Karin Wolff (translator)

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Karin Leoni Wolff (born 1947 or 1948 in Frankfurt (Oder) ; died July 29, 2018 there ) was a German publisher and literary translator from Polish .

Education and career

House of Polish Culture at Friedrichstrasse station in Berlin in 1963. Karin Wolff passed her language exam here.

Karin Wolff graduated from high school in her hometown of Frankfurt (Oder) at the age of 17 as the best of her year. Because of her so-called “ bourgeois origin ” (her father was a self-employed carpenter) and her “ Christian worldview” , the GDR authorities did not allow her to study for political reasons . In order to get a place at university later, Karin Wolff underwent a so-called "education in the socialist work process". For this she worked unskilled in the Frankfurt furniture factory. There she sustained a back injury while loading wood, which has accompanied her all her life. After a while, the management of the furniture factory recommended her to study. Despite this so-called “delegation by the working class”, she was not admitted to study Indology at the University of Leipzig . She then began studying Protestant theology at the Berlin Language Convict. After studying Russian and English at high school , she learned Latin , Greek and Hebrew here .

Their special interest in the Polish language was, among other things by the figure of Count Stanislaus in the operetta The Bird Seller of Carl Zeller awakened, they at Kleist Theater Frankfurt (Oder) had seen. Polish culture had grown dear to her primarily through the portrayal of Poles as a freedom-loving nation in Carl Millöcker's operetta Der Bettelstudent and through Aleksander Ford's film Chopin's Youth . After her first theological exam, she spent 14 weeks in an orthopedic clinic because of her back pain. There she taught herself the basics of the Polish language with the help of the self-study book crash course Polish for German speakers by Johann Alfred Heil (1903–1978). She later passed an exam for the Polish language at the House of Polish Culture in Berlin. Her injured back meant that the church consistory found her unsuitable for a parish office.

work life

After completing her studies, Wolff worked part-time as a proofreader at the Evangelische Verlagsanstalt Berlin . Later she was also a lecturer for Eastern European literature. At the same time, she worked from 1974 until the declaration of war in Poland in 1981 for the monthly Polish cultural magazine Poland . The magazine was published in five languages ​​for the western world; also in German. Her activity there was illegal as the GDR authorities refused to give her a work permit. During this work she got to know key players in the Polish opposition as well as artists and journalists from Gdansk and Warsaw . For this job Karin Wolff commuted once a month for a week from Berlin via her hometown Frankfurt (Oder) to Warsaw.

As a freelance translator, she translated prose and poetry and published anthologies of Polish literature. With the exception of two works, she only published in Christian publishers in the GDR, as she was denied access to state publishers because of her “Christian worldview”. After the political change in the GDR , she organized numerous events to promote cultural exchange between Germany and Poland, including the autumn salons of Polish literature in Frankfurt (Oder).

Part of Wolff's estate has been in the Karl Dedecius Archive since 2019 .

GDR opposition

Because of her “bourgeois origin”, her “Christian worldview” and her contacts with Polish intellectuals, Wolff was monitored by the Ministry for State Security until the end of the GDR . Attempts have been made several times to recruit her as an unofficial employee . During the martial law in Poland after 1981, she could only travel to Poland to a limited extent; nevertheless she continued her work there. In doing so, she transported materials and information between Polish and German opposition groups.

Awards

She has received numerous awards from Polish and German institutions. Among other things, she received the 1979 Annual Award of the Polish PEN -Clubs, 1984 and 2004, the price of Polish Authors and Composers Union ZAiKS , the 1994 Literature Prize of the State of Brandenburg , 1997, the Medal of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany , 1998, the Officer's Cross of the Republic of Poland , 2004 and in 2007 the Special Prize of the Polish Minister of Culture and in 2010 the Medal of Gratitude from the European Solidarność Center .

Translations (selection)

Karin Wolff has translated more than 200 titles from Polish into German.

  • Ludwik Jerzy Kern , My elephant is called Dominik ( Polish Proszę słonia , 1972)
  • Maria Kownacka, The Adventures of a Plasticine Man ( Polish Plastusiowy pamiętnik , 1972)
  • Krystyna Wituska , time that still remains for me. Letters from prison ( Polish Na granicy życia i śmierci. Grypsy i listy więzienne , 1973)
  • Jerzy Piechowski, The Contestations of Canon Nicolaus ( Polish: Gwiazdy z Kraju Północy , 1974)
  • Jan Twardowski , Kazimierz Przerwy-Tetmajer , Wojciech Żukrowski , Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz and others, You are coming with my neighbor ... Stories from Poland (1975)
  • Wojciech Bak, Roman Brandstaetter , Piotr Choynowski, Maria Dabrowska , Jan Dobraczyński , Adolf Fierla, Kornel Filipowicz , Zofia Kossak , Gustaw Morcinek , Władysław Orkan , Eliza Orzeszkowa Jerzy Piechowski, Wladyslaw Stanislaw Reymont , Marek Skwarnicki, Maria Starzynska, Jan Twardowski , When first star of the night. Christmas. Tales from Poland (1976)
  • Jerzy Jan Piechowski, The Third Temptation ( Polish Trzecia pokusa , 1977)
  • Maria Kuncewiczowa, The Olive Grove ( Polish Gaj oliwny , 1978)
  • Maria Kuncewiczowa, Ksawereg Pruszyński, Jan Dobraczyński , Anna Kowalski and others, With eyes closed. Polish everyday stories of lived faith (1978)
  • Andrzej Szczypiorski , A fair for the city of Arras ( Polish Msza za miasto Arras , 1979)
  • Jan Twardowski, Kazimierz Przerwy-Tetmajer, Stanisław Grochowiak, Tadeusz Borowski , Maria Dąbrowska, Jerzy Krzysztoń and others, you come with my neighbor. Tales from Poland (1975)
  • Roman Brandstaetter: The Bible on the Table ( Polish Krąg biblijny , 1975)
  • Roman Brandstaetter, Flowers from the Garden of St. Francis ( Polish: Inne kwiatki świętego Franciszka z Asyżu , 1981)
  • Julian Stryjkowski , Asril's Dream ( Polish Sen Azrila , 1981)
  • Jan Twardowski, Secret of the Smile (1981)
  • Roman Brandstaetter: Assisi was a new beginning. On the joy and life of St. Francis ( Polish Inne kwiatki świętego Franciszka z Asyżu , 1981)
  • Roman Brandstaetter, Very Short Stories ( Polish : Bardzo krótkie opowieści , 1982)
  • Monika Krajewska, Time of the Stones ( Polish Czas kamieni , 1982)
  • Roman Brandstaetter, The Bible in the Luggage ( Polish Krąg biblijny , 1983)
  • Władysław Broniewski , Czeslaw Milosz , Władysław Szpilman , Janusz Korczak , Zofia Nałkowska , Antoni Słonimski , Marek Edelman , Anna Kamieńska, Ludwik Hirszfeld , Julian Tuwim and others, Job 1943. A Requiem for the Warsaw Ghetto ( Polish Requiem dla getta warszawskiego , 1983)
  • Andrzej Stojowski, Judith's Triumph. Tales based on biblical motifs ( Polish Tryumf Judyty , 1984)
  • Roman Brandstaetter, The Prophet, the Fish and the City ( Polish Prorok Jonasz , 1984)
  • Anna Kamieńska, A handwriting found in your sleep. Poems ( Polish Rękopis znaleziony we śnie. Wiersze , 1985)
  • Abisch Kekilbajew, Nodar Zuleiskiri, Maria Dąbrowska , Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz , Leszek Prorok , Karel Čapek, Jaromír Tomeček, Bulcsu Bertha, Iván Mándy, Lajos Mózes, Slawtscho Donkow, Emilijan Stanew, Marin Predaaruhara , Miguel Barnet, Böjijn Baast, Hồ Chí Minh , Ri Kijong, Zhang Zhilu, selected and translated by Barbara Antkowiak , Georgina Baum , Renate Bauwe , Henryk Bereska , Heidi Brang , Oda Buchholz , Roswitha Matwim-Buschmann , Egon Hartmann , Hing Kuo Zee , Karl-Heinz Jähn , Jutta Janke , Gisela Kraft , Christina Links , Helga mandatory , Veronika Riedel , Hans Skirecki , Helga Thiele , Karin Wolff, Ria Wurche , Barbare Zulkarnain , The Dance of the Bats: Animal Stories ( Polish : Szczęśliwa istota; Biłek; Pies wilkiem patrzący , 1985)
  • Jan Dobraczyński : At the gates of Leipzig. Life and death of Józef Poniatowski ( Bramy Lipska in Polish , 1985)
  • Jerzy Jan Piechowski: Black Candles on the Wawel ( Polish Dym czarnych świec , 1985)
  • Jerzy Ficowski , A Branch from the Sun Tree. Fairy tale Polish gypsies. First collection ( Polish: Gałązka z Drzewa Słońca , 1985)
  • Jerzy Ficowski, Read from the Ashes. Poems ( Polish Odczytanie popiołów. Wiersze , 1986)
  • Stanisław Benski, Natan Glycynders Lachen ( Polish Ta najważniejsza cząsteczka , 1986)
  • Stanisław Benski, Spinoza and the Tulips (1987)
  • Roman Brandstaetter, Marienhymnen ( Polish Hymny Maryjne , 1988)
  • Julian Stryjkowski, Tommaso del Cavaliere (1988)
  • Roman Brandstaetter, The Oaks of the Patriarch ( Polish Dęby patriarchy Izaaka; Walka Jakuba z Bogiem , 1989)
  • Stanisław Benski, The Rescued ( Polish Ocaleni , 1989)
  • Władysław Kluz, As Good as Bread: Brother Albert Adam Chmielowski (1989)
  • Janina Hertz, Witness (1990)
  • Leszek Prorok, records of a dog brother ( Polish Zapiski Psubrata )
  • Bronisława Wajs , Papusha. Poems ( Polish: Papusza. Wiersze , 1992)
  • Jerzy Ficowski, how much sadness and ways. Gypsies in Poland . Studies in tsiganology and folklore, volume 7 ( Polish Cyganie w Polsce , 1992)
  • Arnold Mostowicz, The blind Maks or pass through the Styx
  • Piotr Choynowski, Eliza Orzeszkowa, Włdyław Stanisław Reymont, Maria Dąbrowska, Gustaw Morcinek, Adolf Fierla, Zofia Kossak: Polish Christmas Tales . Paperback edition with a selection from the original edition At the First Star of the Night. Christmas tales from Poland . In: GTB Gütersloher Taschenbücher . 1st edition. No. 1555 . Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Gütersloh 1993, ISBN 3-579-01555-9 .
  • Children's fairy tales of the Sinti and Roma . Recorded and narrated by Jerzy Ficowski, with suggestions for design and play by Ulrike Fey-Dorn. Paperback edition with a selection from the original edition Ein Zweig vom Sonnenbaum. Fairy tale Polish gypsies . In: GTB Gütersloher Taschenbücher . 1st edition. No. 872 . Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Gütersloh 1994, ISBN 3-579-00872-2 (Polish: Gałązka z drzewa słońca .).
  • Edward Dębicki : Under the open sky ( Polish Pod gołym niebem. Wiersze )
  • Julian Stryjkowski, Asril's dream; At the willows ... our harps ( Polish Sen Azrilla; Na wierzbach ... nasze skrzypce )
  • Poland between east and west
  • Jerzy Ficowski: The Sister of Birds ( Polish : Siostra ptaków - bajki Cyganów polskich )
  • Polish realism
  • Black years. Witnesses to the Holocaust remember
  • Janusz Korczak, A tower made of longing. Song of Songs for God and Man (anthology)
  • Albin Tobiasz Kac, place of my young years: An Israeli remembers ( Polish Nowy Sącz: miasto mojej młodości )
  • Maria Nurowska , The Russian Beloved ( Polish Rosyjski kochanek )
  • Roman Kaszczyc, From the forest thicket ghost brood . Legends and fairy tales from Barlinek and the surrounding area ( Polish: Duchy z puszczy rodem. Legendy i baśnie z Barlinka i okolic )
  • Władysław Szpilman, The Wonderful Survival: Warsaw Memories 1939 to 1945 ( Polish : Cudowne ocalenie )
  • Janusz Korczak: In the memory of contemporary witnesses: employees, children and friends report
  • Kazimierz Furman: second-hand self-portrait ( Polish Autoportret z drugiej ręki. Wiersze, pol.-niem. )
  • Marek Bieńczyk , Terminal
  • Jerzy Ficowski: Waiting for the dog to sleep ( Polish : Czekanie na sen psa )
  • Hanna Kowalewska: Polish Sonata ( Polish Tego lata, w Zawrociu )
  • Landscapes and islands of air
  • Antoni Libera: Madame ( Polish Madame )
  • Helena Mniszeka, Follow the Call of the Heart ( Polish Trędowata )
  • Tomasz Czapiewski, Die Jakobsleiter ( Polish : Drabina Jakubowa. Wiersze )
  • Karol Gierliński, Smoke in the Distance ( Polish Odległy dym. Wiersze, wyd. Bibliofil. )
  • Jerzy Ficowski, Read from the Ashes ( Polish Odczytanie popiołów, pol.-niem. )
  • Władysław Szpilman, The Pianist: My Wonderful Survival ( Polish Pianista )
  • Karolina Lanckorońska , courage is innate ( Polish Wspomnienia wojenne )
  • Henryk Sienkiewicz , Wirren ( Polish Wiry , 2005)
  • Joanna Olczak-Ronikier , In the Garden of Remembrance ( Polish: W ogrodzie pamięci )
  • Gabriela Zapolska , Sommerliebe ( Polish Sezonowa miłość , 2008)
  • Bronisława Wajs , Papusza's Spoken Songs (2011)

Did not show up

  • Jerzy Ficowski: Demons of a Foreign Fear ( Polish Demony cudzego strachu )
  • Stanisław Benski, Chana and the Angel ( Polish Chana i Anioł )
  • Anna Kamieńska, Children's Bible ( Biblia dla dzieci in Polish )
  • Roman Brandstaetter, Autobiography (Coincidences of my Life) ( Polish Autobiografia (Przypadki mego życia) )

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Julian Lech: Gdyby nie ten czas choroby… In: echogorzowa.pl. August 12, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018 (Polish).
  2. ↑ a b c d Robert Żurek (Ed.): Poland - My way to freedom. How Poland inspired the GDR civil rights activists - 13 conversations . fiber Verlag, Osnabrück 2015, ISBN 978-83-7629-911-2 , p. 254-269 .
  3. ^ Dietrich Schröder: Translator Karin Wolff has died. In: Märkische Oderzeitung . August 6, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018 . ; again (slightly licensed) in Translate , Volume 53, 1, 2019, p. 16
  4. ↑ Leszek Bończuk: Karin Wolff - Ambassador of Polish Literature in Germany . In: zarys culture magazine . tape 7 , 2008, ISSN  1613-0375 , p. 107-115 . https://www.zarys.de/app/download/5995622/ZARYS_NR+7_DE.pdf ( Memento from August 10, 2018 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ^ University of Viadrina
  6. ↑ Uroczyste wręczenie medali wdzięczności. In: ecs.gda.pl. August 31, 2010, archived from the original on December 15, 2010 ; Retrieved August 9, 2018 (Polish).
  7. ^ Translator from Polish. Karin Wolff died. In: boersenblatt.net. August 8, 2018, accessed August 9, 2018 .
personal data
SURNAME Wolff, Karin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wolff, Karin Leoni (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German translator from Polish
DATE OF BIRTH between 1940 and 1949
PLACE OF BIRTH Frankfurt (Oder)
DATE OF DEATH 29th July 2018
Place of death Frankfurt (Oder)