his humorous style typical of Herbert Birken. The humorous, satire or irony were not only a preferred stylistic device for him, Herbert Birken was permeated by a courage to live, which has always kept humor to look at and cope with life as his credo. He was a lifelong rascal. His exciting stories from the Ufa era also showed actors from their private side.
Works
Children's books
- The wise jester Achmed. HOCH-Verlag, Düsseldorf, 1962.
- Five prevail. Verlag Gerhard Pannen, Moers, 1963.
Articles and glosses
- Monika stories (humoresques)
- Animal stories (fables)
- Errors of world history (humoresques)
- José Ortega y Gasset - cultural philosopher and essayist (essay)
- Reading book for blue hours or thoughts about siesta time (poems and aphorisms)
- Achmed the Fool (Ballad)
theatre
- Cleopatra (comedy)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Birches, Herbert |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Betula, Bert |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German writer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 25, 1914 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Borbeck |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 12, 2007 |
| Place of death | Altea la Vella , Spain |