CV of the holy Wonnebald Pück
The curriculum vitae of St. Wonnebald Pück is a cheerful satire by Ricarda Huch from the soap bubbles collection , which was published in 1905 by the Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt in Stuttgart and Leipzig.
The story has been translated into Hungarian and Serbo-Croatian .
content
Mr. Giselbert von Casalba, Archbishop of a wooded, hilly, anonymous church province, through which a railway line already runs, has promoted Abbot Wonnebald Pück to Bishop of Klus . The newly appointed bishop is madly in love with the young widow Lux Bernkuhle. But she lives with her children - three-year-old Lisutt and ten-year-old Brun - in the vicinity of Wonnebald's former monastery. Luxen's husband, the hunter Henne Bernkuhle, had been wounded in the woods around the monastery as a forestry assistant by a poacher in battle and died thereupon. So it is a good thing that the father-in-law Christoph Bernkuhle - employed as a mole catcher in Klus - needs an assistant because of his old age. Lux moves - disguised as a man - with the children to Klus.
The mentally rather immobile abbot Wonnebald had previously preferred Lux, the daughter of a nun who grew up in the monastery, as his letter-writer because of her intellect. In Klus, the pleasure-addicted bishop has long considered the slim and slim Lux woman to be no longer as desirable as it used to be. The Wonnebald, who was already tending towards polygamy, turned to Hermenegilde von Lampe, a compact, splendid woman. This stands in front of a pen for noble ladies. Hermenegilde becomes pregnant with joy. Immediately after the birth, Wonnebald has his child taken away.
Archbishop Giselbert puts his 26-year-old nephew Lando at the side of the 50-year-old Bishop Wonnebald as secretary, i.e. minder. Wonnebald, in constant need of money because of his extremely expensive housekeeping, falls for a joke Lando and Luxen. Lando places a mandrake - but in reality an ordinary turnip - under the bishop's pillow, which copies gold pieces overnight.
Lando recognizes Lux as a beautiful woman and falls in love with her. After the “mandrake” has lost its magical power, Bishop Wonnebald penetrates a side chapel of the castle church and breaks twelve stones - emeralds and rubies - from the brass crown of Mary of the millions; so an image of the Blessed Mother is called by the believers in Klus. Wonnebald hires Lux to sell his stolen property at a jeweler in the neighboring town. He lies to the young woman that he has inherited the treasures. Lux carries out the order and hands over the money to Wonnebald.
The ninety year old mole catcher Christoph Bernkuhle dies. The burrowing activity of the moles in the Kluser vegetable gardens makes the honest citizens rebellious and rebellious. In addition, the lack of the Mary's crown is striking. The jeweler answers. Lux is accused, charged, recognized as a woman and imprisoned. The "innocent" Bishop Wonnebald rubs his hands at this turn. He wants a witch trial , but does not get through in the age of the railroad with the rebellious Kluser city council. Lando also complains to his uncle. But Wonnebald - not lazy - puts the archbishop in the picture. The nephew has a love deal with Lux. Giselbert von Casalba appears unannounced at the Kluser Castle. After the first inspection, the archbishop can no longer understand himself. Why did he give the stupid, lazy Wonnebald the diocese of Klus? The bishop has an idea that his ecclesiastical superior approves: The sorceress Lux should be given the opportunity to escape.
The mother Hermenegilde leaves the childbed, appears on the scene and takes revenge for the kidnapping of her only child. According to her statement, Wonnebald stole the crown from Maria's millionaire and, together with Lux, accused an innocent of the crime. Wonnebald is convicted of both crimes by the Kluser law enforcement agency. The anti-church part of the citizenry wants to judge its bishop. Wonnebald pulls his head out of the noose. In front of the assembled congregation, he portrays himself as the innocent lamb during a service that he conducts himself. The peasants from the area around Klus who are moved weep with the bishop in competition. What had touched the common people so much? Wonnebald had tied a bear for him: when he had passed the side chapel, the intercessing virgin waved to him with her most holy arm and placed her crown on the poor sinner's bowed head. Wonnebald broke the stones from the crown and handed them over to Hermenegilde. She was to sell them and use the proceeds to clothe the naked and feed the hungry.
After the miracle of Klus just outlined became known, church life took off. The Archbishop can only congratulate himself on the happy occupation of the Kluser Kathedra .
After eating an apparently bad meal, Wonnebald dies overnight from a digestive disorder . After all, the Pope can no longer ignore the unanimous wish of the Kluser population. Rome places Wonnebald in the gallery of its saints .
reception
- In 1972, Brekle referred to the several editions of the edition used in this article (Insel Buch 58) and briefly considered one aspect of the irony in the description of Wonnebald's career: Wonnebald is promoted by the respective superior every time because a mistake has to be covered up . The text is one of the works of the Protestant Ricarda Huch, in which the Catholic Church is criticized with humor.
- June 27, 1983, Peter Härtling in the FAZ on p. 18: Huch, Ricarda: CV of the holy Wonnebald Pück .
Book editions
First edition
- Soap bubbles. Three funny stories. ( Curriculum vitae of St. Wonnebald Pück. From Bimbo's wanderings of souls. The Jewish grave ). Fracture. 225 pages. German publishing house Stuttgart and Leipzig 1905
Further editions
- Curriculum vitae of St. Wonnebald Pück. A story . Insel-Verlag, Leipzig 1913. 84 pages. Insel-Bücherei No. 58 (edition used: 51st – 60th thousand (around 1930))
- Curriculum vitae of St. Wonnebald Pück. A story . Library Suhrkamp No. 806. Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1983. 126 pages
literature
- Marie Baum : Shining lead. The life of Ricarda Huch. 520 pages. Rainer Wunderlich Verlag Hermann Leins , Tübingen and Stuttgart 1950 (6th – 11th thousand)
- Helene Baumgarten: Ricarda Huch. About her life and work . 236 pages. Hermann Böhlaus successor, Weimar 1964
- Ricarda Huch: The Gold Island and other stories. Selected and provided with an afterword by Wolfgang Brekle. Union Verlag, Berlin 1972 (Licensor: Atlantis Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau and Insel Verlag, Frankfurt am Main), 376 pages
Web links
- The German text online in the Internet Archive
- List of issues in the German National Library
- List of expenses in WorldCat
- Entry in Open Library