Richard Wagner (writer)

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Richard Wagner (2010)

Richard Wagner (born April 10, 1952 in Lovrin , Banat , People's Republic of Romania ) is a Romanian- German writer .

Life

Richard Wagner began his writing career in 1969 when he made his debut with poetry in the newspaper Neuer Weg . He joined the Romanian Communist Party in 1972 . During his German and Romanian studies in Timișoara, Wagner continued to publish poetry and short prose and in 1972 founded the Banat action group together with his college friends and fellow writers Johann Lippet , Anton Sterbling , Gerhard Ortinau , Ernest Wichner , Albert Bohn , Rolf Bossert , William Totok and Werner Kremm . After Wagner was briefly arrested by the Romanian secret service Securitate , the group was broken up in 1975. The young writers had previously been bugged and monitored by the Securitate.

Following his studies in Hunedoara, Wagner worked as a German teacher and later as a journalist . After he refused to write a jubilee report for the national holiday, he lost his job. In Timișoara he joined the Adam Müller Guttenbrunn Literature Circle, which included Herta Müller , Ilse Hehn , Helmuth Frauendorfer and Horst Samson , among others . After the co-founder of the literary group Nikolaus Berwanger did not return to Romania from a trip abroad to the FRG in autumn 1984, Richard Wagner and his then wife Herta Müller also decided to submit applications for permanent departure. Both were able to move to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1987. They had been a couple since 1979, married since 1984, and separated in 1989.

Wagner lives as a writer and freelance journalist in Berlin . In 2012 he contracted cancer and barely survived the disease. In 2003 Wagner was diagnosed with Parkinson's . While Wagner was initially able to write and publish despite his illness, the increasingly difficult course has forced him to largely stop writing for several years.

plant

Wagner made his debut as a schoolboy with poetry and remained true to the genre of poetry throughout his life. Between 1973 and 2017 he published twelve volumes of poetry, with the last volume Gold (2017) a selection from almost 1000 written poems as well as numerous that were previously only printed in magazines or were unpublished in the poet's archive. Wagner, who since the beginning of his lyrical writing in the tradition of Bert Brecht , later Rolf Dieter Brinkmann and the poets of the Beat Generation , advocates a critical and alert approach to reality, initially questions the narrow traditions and conventional way of thinking of the German minority, the he belongs to himself; later this attitude leads to the confrontation with the socialist regime of Ceaușescu : his criticism is primarily directed not against politics, but against people who allow themselves to be wrapped up in political ideology and who do not develop and initiate any action out of fear and naivety.

The poet Franz Hodjak wrote about his poetry as early as 1973: “Wagner's poem structures are extremely lucid and clearly show two tendencies: on the one hand, the tendency towards a more plastic objectification of the lyrical substance and, on the other hand, the tendency towards more abstract poetic discourse. The poetic discourse is always sober, overcooled, built up with sparse word material, it is started purposefully, then apparently runs into completely irrelevant things to surprisingly lead to an effective, precisely calculated final point. "The poetry that Wagner wrote after his departure to the Federal Republic writes, changes with his environment and becomes more introspective, terse and finally more aphoristic again. "Fragmentary cityscapes and the observation of the oblivion of life in consumer society gain both poetic sharpness and suggestive power through the greater sobriety of the tone and the construction of the poems."

A few years after he published early poems, Wagner turned to prose, initially maintaining the short and the shortest prose in several independent volumes and regular publications in German-language newspapers in Romania. The fragments and sketches, some of which are close to the buzzing, fantastic and absurd literature, are among the best that Wagner could do in prose. Still, he soon gave up the genre in favor of the novel. Shortly before leaving, he switched to the genre of the somewhat longer story, in Germany he then devoted himself intensively to the genre of the novel for the first time. His most important and successful novels include The Rich Girl (2007) and Habselehmen (2004). At the same time, he worked as a journalist and essayist and in 2011, together with Thea Dorn, published the bestseller Die deutsche Seele (2011) - a work of essays that discusses typically German terms and cultural assets.

For years Wagner was a member of the journalistic network The Axis of the Good .

In his most recent prose, Herr Parkinson , about which Barbara Möller writes: “'Herr Parkinson' is a self-portrait of the artist as a sick man. Ruthless. Laconically. Angry. Funny. Sad, “Wagner deals narrative with his illness. "The book, however, is primarily not an illness report, but the relentless inner monologue of a narrator who has been physically and psychologically deranged from the effects of illness and medication, whose illness upsets, demands and challenges his entire life."

A long literary discussion with Wagner was last published in 2017 under the title Poetologik . Numerous essays and lectures by Wagner on literature and language are also printed in this volume.

Wagner's archive in the Institute for German Culture and History of Southeast Europe

Due to his illness, Wagner wanted to secure his private and literary archive while he was still alive. In 2013 he handed this over to the Institute for German Culture and History of Southeast Europe e. V. (IKGS) at the LMU Munich . His entire archive was viewed, evaluated and archived there from 2015 to 2017 by the literary scholar Christina Rossi . Richard Wagner's archive contains versions and parts of the work, manuscripts, material on the work, photos, letters, life documents, notes and records as well as extensive collections of material on various topics and projects of the author. The archive in the IKGS has been accessible for research by scientists since 2017.

Wagner in the Romanian-German discussion

In 2009 Wagner accused the Banat Swabian country team that ex-informers from the former Romanian secret service Securitate were active in their ranks .

Around 2010 the suspicion against some Romanian-German authors such as Oskar Pastior , Claus Stephani as well as Franz Thomas Schleich and Wagner's former friends Werner Söllner and Peter Grosz of having worked with the Securitate increased. In his publications, Wagner sees himself as an “enlightener of Securitate entanglements”. He called for “unsparing clarification of the Securitate entanglement of Pastior”, which he described elsewhere as a “master of duplicity”, whereby he also questioned the durability of the Oskar Pastior Foundation . He regards Pastior's work as “a firework of language artistry”, which lacks “any moral justification”. In 2011, the Munich Regional Court and the Munich Higher Regional Court prohibited Wagner from “ reporting suspicions of considerable public interest”; Claus Stephani was considered a “reliable informing person” and was “even rewarded for his secret activities”.

Single track

Poetry

  • Plain text. A book of poems . Kriterion, Bucharest 1973.
  • the invasion of clocks . Poems. Kriterion, Bucharest 1977.
  • Hotel California I. The day that started with a wound . Poems. Kriterion, Bucharest 1980.
  • hotel california 2 . Poems. Kriterion, Bucharest 1981.
  • Back light . Poems. Facla Verlag, Timișoara 1983.
  • Rusty rain . Poems. Luchterhand, Darmstadt / Neuwied 1986, ISBN 3-472-86642-X .
  • Black chalk . Poems. Luchterhand, Frankfurt am Main 1991, ISBN 3-630-86759-6 .
  • Hot chestnuts . Poems. DVA, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-421-06656-6 .
  • With Madonna in town . Poems. Poetry edition 2000, Munich 2000, ISBN 3-935284-27-6 .
  • Badminton. Poems. Zeitzeichen series, Aschersleben 2007, ISBN 978-3-9810379-4-4 .
  • Scheduled flight . Poems. Edited by Ernest Wichner. Hochroth, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-942161-03-9 .
  • Gold. Poems. Structure, Berlin 2017, ISBN 978-3-3510-3676-8 .

prose

essay

poetics

  • Poetology. The writer Richard Wagner in conversation [with Christina Rossi]. Wieser, Klagenfurt 2017, ISBN 978-3-9902-9236-5 .

Editing

Awards

In Romania

  • 1971: Prize of the Neue Banater Zeitung (for a short prose text)
  • Prize of the Pioneer Association of the Communist Children's Association
  • 1973: Prize of the Communist Youth Association for the volume of poems Klartext
  • 1981: Poetry Prize of the Romanian Writers' Union

In Germany

literature

  • Alexander von Bormann: Objection. Contradiction. Encouragement. On the rhetoric of contemporary poetry. Using the example of Romanian-German poetry, especially Richard Wagner's , Wespennest 82 . Magazine for useful texts and images. 1991, pp. 24-32.
  • Cristina Tudorică: Romanian German Literature (1970–1990). The last epoch of minority literature. Tübingen / Basel 1997.
  • Matthias Keidel: The return of the strollers. Literary strolling and strolling thinking between perception and reflection. Königshausen & Neumann, Würzburg 2005, pp. 126–149.
  • Petra Meurer: Frenzied strollers. Cultural identity and gender in the texts of Richard Wagner and other Romanian-German authors . In: Heinz Ludwig Arnold (Ed.): Literature and Migration . Munich 2006, pp. 186–195.
  • Peter Motzan: Romanian-German poetry from the 70s to 90s: "Action Group Banat" - Richard Wagner - Franz Hodjak - Werner Söllner - Rolf Bossert - Klaus Hense 1 (1973–1997). In: Ursula Heukenkamp / Peter Geist (ed.): German-speaking poets of the 20th century . Berlin 2006, pp. 732-746, ISBN 978-3-503-07999-5 .
  • Beate Petry Kory: Dictatorship and Traumatic Experience. Richard Wagner's novel Die Muren von Wie n. In: Walter Engel (Hrsg.): Kulturraum Banat. German culture in a European multiethnic region . Essen 2007, pp. 307-316.
  • Daniela Nelva: Identity on the Edge of Memory. Richard Wagner's novel Miss Bucharest . In: William C. Donahue and Jochen Vogt: on the other hand, 2nd Yearbook of Transatlantic Study s, 2/2011, pp. 129–143.
  • Christina Rossi: Poetry gives you what it takes from you. On the poetry of Richard Wagner. In: Richard Wagner: Gold . Poems. Aufbau Verlag, Berlin 2017, pp. 181–196, ISBN 978-3-351-03676-8 .
  • Christina Rossi: The archive as a place of remembrance. Insights into the legacy of the writer Richard Wagne r. In: reflections. Journal for German Culture and History of Southeast Europe 2/2016, Munich 2016, pp. 77–87.
  • Horst Samson : Richard Wagner and the consequences. In: Matrix . Journal of Literature and Kun t , 39th edition, Pop Verlag, Ludwigsburg 2015, pp 7-149
  • Horst Samson & Anton Sterbling (eds.): We don't know the language that follows nothing. Sentences and texts for Richard Wagner. With graphics and paintings by Walter Andreas Kirchner Pop Verlag, Ludwigsburg 2018, ISBN 978-3-86356-174-1 .
  • Richard Wagner and Christina Rossi: Poetology. The writer Richard Wagner in conversation . Wieser Verlag, Klagenfurt 2017, ISBN 978-3-99029-236-5 .
  • Christina Rossi and Enikö Dácz: turning maneuvers. Contributions to the work of Richard Wagner, with literary texts by Felicitas Hoppe, Johann Lippet and Richard Wagner . Pustet Verlag, Regensburg 2018, ISBN 978-3-79173-021-9 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Landsmannschaft der Banat Schwaben , Katharina Kilzer: Balkan Fool or Torturer? ( Memento of the original from February 23, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.banater-schwaben.org archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. October 20, 2010.
  2. ↑ Ingmar Brantsch : Life is not normal. Aphorisms and essays. Geest Verlag, Vechta 2012, ISBN 978-3-86685-366-9 , p. 125.
  3. ^ Anton Sterbling : Some subjective comments on the "Action Group Banat". In: 40 years of the Banat Action Group. Semi-annual publication for Southeast European History, Literature and Politics from April 2, 2012.
  4. ↑ Chemnitz University of Technology , Sarah Langer: Between Bohème and Dissidenz. The Banat Action Group and its Authors in the Romanian Dictatorship. ( Memento of the original from February 27, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. December 2010, p. 16; PDF; 638 kB @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tu-chemnitz.de
  5. ↑ Christina Rossi: Introduction to the life and work of Richard Wagner . In: Richard Wagner, Christina Rossi (Hrsg.): Poetologik . Wieser Verlag, Klagenfurt 2017, ISBN 978-3-99029-236-5 , p. 13 .
  6. ↑ Elke Sabiel: There is no obituary for Romanian German literature because they are still writing today. In: General German newspaper for Romania , May 12, 2012.
  7. ↑ a b Literature Port : Vita Richard Wagner
  8. ↑ Christina Rossi: Introduction to the life and work of Richard Wagner . Ed .: Richard Wagner, Christina Rossi. Wieser Verlag, Klagenfurt 2017, ISBN 978-3-99029-236-5 , p. 12 .
  9. ^ A b c Christina Rossi: Introduction to the life and work of Richard Wagner . In: Richard Wagner, Christina Rossi (Hrsg.): Poetologik . Wieser Verlag, Klagenfurt 2017, ISBN 978-3-99029-236-5 , p. 15 .
  10. ↑ Christina Rossi: “Poetry gives you what it takes away from you.” On the poetry of Richard Wagner . In: Richard Wagner (Ed.): Gold . Construction Verlag, Berlin 2017, ISBN 978-3-351-03676-8 , p. 181-196 .
  11. ^ Franz Hodjak: Group picture with Wagner . In: New Literature . tape 3 , 1973, p. 89 .
  12. ↑ Christina Rossi: “Poetry gives you what it takes away from you.” On the poetry of Richard Wagner . In: Richard Wagner (Ed.): Gold . Construction Verlag, Berlin 2017, ISBN 978-3-351-03676-8 , p. 191 .
  13. ↑ Christina Rossi: Introduction to the life and work of Richard Wagner . In: Richard Wagner, Christina Rossi (Hrsg.): Poetologik . Wieser Verlag, Klagenfurt 2017, p. 11–16 (here you will find a comprehensive presentation of the development and reception of Wagner's literary work).
  14. ↑ Barbara Möller: When the head does not control the body. In: Literary World , May 30, 2015, p. 4.
  15. ↑ From Securitate files to personal letters. An Augsburg researcher secures the legacy of the Romanian writer Richard Wagner. In: Augsburger Allgemeine from January 18, 2018.
  16. ↑ Archive in the IKGS ( Memento of the original from September 13, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ikgs.de
  17. ↑ Deutschlandradio : "Character assassination was committed against authors" , December 21, 2009.
  18. ↑ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , Felicitas von Lovenberg: The human pastior must be reassessed , interview with Stefan Sienerth , November 17, 2010.
  19. ↑ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: The continuation of defamation , interview with Herta Müller, November 23, 2010.
  20. ^ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Richard Wagner: Spying down to the last verse , December 16, 2009, p. 29.
  21. ↑ Der Spiegel : We don't want to see it hanging , interview with Richard Wagner, December 14, 2009.
  22. ^ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: His friendship was prescribed by the Securitate , interview with Richard Wagner, February 21, 2010.
  23. ^ Siebenbürgische Zeitung: "Against the sellout of our values": Richard Wagner on his 60th birthday , April 11, 2012.
  24. ↑ Die Welt , Richard Wagner: Securitate-IM Pastior is treated like a victim , October 17, 2010.
  25. ^ Neue Zürcher Zeitung , Richard Wagner: From the legacy to the legacy. Oskar Pastior's double life as a poet and informant for the Securitate , November 18, 2010.
  26. ↑ Deutschlandradio: "I don't see how this could be continued" , November 17, 2010.
  27. ^ Siebenbürgische Zeitung: Claus Stephani wins injunction against the association and Richard Wagner , March 8, 2013.
  28. ↑ claus-stephani.de
  29. ^ Regional Court Munich: Claus Stephani versus Richard Wagner. Ref. 25 O 24213/10, January 17, 2011.
  30. ↑ Review at perlentaucher.de
  31. ↑ Kurt Morawietz (Ed.): Die horen , Volume 32, issues 147-148, 1987, p. 61
  32. ^ Federal Institute for Culture and History of Germans in Eastern Europe : Encounters with Romanian and Romanian German writers. Brief biographies of writers, translators and literary scholars. Entry Richard Wagner , 2007
  33. ^ Literarischer-maerz.de, Archive Prize Winners
  34. ^ Archive Frankfurter Poetikvorlesungen: Previous lecturers of the Frankfurt Poetics Lectures.
  35. ^ Senate Chancellery - Cultural Affairs: Author Richard Wagner receives Federal Order of Merit , October 31, 2014.
personal data
SURNAME Wagner, Richard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German writer
DATE OF BIRTH April 10, 1952
PLACE OF BIRTH Lovrin , People's Republic of Romania