Ludlam Cave

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The Ludlamshöhle was a literary society that the Austrian playwright Ignaz Franz Castelli had founded together with August von Gymnich in Vienna in 1819 and which existed until April 18, 1826.

These artists' association is named after the play Ludlam's Cave of Adam Oehlenschläger . After the first performance on December 15, 1817, a group of “literators” (which had existed since 1816) met in “Haidvogel's Gasthaus” (Schlossergäßchen, Vienna) to discuss the performance. Since this piece had failed the audience that evening, Castelli suggested that the group be named "Ludlamshöhle" as a consolation for the Danish writer. The adjoining room in "Haidvogels Gasthaus", where the daily meeting at the regulars' table took place, was declared a club bar.

The Ludlamshöhle had no political or artistic goals; the regulars' table every evening served without exception for social gatherings. From today's perspective, the Ludlamshöhle is a prime example of Biedermeier conviviality.

On the night of April 18-19, 1826, this company was suspected of "endangering the state" (nothing justified) and banned. On the orders of the Vienna Police Director , Alois von Persa , over 30 police officers occupied the inn, arrested those present and confiscated all the manuscripts found. The private apartments of the arrested "Ludlamites" were also searched until the early hours of the morning. Some of its members continued to suffer from spying and other harassment for years. It was precisely this exaggerated action by the authorities that made the group and its members mythic in the years that followed.

A new member had to prove to everyone's delight "... that he was able to increase the pleasure of society by joining" . He was then tested in the subjects of ludlam history , ludlam finances and frivolity science , with several whispering seconds being made available to the subject. After passing the exam, the new member was given a “Ludlamsname” and the “recording song” was sung together. Various chants for society have been preserved by Antonio Salieri , including the lyrics “Es lebe Ludlam” and “O Gott, o Gott! d´Ludlam is dead “ .

After 1848 an attempt was made to revive Ludlam Cave, but it was unsuccessful.

In 1949, the writers Franz Karl Franchy , Egon Hajek , Theodor Heinrich Mayer , Friedrich Schreyvogel and Karl Wache joined forces in Vienna to form a society that was called "Neue Ludlamshöhle" and lasted until 1972.

Members (with their Ludlams name)

According to current knowledge (2006), the following Ludlams names cannot yet be clearly assigned:

  • Diddelkamp, ​​the envoy
  • Gels Lepusculus
  • Marc Angelo, called Diavolett
  • Meyer on the stairs - possibly Matthäus Stegmayer (1771–1820), Austrian librettist and writer

literature

  • Adam G. Oehlenschläger: Ludlam's cave. Dramatic fairy tale. Nicolai, Berlin 1818. books.google
  • Max Maria von Weber: Carl Maria von Weber. A picture of life . Leipzig: Ernst Keil, 1866. Volume 2, Section 3. P. 494–497 The »Ludlamshöhle« zeno.org
  • Alfred Liede: Poetry as a game: studies on nonsense poetry at the limits of language. 2nd Edition. With an addendum Parody , supplementary selected bibliography, name register and a foreword newly published. by Walter Pape. de Gruyter, Berlin 1992.
  • Joseph Kiermeier-Debre: The People's Schiller. Chants from Ludlams cave; pornographic parodies from the Biedermeier period. Brandstätter, Vienna 1995, ISBN 3-85447-563-2 .
  • Horst Belke: Ludlamshöhle [Vienna]. In: Wulf Wülfing, Karin Bruns, Rolf Parr (eds.): Handbook of literary-cultural associations, groups and associations 1825–1933. Metzler, Stuttgart, Weimar 1998, ISBN 3-476-01336-7 , pp. 311-320 (Repertories on the history of German literature. Ed. Paul Raabe . Volume 18).