Magdalena (Ludwig Thoma)
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| Title: | Magdalena |
| Genus: | Folk piece |
| Original language: | German , dialogues: Bavarian |
| Author: | Ludwig Thoma |
| Publishing year: | 1912 |
| Premiere: | December 12, 1912 |
| Place of premiere: | Berlin , small theater |
| Place and time of the action: | Berghofen, a village near Dachau , six weeks around 1910 |
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Magdalena is a folk play in three acts by Ludwig Thoma from 1912.
1st elevator
The small farmer Thomas Mayr, called Paulimann, his sick wife Mariann and other villagers talk about Magdalena, called Leni, the daughter of the Mayrs. The trained seamstress moved to the city because of better earning opportunities, but there she got on the wrong track. The villagers learned from the newspaper that she had committed a criminal offense and was expelled from the city. Her specific crime is not discussed; she apparently worked as a prostitute. The whole village is excitedly awaiting her return.
Then the gendarme brings the underage Leni back to her parents under the gaze of the people. Only her mother turns to her lovingly and hopes that she will finally become good. The defiant, somewhat clumsy girl is not aware of any guilt. She is still full of anger at the man who robbed her of her savings account with a promise of marriage and then left her behind. She does not understand the new situation in which she is now. Reluctantly, she lets her mother make her promise to stay at home and be good.
2nd elevator
Six weeks later. Mariann has since died. Leni promised her on her deathbed that she would find his way back to righteousness, while Thomas promised her not to cast Leni away. He puts her under strict house arrest to avoid meeting the other villagers.
Father and daughter live in isolation on the farm. Leni, who is bored, takes a liking to the assistant Lorenz (Lenz). He is amazed : “ May the net glaab'n! De woaß no today what s' to has. “The mayor, who wants to induce Thomas to leave the village to get cheap possession of his farm, proves to be the initiator of the increasing Haberfeld activity. Lenz has had enough of Leni, who nonetheless replies that she will find someone else.
3rd elevator
A few days later. Leni learns from the maid Barbara the Sunday sermon of the new cooperator , in which he demands “ that evil should happen to those who cause nuisance. “Barbara then asks her whether she has anything to do with Lechner Martin because people all said that. It turns out that Leni would like to leave the village, but does not feel able to do so without money. Shortly afterwards, Lenz quits because the talk of the people has been unbearable for a day.
The angry Thomas learns from his neighbor Plank that Martin Lechner told a comrade that he had windowed at Leni's and that she had asked for money from him. The news spread like wildfire in the village. Then the mayor arrives and tells him that he has formed a committee on the matter. There was unanimous opinion that Leni had to leave the village, because it could not be tolerated that good people get into misery because of worse. The village boys were already extremely upset and he couldn't guarantee anything. A woman who earns her living with shame has not suffered in the village.
Meanwhile, a noisy crowd gathers in front of the window while Martin Lechner tells those present that he wanted to hook up with Leni and after several attempts she asked him a few marks because she had no money. Leni tries to run away, but is caught and brought before the threatening tribunal. After some denial, she admits to her father that she asked for the money because she wanted to leave. Her father stabbed her in front of everyone.
background
Thoma wrote about the work in a letter:
“My Magdalena was created completely in my head, at the time when I saw the Corpus Christi procession through the fields in Egern. The small, white-clad girls who padded behind the pastor made a touching impression on me. What will become of them? How long do they hold fast to the children's beliefs? And suddenly the fate of such a poor thing was before my eyes. "
Alfred Kerr wrote about the premiere at the Barnowsky -ühnen in 1912: "Here comes something, yes, like with the old tragedies ... primeval powers are at play."
The play does not show the decisive processes directly, but only by means of relatively poor hints of the people involved in it. In 1974, Kindler's Literatur Lexikon ruled that the drama exemplarily demonstrates how morality, as an abstract principle for legitimizing every injustice, can become a vehicle for the inhuman.
Film adaptations
The play was filmed several times by Bavarian Radio . In 1954 a television play was released under the direction of Alois Johannes Lippl with the young Ruth Drexel as Magdalena. In 1966 a new version by Hans Schweikart followed with Rudolf Vogel in the role of the father. In 1983, Jörg Graser finally staged the play with Fritz Straßner as Paulimann, Maria Singer as Mariann, Andrea Wildner as Magdalena and Toni Berger as mayor.
proof
- ↑ schauburg.net ( Memento from September 9, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
- ↑ he wants to know outside of Munich: Ludwig Thomas "Magdalena" . In: The time . No. 07/1967 ( online ).