Urfaust

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Scene from Urfaust with Joana Maria Gorvin as Gretchen and Konrad Wagner as Faust, Berlin 1945

The Urfaust (also known as Faust. Early version or Faust in its original form ) is Goethe's first draft for his later play Faust . It was created parallel to the Sorrows of Young Werther , 1772 to 1775 in Frankfurt am Main. The trigger for the material processing was the conviction and execution of the child murderer Susanna Margaretha Brandt , whose trial Goethe must have pursued, as the copies of trial files found on him after his death show.

In 1775, Goethe read from the Urfaust for the first time at the court in Weimar, then also in Erfurt Castle Stedten , which was owned by the Keller family, who were friends with him . The audience was enthusiastic about the unconventional form and language. Afterwards, Goethe was repeatedly urged to complete the piece, among others by his friend Friedrich Schiller .

There is only one copy of the Urfaust , it was owned by Louise of Göchhausen and includes the still preserved version of some of the scenes that later in Faust I were incorporated. In Urfaust , many passages are still in prose, while in Faust I only the scene Trüber Tag. Field without verse form.

The first performance of Urfaust took place on May 8, 1918 in Frankfurt.

Goethe's Faust through the ages

Goethe's work on Faust spanned a total of six decades. The different versions can be assigned to a total of three different epochs, which have influenced the style and content of the piece accordingly.

title Time of origin Alter Goethe
(* August 28, 1749; † March 22, 1832)		 Epoch that most closely
applies to the respective work
Urfaust (or: Faust. Early version ) ≈ 1772-1775 ≈ 23-26 storm and stress
Fist. A fragment a) ≈ 1788-1790 ≈ 39-41 Weimar Classic
Fist. A tragedy. (later: The tragedy first part ) ≈ 1797-1805 ≈ 48-56 Sturm und Drang, Weimar Classic
Fist. The tragedy part two b) ≈ 1825-1831 ≈ 76-82 Weimar Classic, Romantic
a Fist. One fragment was a further development of the Urfaust (some scenes were added, others deleted). This “intermediate step” is not considered in more detail below.
b Fist. The second part of the tragedy was completed in the summer of 1831. After Goethe had not worked on the Faust material for twenty years after completing the first part in 1805 , he expanded earlier notes from 1825 on to a second part of his tragedy , which was published a few months after Goethe's death (1832).

Comparison: Urfaust and Faust I (Faust. The first part of the tragedy)

The following table compares the scenes of the two works, then the most important differences are briefly explained. The names of the scenes in the Urfaust are in the original version, in brackets are appearances that are contained in the superordinate scene, i.e. do not have their own name.

Legend
  • × : Scene does not exist in one version or cannot be compared.
  • ≈ : Scenes are similar except for a few, but decisive features.
  • = : Scenes are (apart from minor differences) the same or equivalent.
Urfaust comparison Fist i
× Appropriation
× Foreplay in the theater
× Prologue in Heaven
night ≈ night
× In front of the gate
× Study room I.
(School scene) ≈ Study room II
Auerbachs Keller in Leipzig ≈ Auerbachs Keller in Leipzig
Country road ×
× Witch's kitchen
Street = Street I.
Eve = Eve
avenue = walk
Nachbaarinn house = The neighbor's house
(same conversation) = Street II
garden = garden
A garden shed = A garden shed
× Forest and cave
Gretgen's room = Gretchen's room
Marthens garden = Marthens garden
At the fountain = At the fountain
Kennel = Kennel
≈ (see below!) night
Dom = Dom
night ≈ (see above!)
× Walpurgis Night
× Walpurgis Night's Dream
(same conversation) = Cloudy day. field
Night. Open field = Night. Open field
Dungeon ≈ Dungeon

Main differences

  • The appropriation is directed to the figures of the Urfaust , therefore of course only to be found in Faust I.
  • Due to the lack of a prologue in heaven, there is no “bet” between the Lord and Mephisto.
  • The night scene is shorter. Faust is not considering killing himself.
  • Mephisto appears for the first time in the night scene at the student talk. There is no explicit introduction of his character and no pact between him and Faust.
  • Auerbachs Keller in Leipzig: First joint scene by Faust and Mephisto, numerous changed dialogues, often without rhyme form. It is noticeable that Faust (not Mephisto) "gives out" the wine and both enchants and demystifies the students present.
  • Witches Kitchen: Without this scene, Faust's rejuvenating potion and the image of Helena in the mirror are also missing.
  • Forest and cave: This chapter was also added later, which again shows the lesser importance of Mephistus.
  • Night: Valentin appears, but it stays with the first monologue. There is no reference to the fight and subsequent death of Valentine by Faust, nor is the conversation with Gretchen.
  • Like the witch's kitchen , the Walpurgis Night and the associated dream are not included. This means that the Urfaust lacks a large part of the metaphysical and mythological background.
  • Many enjambements (prose form) in the dungeon scene are stylistically linked to Auerbach's cellar and the conversation before night. Open field on. In the end, Gretchen will not be redeemed; the voice from above is missing: “It is saved!”. Instead there is a reference to Valentin's death (bloody hand and sword - similar to Faust I , verses 4512–4517).
  • According to Marcel Reich-Ranicki , Gretchen's saying: “My lap! God pushes / himself towards him / Oh may I take hold / And hold him ", because of the social conventions of Goethe's epoch in" My breast pushes / Towards him. / Oh may I take hold / And hold him. "

Summary of the main differences:

  • In Urfaust there is no betting.
  • Mephisto is more of a secondary character than a main character, Faust is more independent.
  • The focus is on the love tragedy around Gretchen.

expenditure

  • First published in 1887, edited by Erich Schmidt : Goethe's Faust in its original form based on Göchhausen's handwriting. Weimar: Hermann Böhlau.
  • Urfaust / Faust. A fragment, edited by Ernst Grumach . Akademie-Verlag, Berlin (GDR) 1954 (Goethe's works, published by the German Academy of Sciences in Berlin under the direction of Ernst Grumach, Faust, Volume 1).
    Created as a historical-critical edition; Apparatus is missing.

Web links

Commons : Urfaust  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikiquote: Urfaust  - Quotes

References and comments

  1. ↑ The castle was demolished in 1948 - at that time in the Soviet occupation zone - despite its cultural and historical importance.
  2. ^ The checkered history of Goethe's "Urfaust" , deutschlandfunk.de, published and accessed on May 8, 2018.
  3. ↑ Marcel Reich-Ranicki : My History of German Literature From the Middle Ages to the Present . Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Munich 2014, pp. 101-102.