Oda Schaefer
Encyclopedia
Oda Schaefer was a German
writer
and journalist
.
. Oda Schaefer attended a secondary school in Berlin
and then went to a private arts school for training in graphic design
. She then worked as a commercial artist. In 1923 she married the painter Albert Schaefer-Ast, with whom she had a son in 1924. The marriage ended after a short time in divorce. In 1926 Schaefer moved for family reasons to Liegnitz. There she met the writer Horst Lange, with whom she returned to Berlin in 1931 and married in 1933.
From 1928 Schaefer wrote fashion magazine articles, poems, and plays. During the Third Reich she was with Lange and Günter Eich
in the circle around the literary magazine The Column
, which was affiliated with Inner Immigration, a movement of writers and artists who were opposed to National Socialism but did not leave Germany. Peter Huchel
and Elizabeth Langgasser were close friends with her at this time. Works by her appeared in the journal The Interior Kingdom, and the Frankfurter Newspaper. Schaefer was a member of the Reich Chamber. Although Shaefer and her husband were opponents of the Nazi regime, and helped Jews by hiding them for a while, at the same time they wrote for officially sanctioned publications.
In the aftermath of World War II Oda's son was missing and her husband was severely injured. They lived for a while in the middle of a forest and then in Switzerland
, before going to Munich in 1950, where she freelanced for various newspapers and broadcasts.
Schaefer's literary work consists primarily of poetry in traditional forms inspired by the naturalist poet Wilhelm Lehmann and George von Vring. With Horst Lange she wrote Trümmerliteratur
of the post-war period along with the authors of the Group 47
.
Schaefer, a member of the German Academy for Language and Poetry in Darmstadt
and the PEN Center of the Federal Republic of Germany, received in 1951 a prize of the Academy of Sciences and Literature; in 1952, the Honorary Prize of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts; in 1955, Literature Prize from the Society for the Promotion of German Literature; in 1959, Literature Prize from the City of Munich; in 1964, the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class; in 1975, Literature Prize of the Cultural Committee of the Federal Association of German Industry; and in 1973, the Schwabing Art Prize.
Schaefer's biography inspired her grand-nephew Chris Kraus
for his feature film The Poll Diaries, with Paula Berry
in the lead role.
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....
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Life
Oda Schaefer was the daughter of Eberhard Kraus, one of the early Baltic writers and journalist, and his wife Alice Baertels, who came from a merchant family in EstoniaEstonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. Oda Schaefer attended a secondary school in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and then went to a private arts school for training in graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
. She then worked as a commercial artist. In 1923 she married the painter Albert Schaefer-Ast, with whom she had a son in 1924. The marriage ended after a short time in divorce. In 1926 Schaefer moved for family reasons to Liegnitz. There she met the writer Horst Lange, with whom she returned to Berlin in 1931 and married in 1933.
From 1928 Schaefer wrote fashion magazine articles, poems, and plays. During the Third Reich she was with Lange and Günter Eich
Günter Eich
Günter Eich was a German lyricist, dramatist, and author. He was born in Lebus, on the Oder River, and educated in Leipzig, Berlin, and Paris....
in the circle around the literary magazine The Column
The Column
The Column is a 1968 Romanian historical film directed by Mircea Drăgan. The film was selected as the Romanian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 41st Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. The action is set in 106 A.D...
, which was affiliated with Inner Immigration, a movement of writers and artists who were opposed to National Socialism but did not leave Germany. Peter Huchel
Peter Huchel
Peter Huchel , born Hellmut Huchel, was a German poet.-Life:Huchel was born in Lichterfelde near Berlin. From 1923 to 1926 Huchel studied literature and philosophy in Berlin, Freiburg and Vienna. Between 1927 and 1930 he travelled to France, Romania, Hungary and Turkey...
and Elizabeth Langgasser were close friends with her at this time. Works by her appeared in the journal The Interior Kingdom, and the Frankfurter Newspaper. Schaefer was a member of the Reich Chamber. Although Shaefer and her husband were opponents of the Nazi regime, and helped Jews by hiding them for a while, at the same time they wrote for officially sanctioned publications.
In the aftermath of World War II Oda's son was missing and her husband was severely injured. They lived for a while in the middle of a forest and then in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, before going to Munich in 1950, where she freelanced for various newspapers and broadcasts.
Schaefer's literary work consists primarily of poetry in traditional forms inspired by the naturalist poet Wilhelm Lehmann and George von Vring. With Horst Lange she wrote Trümmerliteratur
Trümmerliteratur
Trümmerliteratur , also called Kahlschlagliteratur , is a literary movement that began shortly after World War II in Germany and lasted until about 1950....
of the post-war period along with the authors of the Group 47
Group 47
Gruppe 47 was an influential literary association in Germany after World War II. '47' Stands for the year of their creation, 1947.-Early history:The beginnings reach back to1946 when Alfred Andersch and Walter Kolbenhoff founded the literary...
.
Schaefer, a member of the German Academy for Language and Poetry in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
and the PEN Center of the Federal Republic of Germany, received in 1951 a prize of the Academy of Sciences and Literature; in 1952, the Honorary Prize of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts; in 1955, Literature Prize from the Society for the Promotion of German Literature; in 1959, Literature Prize from the City of Munich; in 1964, the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class; in 1975, Literature Prize of the Cultural Committee of the Federal Association of German Industry; and in 1973, the Schwabing Art Prize.
Schaefer's biography inspired her grand-nephew Chris Kraus
Chris Kraus
Chris Kraus is a writer, filmmaker, and professor of film at European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. Her books include I Love Dick, Aliens & Anorexia, and Torpor. Video Green, Kraus' first non-fiction book examines the explosion of late 1990s art by high-profile graduate programs that...
for his feature film The Poll Diaries, with Paula Berry
Paula Berry
Paula Lynette Berry is a retired female javelin thrower from the United States. She represented her native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics, finishing in 23rd place in the final rankings. She set her personal best on May 23, 1991 in Eugene, Oregon with the old javelin...
in the lead role.
Works
- The Wind Harp. Berlin 1939
- Earthly Conduct. Munich 1946
- The Chestnut Bud. Munich 1947
- Unparalleled Rose. Stuttgart 1948
- Cat Walk. Munich 1956
- Grass Tune. Munich 1959
- The Boutique. Munich 1963
- Ladies Only, or From the Art of Being a Woman. Zurich 1963
- And You Ask Me, What Love Is. Munich (inter alia) 1968
- Also if You Dream, the Time Goes. Munich 1970
- The Green Clay. Munich 1973
- The Skin in the World. Munich (inter alia) 1976
- The Vibrant Festivities Over Grief. Munich 1977
- Recurrence. Munich (inter alia) 1985
- Ballads and Poems. Munich 1995
Works About Shaefer
- Monika Bächer: Oda Schaefer (1900–1988). Leben und Werk. Aisthesis, Bielefeld 2006, ISBN 3-89528-563-3.
External Links
- Ausgewählte Gedichte beim Arnshaugk-Verlag
- Poll – Film von Chris Kraus über Oda Schaefer mit Interview über sie