Martha Schlinkert

Martha Schlinkert , née Galinski (born April 24, 1913 in Gelsenkirchen , † June 30, 1979 in Olsberg ) was a German children's book author .

life and work

Martha Galinski was born in Gelsenkirchen in 1913. Her father, a blast furnace worker, died in World War I when she was only three years old. Her mother supported her and her three siblings with night shifts in a factory. She grew up in an apartment building in Gelsenkirchen.

Martha loved stories, but she didn't have enough money to buy books. So she made up her own stories and told them to her playmates and friends. After learning to write, she began to write down her stories. Writing became her greatest hobby.

After finishing school (Abitur and commercial college) she trained as a secretary and worked for the director of the "Deutsche Eisenwerke, Gelsenkirchen". Martha met her future husband, the factory owner Erwin Schlinkert from Olsberg, during a short vacation in Olsberg in 1938.

They married on September 18, 1939 during the Second World War and Martha moved to live with her husband in Olsberg. Erwin didn't have to go to war because he was indispensable in his company.

Martha Schlinkert worked as her husband's secretary during the day. In the evenings she wrote books. She initially wrote two books on working class life , but they were quickly forgotten. However, her great passion has been children's stories since childhood. She wrote whenever she had time and came up with over 100 children's books.

In 1940 Schlinkert gave birth to her daughter Irmtraut. Three years later she had her son Hans-Georg.

One of the best-known of her books is probably the “Bummi” series about a young girl who grows up in Olsberg and has all kinds of nonsense on her mind. In the first book, for example, she tries the potting soil in the garden to find out whether the soil in the Sauerland really tastes sour.

Book critics sometimes criticized the fact that their books were not thoroughly thought out. But that was never Schlinkert's request. Rather, she wanted to write child-friendly stories that convey humanity and help children understand life. Schlinkert received hundreds of letters from children who thanked you for the stories and wanted to know more about "Bummi".

In 1975/76 she wrote and published new works and gave readings. Her husband Erwin died in 1977. In 1978 she attended the 100th working conference of the Ruhr-Mark authors' group in Hagen , where she regularly attended. In the same year some of her books were donated to the city of Olsberg. Martha Schlinkert died on June 30, 1979 in Olsberg after a long and serious illness.

In total, the 10 “Bummi” books had a circulation of over two million copies. In addition to Bummi, the author Martha Schlinkert created many other children's characters such as Maxi, Anne, Winni, Pelle, Peter Purzel, Silvie and Kordula. In total, more than 100 titles came together with a total circulation of more than six million books. A large number of readings throughout Germany as well as the low price of the books and the fact that they were sold in large department stores were decisive for the sales success. This makes Martha Schlinkert one of the most successful children's book authors of the post-war period. The fact that literary criticism violently tore up the “Bummi” books because of their harmlessness and stylistic unpretentiousness did not affect the success.

Schlinkert was a board member of the Sauerland Heimatbund and an employee of the magazines Suerlänner and Sauerland .

Works

• The shadow of the chimney . Novel. Aachen: Grenzland 1946
• The judge of Josupei . Novella. Ibid. 1948
• The worker's daughter . Novel. Ibid. 1948
• Roofing slate and slate . Wiesbaden: Hess. Schoolbook Foundation 1954
• From the diary of a mountain apprentice . Wiesbaden 1955
• Girls like to ride horses for their lives . Warendorf: MV 1977
• Children of spring . Ibid. 1955

[all other titles Göttingen: Fischer and Balve: Engelbert:]

• The hut by the lake . 1956
• Bees and rascals . 1957, 1966, 1972
• In the fairytale forest . 1957, [1966], 1972
• They call me Bummi . 1957, 1966, [1974], [1976]
• Pummelchen and Rieke . 1957
• Seven ravens and a sparrow . 1957
• Our daily bread . 1957; udT: With the magic clock into adventure. 1969
• Uschi Sausewind . 1957
• What's up with Bummi? 1957
• Bummi and Fiete . [1958], [1974]
• Bummi in distress . 1958
• Chubby and Pelle . 1958; 1970
• Martha Schlinkert tells the funny world tour of Pummelchen and Pelle . 1972, [1976]
• Seven ravens build a nest . 1958
• Seven ravens fly out . 1958
• Seven ravens are finally happy . 1958
• Heide Thelen. 1959
• My friend Anne . 1959, 1966
• Bummi and her friends . 1960, 1966
• Bummi is upside down . 1961, 1966
• Everyone loves Christa ! 1962, 1964
• When you're only fourteen . 1962
• Come back, Martina . 1963
• Dear little Martina . 1963
• Martina and Cornelia . 1963
• Mother Sanne . 1963
• The girl from the witch house . 1964
• Möpschen, mostly cheerful. 1964
• Sabine is fine. 1964
• Sabine is spot on. 1964
• Sabine's secret. 1964
• Sister isabelle. 1964
• Isabelle's secret. 1965
• Isabelle is fine. 1965
• Little sister Isabelle. 1965
• Stippchen and the magician. 1965, 1966
• Where are you going, Isabelle? 1965
• It's all about Winnie. 1966
• Bummi is thirteen. 1966
• Bummi and her pony. 1966
• A bit of luck for Sigrid. 1966, 1968, 1978
• Inge makes her way. 1966
• Courage, Winnie. 1966
• Peter, Purzel and Rosinchen. 1966
• Uschi Sausewind. 1966, 1972
• What's up with Bummi? [1966], 1974
• Winnie in Paradise. 1966
• Anne and Sanne. 1967
• Anne and Sanne. The wrong sisters. 1967
• Anne, Sanne and the new one. 1967
• Dorothea and the Sky Riders. 1967
• Free travel for Kathrin. 1967; udT: A letter in the tree. 1975
• House mother Inge. 1967
• Inge decides. 1967
• Inge goes her way. 1967
• Inge is needed. 1967
• Julia. 1967; 5th edition 1968
• Marielise is looking for a girlfriend. 1967, 1968
• Who are you nicole 1967; udT: A new one in the tertia. 1972
• Bummi did it. 1968
• Bummi fledged. 1968
• Dorothea changes saddles. 1968
• Linda as a babysitter. 1968
• Linda and her vacation job. 1968
• Marianne and the new sister. 1968; udT: Anne has a secret. 1974
• My sister Silvie. 3rd edition 1968; udT: Always this Silvie. 1975
• Christa the Sunday child. New edition 1969
• Maxi at the Kuckuckshof. 1969
• Maxi is coming to school. 1969
• Adventure with the magic clock. 1969
• The children from the rabbit bush. 1970 (2 ed.)
• A case for Susanne. 1970
• Maxi and her dachshund Florian. 1970
• Maxi and her funny cousins. 1970
• Rebel with a heart. 1970
• Roses for Susanne. 1970
• Sabine, friend of animals. 1970
• Angela and Nikolo. The story of a childhood friendship. 1971
• Detective club four and a half. The Secret of Room 16. 1971
• Maxi and Uta. 1971
• The Ghost of Room 16. 1971, 1972
• The little Hoppediz. 1972; udT: Bärbel flies to the Milky Way. 1975
• Detective club four and a half. The missing ponies. 1972
• Detective club four and a half. Haunted in the old park. 1972
• The enchanted Katrin. 1972
• In the fairytale forest. For the youngest readers. 1972
• Martha Schlinkert tells a happy story of bees and rascals. For the youngest readers. 1972
• Martha Schlinkert tells about Uschi Sausewind. For the youngest readers. 1972
• Maxi's first year in boarding school. 1972
• Haunted in the old park. Detective Club Four and a Half. 1972 (2 ed.)
• A pony for Kordula. 1973, 1974
• Heike conquers life. 1973
• Hoppediz and Quirlewitt. 1973
• Maxi fights for Nicki. 1973
• Anne has a secret. 1974
• Christine in a web of lies. 1974
• The girl Winnie. 1974
• One must have ideas. 1974
• Huuu, the little ghost. 1974
• Jessika and Flick. The strange dog. 1974
• A letter in the tree. 1975
• Always this Silvie. 1975
• Jessika and Flick. The trail leads to the Amselweg. 1975
• Jessika and Flick. Danger on the way. 1975
• Bärbel flies to the Milky Way. 1976
• Brigitte wins on Hella. 1976
• Bummi is impossible. 1976
• Bummi, Miss Impatience. 1976
• Bummi, the wild bumblebee. 1976
• Quirlewitt the dog. 1976
• With luck on you. 1976
• "Four and a half" detective club. 1977
• Funny stories about Maxi. 1978
• New stories about Maxi. 1978
• An order for Susanne. 1983
• My friend Julia. 1983
• Stay with the truth, Christine! [1984]
• How can you be called Bummi! 1988
• Bummi, stay the way you are. 1989.

Radio plays

• The old car (SDR 1954)
• Bummi and Fiete. Quickborn near Hamburg: Miller International records o. J.
• What's up with Bummi? Ibid. no year
• They call me Bummi. Ibid. no year
• The Bummi radio plays were re-used by Europe in 1979

Fairy tale games for open air stages

• The magic swan
• Rumpelstiltskin
• The Eisenhans
• The devil with the three golden hairs
• Jorinde and joringel

literature

• S. Richter: Letters to Olsberg. "... and if it were a fly". (In: Westfalenpost 1963)
• T. Pöpperling: Martha Schlinkert on her 50th birthday, in: De Suerlänner 1964, p. 92
• The bestselling author Martha Schlinkert, in: Ruhr-Wupper-Press 1966, special edition, pp. 1–5
• R. Althaus: Martha Schlinkert wrote the "Magic Swan". Known westf. Youth book author 60 years old, in: Heimat am Hellweg 1973, F. 16
• A. Müller-Felsenburg: Martha Schlinkert in memory, in: Publications 25, 1979, no. 8, p. 15
• H. Lettermann: Memories of Martha Schlinkert on her 80th birthday, in: Strunzerdaal 12, 1993, pp. 109–112 [Illustr.].
• Who's Who in Literature ?, Vol. 1, 1978 - Doderer, Vol. 3, 1979
• Kürschner: Dt. Lit. calendar 1952–1978
• Lex. The youth writer German language - Kosch, 3rd ed., Vol. 15, 1993
• The desire to say “No” in 1997
• You write between Paderborn and Münster 1977 - Rost 1990
• German Biogr. Archive, NF, Fiche 1154, Col. 110.
• Curriculum vitae written by granddaughter Melanie Schlinkert

Archival material

• Estate, manuscripts: ULB Münster: Letter to Friedhelm Kaiser, August 6, 1961

In:

• Westf. Literature Archive Hagen: Coll. - 2.
• StLB Dortmund, personal line: newspaper clipping line.
• Material group in the Biogr. Archive of the WHB, Münster.

Web links

• Martha Schlinkert in the Lexicon of Westphalian Authors
• Literature by and about Martha Schlinkert in the catalog of the German National Library
• Works by and about Martha Schlinkert  in the German Digital Library