Max Aub
Encyclopedia
Max Aub Mohrenwitz was a Spanish
experimentalist novelist, playwright and literary critic. In 1965 he founded the literary periodical Los Sesenta (the Sixties), with editors that included the poets Jorge Guillén
and Rafael Alberti
.
mother and German
father, who was a travelling salesman. At the outbreak of World War I
, his father was in Spain on business and could not return to France, as he had become an enemy alien. Max and his mother joined him there and they all took Spanish citizenship. In 1914 Aub and his family settled in Valencia. There he completed his secondary education. In 1920, Aub became a salesman, like his father and from 1920 to 1935 he traveled through Spain and other european countries selling a variety of different products. In 1921, he became a spanish citizen. . In 1929, Aub joined the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
and remained a lifelong member.
, the Republican
government posted him to Paris as a cultural attaché
. In 1937, he was responsible for placing Picasso's "Guernica"
on display at the International Exposition, and took part in the organisation of the Second Congress of Anti-Fascists Writers. After that, Aub returned to Spain and on August 1937 he was nominated general secretary of the Consejo Central de Teatro. In 1938 he worked in the Malraux's
film L'espoir
and wrote it's screenplay.
regime had come to consider him a serious opponent, and in March 1940 he was denounced to the new Vichy
government of France as a militant communist and a "German-Jew", and therefore a possible spy or traitor. He was imprisoned for a year in Camp Vernet
, then deported to the forced labor camp of Djelfa
in Algeria
. In 1942, with the help of a guard, he escaped.
Soon thereafter, he was able to find passage from Casablanca
to Mexico, followed shortly by his wife and children. Once he was settled in, he joined other Spanish exiles — including Luis Buñuel
, with whom he formed a working friendship. In Mexico he worked as screenwriter. He also wrote for the newspapers Nacional and Excelsior
and worked as a Professor at the Film Academy in Mexico. He became a Mexican citizen in 1955 and lived in Mexico City
until his death. In 1972, he was elected Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French Government.
The centerpiece of his work is the impressive cycle of novels El laberinto mágico (The Magic Labyrinth) about the Spanish Civil War, written between 1943 and 1968: Campo Cerrado, translated into Englih as Field of Honour (1943), Campo abierto (1951), Campo de Sangre (1945), Campo del Moro (1963), Campo de los Almendros (1965) and Campo Frances (1968). The cycle also comprises another 25 short stories.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
experimentalist novelist, playwright and literary critic. In 1965 he founded the literary periodical Los Sesenta (the Sixties), with editors that included the poets Jorge Guillén
Jorge Guillén
Jorge Guillén y Álvarez was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27.-Biography:Jorge Guillén was born in Valladolid. His life paralleled that of his friend Pedro Salinas, whom he succeeded as a Spanish teaching assistant at the Collège de Sorbonne in the University of Paris from 1917 to...
and Rafael Alberti
Rafael Alberti
Rafael Alberti Merello was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27....
.
Early life
Aub was born in Paris to a Jewish FrenchFrench people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
mother and German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
father, who was a travelling salesman. At the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, his father was in Spain on business and could not return to France, as he had become an enemy alien. Max and his mother joined him there and they all took Spanish citizenship. In 1914 Aub and his family settled in Valencia. There he completed his secondary education. In 1920, Aub became a salesman, like his father and from 1920 to 1935 he traveled through Spain and other european countries selling a variety of different products. In 1921, he became a spanish citizen. . In 1929, Aub joined the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
and remained a lifelong member.
Spanish Civil War
During the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, the Republican
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
government posted him to Paris as a cultural attaché
Cultural attaché
A cultural attaché is a diplomat with special responsibility for promoting the culture of his or her homeland. The position has been used as an official cover for intelligence agents. Historically, the post has often been filled by writers and artists, giving them a steady income, allowing them to...
. In 1937, he was responsible for placing Picasso's "Guernica"
Guernica (painting)
Guernica is a painting by Pablo Picasso. It was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, Basque Country, by German and Italian warplanes at the behest of the Spanish Nationalist forces, on 26 April 1937, during the Spanish Civil War...
on display at the International Exposition, and took part in the organisation of the Second Congress of Anti-Fascists Writers. After that, Aub returned to Spain and on August 1937 he was nominated general secretary of the Consejo Central de Teatro. In 1938 he worked in the Malraux's
André Malraux
André Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
film L'espoir
L'espoir
L'espoir is a 1945 Spanish black and white war film, directed by Boris Peskine and André Malraux, who wrote the novel L'Espoir for the film. The director won the 1945 Prix Louis Delluc award.-Cast:...
and wrote it's screenplay.
Exile
In February 1939 left Spain with Andre Malraux and the film crew of L'espoir. By 1940, the FrancoFrancisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
regime had come to consider him a serious opponent, and in March 1940 he was denounced to the new Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
government of France as a militant communist and a "German-Jew", and therefore a possible spy or traitor. He was imprisoned for a year in Camp Vernet
Camp Vernet
Le Vernet Internment Camp, or Camp Vernet, was a concentration camp in Le Vernet, Ariège, near Pamiers, in the French Pyrenees. It was originally built in June 1918 to house French colonial troops serving in World War I but when hostilities ceased it was used to hold German and Austrian prisoners...
, then deported to the forced labor camp of Djelfa
Djelfa
Djelfa is the capital city of Djelfa province, Algeria. It has a population of 154,265 . The city lies at the junction of the N1 and the N46....
in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. In 1942, with the help of a guard, he escaped.
Soon thereafter, he was able to find passage from Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
to Mexico, followed shortly by his wife and children. Once he was settled in, he joined other Spanish exiles — including Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
, with whom he formed a working friendship. In Mexico he worked as screenwriter. He also wrote for the newspapers Nacional and Excelsior
Excélsior
Excélsior is a daily newspaper, founded by Rafael Alducin and published in Mexico City since 1917.During the 1950s and 1960s, the newspaper's editorial stance was of a relatively liberal bent, under the editorship of Julio Scherer...
and worked as a Professor at the Film Academy in Mexico. He became a Mexican citizen in 1955 and lived in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
until his death. In 1972, he was elected Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French Government.
Work
Although Aub was the author of nearly 100 novels and plays and is very well known in Spain, only two works are available in English:- Jusep Torres CampalansJusep Torres CampalansJusep Torres Campalans is the "biography" of a fictitious Catalan painter written by Spanish novelist Max Aub and published in 1958. According to the book, during his stay in Paris Campalans became one of the co-founders of the Cubist movement. After the beginning of World War II, he is said to...
. Translated by Herbert Weinstock, Doubleday, 1962. - Field of Honour. Translated by Gerald Martin, Verso Press, 2009. ISBN 1-84467-400-2
The centerpiece of his work is the impressive cycle of novels El laberinto mágico (The Magic Labyrinth) about the Spanish Civil War, written between 1943 and 1968: Campo Cerrado, translated into Englih as Field of Honour (1943), Campo abierto (1951), Campo de Sangre (1945), Campo del Moro (1963), Campo de los Almendros (1965) and Campo Frances (1968). The cycle also comprises another 25 short stories.
Other sources
- El Náufrago de la Calle de Providencia (1970 film), Aub appears discussing Buñuel. (Included on Disk 1 of the Criterion Collection DVD of The Discreet Charm of the BourgeoisieThe Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie-External links:* at Rotten Tomatoes* * Roger Ebert's review of *...
.)
External links
- Max Aub at Find-A-Grave