Herbert Rittlinger

Herbert Rittlinger 1954

Herbert Rittlinger (born December 26, 1909 in Leipzig , † June 12, 1978 in Oed am Rain ) was a German writer , photographer , explorer and pioneer of canoeing .

Herbert Rittlinger wrote travelogues, novels and non-fiction books. With his reports from remote areas, he reached six-digit print runs and was a widely read writer in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

His works received a particularly attentive and sustained reception among canoeists, as he was on many of his trips by folding boat . However, Rittlinger himself made it important not to be reduced to his role as a canoeist or travel writer .

Life

Herbert Rittlinger was born in Leipzig. After attending high school, he learned the trade of goldsmith in his mother's jewelry store . As early as 1923 he made his first journalistic attempts.

His first book "Faltbootstößt vor" documents his one-man white water rides (1932) in the Eastern Carpathians on the Golden Bistritz and in the gorges of the Euphrates . On the way back from these adventures, Rittlinger visited Leon Trotsky in Istanbul . He then spent two years as a seaman , copra planter and prospector in Japan , the South Seas , New Guinea and Australia . "Südseefahrt" is the title of his book from this time.

In 1936, again without a companion, he sailed the Amazon from its source rivers Marañón and Huallaga with his 4.5 m long LFB folding boat "Nanuk-Rex" from 4100 meters in the Andes to Iquitos (approx. 1600 km) and continued the journey then continue on a river steamer to the mouth. His books "I came down the raging rivers" and "In the sea of ​​rivers and forests" were later combined into a volume "All alone to the Amazon". It was Rittlinger's most successful book. A total of 300,000 copies of seven editions were sold.

Rittlinger was friends with the Leipzig painter Max Schwimmer , who contributed some drawings to his books. It was through him that he met his future wife Marianne (1910–1993), whom he married in 1938. Marianne (immortalized in his books as "das Aveckle") illustrated many of his publications with her drawings. The pre-war summer folding boat trips with her and two friends on the Schwarzen Regen , the Drau , the Enns and in the Salzkammergut were the subject of the book “Das baldverlorene Paradies”, in which he denounced the destruction of wild rivers through construction work.

Rittlinger first experienced the Second World War as a soldier in a propaganda company in France. Then he came to the German defense under Wilhelm Canaris . With his wife Marianne, disguised as a harmless businessman, from 1942 Rittlinger headed the “ Fremde Heere West ” residency in Istanbul . There he was the successor to Paul Leverkuehn . In his later book ("Secret Service with Limited Liability") he described, among other things, the encounter with Rudolf von Sebottendorf , one of his agents, whom he called the storyteller in the book "Hakawaki". After the war, the Rittlinger family, now with their daughter Judith (* 1946), lived in Chiemgau ( Obing - Seeon - Oed am Rain / Frasdorf ). His books “Seven Ships or The Great Longing”, “The New School of Canoeing” and “The Nude Photo” were created.

The first part of the "amphibious trip" is a folding boat trip (1956) on the Grande Leyre in the Landes in south-west France. Rittlinger with his wife and daughter and two other companions become amphibious beings themselves on the small river that winds through a jungle of fallen trees. In eight days they put their boats over, under and through trees, swimming, climbing, pulling and pushing only 36 kilometers back. In the second part of the “Amphibious Journey”, Rittlinger and his “Aveckle” travel the Wadden Sea from the mouth of the Ems to Sylt with their Klepper folding boats (1950). The Bremen high school teacher Hajo Ortil also accompanied them on part of the folding boat trip . Rittlinger met him in Vienna during the war.

Egon G. Schleinitz described Rittlinger in the Hamburg weekly newspaper “ Die Zeit ” on the occasion of his novel “Seven Ships or The Great Desire” in 1950 as the “poet in a paddle boat”. The novel is the sum of 14 years of traveling around the world. Under the heading “World tour - Goethe also cried”, “ Der Spiegel ” took the publication of this book as an opportunity to report on Rittlinger full-page. The first big trip abroad was possible again in 1954. The Rittlingers first paddled in the Red Sea , then on Lake Tana , the origin of the Blue Nile . The onward journey with folding boats on the Blue Nile (called "Abai" by the locals) had to be canceled later due to constant attacks by huge crocodiles . Rittlinger published the experiences of this trip in his books "Black Adventure" and "The Secret of Abai". Participant in the folding boat trips on Lake Tana was u. a. also Gerhard Ludwig (Rittlinger: “The most famous train station book dealer in Germany” ). On September 15, 1954 , the Hessischer Rundfunk broadcast Rittlinger's audio book report on his Nile expedition with the title "Canon of the raging crocodiles" . On December 14, 1955, Rittlinger and other writers reported on German television in the NWDR program “Kleine Liebe zur Große Welt” about their travels and their books.

Rittlingers folding boat trips on the Rhone , the Ardèche and in the Mediterranean , in the Yugoslavian islands and in northern Italy appeared in the nudist publishers Danehl's and Zitzmann as "Sun trip to Provence", "Dalmatian summer" and "We moved to Friuli". The Rittlinger expedition "Into the Land of the Lacandons" led in 1957 to a previously unknown tribe of the last Maya in Mexico and was his last big trip abroad.

In 1965 Rittlinger's book “From here to Babylon” was published, a novel with autobiographical features. Also in the sixties were the books “Far-traveling gentleman with a lens”, “Photos, but how” and “Anyway better pictures”. The ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation) filmed during this period "The soon lost paradise". Herbert Rittlinger starred in the film with his wife Marianne and daughter Judith. His book “Vacation after Script” emerged from the shooting.

With his last works, Rittlinger was no longer able to match the earlier circulation figures and thus ran into economic difficulties. In 1972 the family moved from Seeon to nearby Oed am Rain . On June 12, 1978, Rittlinger died of cancer at the age of 68. His grave is in Prien am Chiemsee .

photography

The artist was not only known for his writing. His photographic work is equally popular. He dealt with nude photography in the sense of naturism . He also published several photo textbooks and illustrated books. In addition, he was the author of a monthly column on the subject of “nude photography” in the photo magazine for years . From 1963 until his death he was a member of the DGPh ( German Society for Photography ). Above all, he dealt with the subject of water sports in photography and writing .

Naturism

In many of his books, he joined committed to nudism a (nude), even in the more prudish 1950s. Rittlinger wrote about the then disreputable term "nude culture" as early as 1950 a. a .:

“ But to apply this beautiful expression to the very simple, very natural and in the right place quite often practiced nudism, or to the honest nudist groups (many of their members are not by chance canoeists!) With their [...] free and sporty-clean atmosphere - is impolite and at best shows gross ignorance. Only - the obscenity of the philistine is by no means "impolite" anymore, but rather insidious! "Naturism" (FKK) is also not a happy word. But it has asserted and naturalized itself from distancing itself from all speculative machinations. From the proper sportswear to Petrarca to this point, the jump is not that big: Our shores of the sun also encourage the ultimate in physical freedom. What the gift of nudity in the air and sun means for women in particular, who withdraw three quarters of their body from the vital demand “let air on their skin” even during sport, is something that women will best appreciate. Fortunately, under the thicket of narrow and conventional convention, most people have enough cleanliness of sensation to enjoy fresh naturalness. In the face of venerable, dreamy Moselle towns, or under the amused or even evil glances of the honest rural population, any unintended challenge is strictly forbidden, if only for reasons of [good ...] taste. However, anyone who cannot do without a bathing suit as the last remnant of civilization in a lonely area, with like-minded comrades or even at the sea, is ultimately a “barbarian”! "

- The new school of canoeing. River-sea-whitewater-open-air life. P. 295

Herbert Rittlinger's text and images in “ Sonnenfreunde ” and “ HELIOS ” magazine described the ideal opportunities to combine canoeing with naturism . This also applies to the special issues written and illustrated by Rittlinger: “Dalmatian Summer”, “We moved to Friuli” and “Sun Trip to Provence” from these leading nudist publishers at the time. Hajo Ortil , a friend of Rittlinger and a teacher at a secondary school in Bremen, also reported in these publications on the canoeing activities of the boys and girls' sports group he founded, "Hansische Fluss- und Seepiraten".

Because the law on the dissemination of writings harmful to minors without individual examination and without indexing (according to Section 6, Paragraph 2, valid from June 9, 1953 to November 23, 1973) classified "writings that advertise nude culture with images" as obviously seriously harmful to minors Publications are not made accessible to young people under the age of 18 for a long time.

Posthumous reception

Honors

Herbert Rittlinger was inducted into the International Whitewater Hall of Fame in 2006. This facility aims to recognize and honor all those individuals who have made significant skills and contributions to white water sports. The official ceremony for acceptance into the "Hall of Fame" took place on October 20, 2006 in Fort McHenry in the presence of his daughter Judith Steinbacher .

Exhibitions on Rittlinger's life

The Seeon Abbey cultural and educational center dedicated a retrospective to the photographer, writer, explorer and pioneer of canoeing from May 16 to October 31, 2009 for his 100th birthday. An exhibition catalog with travel reports, photographs and life events of the Rittlingers was also published.

From October 22nd to November 5th, 2009, a series of events took place in his native Leipzig . A touring exhibition of the German Canoe Association based on the large exhibition in Seeon Abbey was on view in the New Town Hall . On October 30, 2009, Judith Steinbacher gave a reading from Rittlinger's works as part of the exhibition . The traveling exhibition could be seen again in February 2010 during the “Beach & Boat” trade fair in Leipzig. Further stations so far have been Wernigerode and Bremen.

Nude photography exhibitions

In 1985, the Munich City Museum organized the exhibition “The Nude Photo”. Later it was shown as a traveling exhibition in other cities. It documented the history, aesthetics and ideology of 150 years of nude photography . Among the exhibited pictures were works by Rittlinger. The extensive exhibition catalog includes short biographies of the most important photographers. Herbert Rittlinger is referred to as "... writer, photographer, specialist journalist and important representative of the post-war physical culture movement ...".

In the chapter “Nudes from amateur hands. Sketches of a historical inventory "are discussed in detail Rittlinger's nude photo books:

“However, if the amateur wanted to get more detailed information and also acquire technical knowledge, he could fall back on Herbert Rittlinger's« Das Aktfoto ». It is a good thing for the book that the author falls back on tried and tested names that we already know: Willy Zielke, Fritz Henle , Ferenc Berko . Others join in: Bernd Jansen, Marta Hoepffner , H. Heidersberger, Ludwig Windstosser, H. Hajek-Halke and others. The text explains clearly and without excursions into personal anecdotes all the problems of nude photography "

- The nude photo: views of the body in the photographic age. Aesthetics, history, ideology. Munich / Lucerne 1985

From May 20 to June 25, 2006, the Altomünster Museum and Heritage Association presented the exhibition "Nude in the Landscape" in the museum's forum. It showed photographs by Herbert Rittlinger and oil paintings by Judith Steinbacher . Father and daughter have the female nude in the landscape as a common theme. The oil paintings are colored impressions of the black and white photos from the 40s / 50s. After that, the exhibition was shown in various other locations, including a. in the Geisenhofer Clinic Munich. These oil paintings with the associated folding boat and nude photos by Herbert Rittlinger can now be seen in a Munich art gallery.

Media contributions

On the death of Herbert Rittlinger, " Der Spiegel " published an obituary under the heading "Register - Died".

In its radio series “ Zeitzeichen ”, West German Broadcasting commemorated Herbert Rittlinger. In this audio document Rittlinger could be heard personally about his expedition to the Lacandons , the last descendants of the Maya in Mexico .

On the 20th anniversary of Herbert Rittlinger's death, Thomas Theisinger wrote an obituary in " Kanu-Sport " with the heading: "... because we have been missing it for 20 years" .

In 2009 there were also articles about him in all relevant canoe magazines. But also in the FAZ of September 21, 2008, Hans-Heinrich Pardey wrote about the "Faltbootkalender 2009", which contains stories and photos from Rittlinger's work: "... the trained goldsmith was - longer than he was an author - a photographer. A photographer in the literal sense. The sun gleams in his pictures, the clouds stand vividly over the landscapes, the tonal values ​​are neatly graduated down to the deepest shadows. Rittlinger was a naturist, the folding boat was a suitable vehicle for him to pursue his longing for the simple life in bright light and fresh air. To paddle naked in the boat was the most natural thing in the world for him - ... Rittlinger's files lack any sultriness: bright light makes the skin shimmer, sharply outlined shadows trace the lines of the bodies ... "

Deutschlandradio Kultur and Deutschlandfunk each broadcast a short reminder program on December 26, 2009 in their radio series "Kalenderblatt" under the title "Profession: Adventurer. Herbert Rittlinger on his 100th birthday".

Publications

The book "Das baldverlorene Paradies" was reprinted in 1993 by Pollner-Verlag, supplemented with new photos by other photographers as evidence of environmental destruction and the construction of the Alpine rivers.

On the occasion of Rittlinger's 100th birthday in 2009, two publications on his life were created. The first was the "Faltbootkalender 2009" published by the Oldenburger schwarzenreich publishing house, which contains stories and photos from his work. The second was the comprehensive exhibition catalog for the exhibition at Seeon Abbey, which gives an overview of Rittlinger's life and contains a large number of his photos.

The following works by Herbert Rittlinger are also available as audio books in the audio library of the Austrian Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired : All alone to the Amazon , Paradise soon to be lost , Secret Service with limited liability - Report from the Bosporus , I was afraid - my most dangerous expeditions , Into the land of the Lacandons, Seven ships - or the great longing .

Works

Travel books and non-fiction books

• Folding boat pushes forward. From the Carpathian jungle to wild Kurdistan. FA Brockhaus , Leipzig 1934 ( Travel and Adventure )
• South Seas trip - factual report from the infinite. Wilhelm Goldmann Verlag , Leipzig 1936
• I came down the raging rivers. FA Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1938
• Paradise soon to be lost. FA Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1943
• The new school of canoeing. River-Sea-White-Water-Open Air Life FA Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1950 (further, revised editions 1954, 1962, 1967, 1977).
• In the sea of ​​streams and forests. Eberhardt Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1953
• Black adventure. From the Red Sea to the Blue Nile. FA Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1955
• The Sea of ​​a Thousand Islands (Dalmatian Summer). Richard Danehl`s Verlag, Hamburg 1956
• All alone to the Amazon. FA Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1958
• Amphibious trip to lost islands. FA Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1958
• Sun trip to Provence. (Rhone-Ardeche-Mediterranean), Rudolf Zitzmann Verlag , Lauf b. Nuremberg 1958
• To the land of the Lacandons - To the last Mayans. FA Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1959
• The secret of the Abai. FA Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1960
• We moved to Friuli. Rudolf Zitzmann Verlag, Lauf b. Nuremberg 1960
• Vacation by script. FA Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1968
• To the history of the chamber pot. A little consideration in 10 chapters. Commissioned work for the pharmaceutical company Geigy , 1970
• Limited Liability Secret Service. Report from the Bosphorus. a little-known firsthand chapter of contemporary history; (autobiographical work), Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt , Stuttgart 1973
• Emergency guide. A small topology of the needs system as well as a description of the location of some quiet places. Commissioned work for the pharmaceutical company Geigy, 1978
• I was scared - my most dangerous expeditions. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart 1977

photography

• The nude photo. Wilhelm Knapp Verlag, Düsseldorf 1960
• The new act. When - Where - How - Why. Wilhelm Knapp Verlag, Düsseldorf 1966
• Well-traveled gentleman with a lens. Photography & Adventure. FA Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1967
• Nudes on the beach. Black picture books. Hans Schwarz Verlag, Bayreuth 1968
• Better pictures anyway. Guide for photo enthusiasts. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag (dtv), Munich 1969
• Naked with grace. Richard Danehl`s Verlag, Hamburg 1970
• Nudes new episode. Schwarz picture books, Hans Schwarz Verlag, Bayreuth 1970
• Taking photos. Silva Verlag, Zurich 1973
• Take a picture of me . A photo book for teenagers. dtv, Munich 1985
• Faltbootkalender 2009. Foldreich Verlag, Oldenburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-9811182-3-0 . (contains photos and texts)

The narrative work

• Seven Ships or The Great Longing. German publishing company, Stuttgart 1950
• The immeasurable ocean. Paul List Verlag , Munich 1954
• From here to Babylon. The great time novel. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart 1965
• Nobody lives for two, or what a person really desires. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart 1975

literature

• Herbert Rittlinger 1909-1978. The poet in the kayak. Catalog for the exhibition at Seeon Abbey. Seeon Abbey, Seeon 2009, ISBN 978-3-00-027374-2 .
• Thomas Theisinger: Paradise soon to be lost - pedantic remarks about an indestructible book. In: Herbert Kropp (Ed.): "Binsenbummeln und Meeresrauschen III" , 3rd International Yearbook of Faltboat Sports 2005/2006 ,altenreich Verlag Oldenburg 2005, ISBN 3-00-015998-3 , pp. 83-93

Web links

• Literature by and about Herbert Rittlinger in the catalog of the German National Library
• Ilse Entner: Herbert Rittlinger: 'The poet in the paddle boat'. In: kanugeschichte.net. Retrieved January 11, 2013 . 
• Traveling exhibition in Leipzig: 100 years of Herbert Rittlinger. German Canoe Association, October 22, 2009, accessed on January 11, 2013 . 
• Rittlingers Traum - An unusual film project by the Carinthian filmmaker Thomas Miklautsch tells in atmospheric images about the renovation (revitalization) of the Upper Drau. In: Lebensministerium.at. Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, accessed on January 11, 2013 . 
• Abstract "Rittlinger's Dream"
• B ° -MR: The poet in a kayak. May 6, 2009, accessed January 11, 2013 . 
• “Goethe also cried” article in Der Spiegel-18/1950

Individual evidence

1. ↑ EGS: The poet in a paddle boat - Herbert Rittlinger's "Seven Ships". In: Zeit Online , No. 20/1950. May 18, 1950, accessed January 11, 2013 . 
2. ↑ The mirror . No. 18/1950, p. 38, of May 4, 1950
3. ↑ Sun lovers. Official organ of the German Association for Naturism, Richard Danehl`s Verlag, Hamburg.
4. ↑ HELIOS. Independent monthly for natural lifestyle, Lauf near Nuremberg.
5. ^ Bremen, Konsul-Hackfeld-Haus, May 10-21, 2010
6. ↑ M. Köhler, G. Barche (ed.): The nude photo: views of the body in the photographic age. Aesthetics, history, ideology. Bucher, Munich / Lucerne 1985. (exhibition catalog)
7. ↑ M. Köhler, G. Barche (ed.): The nude photo: views of the body in the photographic age. Aesthetics, history, ideology. Bucher, Munich / Lucerne 1985, pp. 368–389.
8. ^ Died: Herbert Rittlinger . In: Der Spiegel . No. 25 , 1978, pp. 196 ( online ).
9. ↑ Thomas Theisinger: ... because we have been missing him for 20 years In: Kanu-Sport . Issue 7/1998, p. 302ff. (Obituary)
10. ↑ Florian Ehrich: Profession: Adventurer: Herbert Rittlinger on his 100th birthday. December 26, 2009, on the website for the broadcast of Deutschlandfunk, accessed on August 18, 2011