German Expressionism collection

ArchivalResource

German Expressionism collection

1909-1961 (majority 1916-1934)

The literary movement German Expressionism generally dates from around 1905 to 1945. It arose as a reaction against materialism, complacent bourgeois prosperity, rapid mechanization and urbanization, and the domination of the family within pre-World War I European society. It was the dominant literary movement in Germany during and immediately after World War I. The authors explored in their works the predicaments of representative symbolic types rather than of fully developed individualized characters. Expressionist poetry was similarly nonreferential and sought an ecstatic, hymn like lyricism that would have considerable associative power. This condensed, stripped-down poetry, utilizing strings of nouns and a few adjectives and infinitive verbs, eliminated narrative and description to capture the essence of feeling. The dominant themes of Expressionist verse were horror at urban life and apocalyptic visions of the collapse of civilization. This collection of approximately sixty individual items includes correspondence and manuscripts, of both prose and poetry, by forty individuals including Leonhard Frank, George Groz, Oskar Kokoscha, Else Lasker-Schuler, Ernst Toller, and Franz Werfel.

0.50 linear feet

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German Expressionism

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tp0nx4 (corporateBody)

From the guide to the German Expressionism Collection, 1909-1961, 1916-1934, (Literature and Rare Books) ...

Werfel, Franz, 1890-1945

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6h70fzt (person)

Franz Werfel was born Sept. 10, 1890 in Prague, Bohemia; one of the founders of the expressionist movement in German literature, Werfel began writing poetry when still a boy and published his first play when 20; published first book of verse in 1911; plays Goat song (1922) and Juarez and Maximilian (1925) were successfully produced in Europe and NY; published novel, Verdi, in 1924; married Alma Mahler, composer Gustav Mahler's widow, in 1929; in 1940 fled Nazis to US; wrote one of his most popul...

Kokoschka, Oskar, 1886-1980

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6cc12m9 (person)

Austrian-British painter. From the description of Autograph letter signed, autograph postal card signed and greeting card signed : [Villeneuve], to John Rewald, 1961 Jan. 7-1962 Nov. 20. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270871195 Arno Nadel, the musician, writer and painter, was the author of 1 letter to Kokoschka (transcript); Paul Cassirer (1871-1926), the art dealer and publisher, was the addressee of 1 letter from Kokoschka (transcript). From the description of...

Toller, Ernst, 1893-1939

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6js9pqt (person)

Ernst Toller was born in Germany, and studied in France and Germany. Toller was prominent in the German revolutionary government in 1918, and later was imprisoned for this activity. During his time in prison he wrote many plays. Toller fled to England in 1933 and continued writing. In 1936 he moved to the United States and wrote film scripts. In 1938 Toller travelled to Spain and began organizing relief efforts. From the description of Ernst Toller papers, 1922-1976 (inclusive), 1934...

Lasker-Schüler, Else, 1869-1945

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6k64k2m (person)

Lasker-Schüler was a German poet and writer. From the description of Drawings, and letters to Hanns Hirt, 1914-1917 and undated. (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 82391737 Lasker-Schüler was a German poet and writer. From the guide to the Drawings, and letters to Hanns Hirt, 1914-1917 and undated., (Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University) Busch appears to have been acquainted with both Lasker-Schüler and Werfel; since he ...

Frank, Leonhard, 1882-1961

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6h45qmh (person)