Paul Kornfeld (playwright)
Encyclopedia
Paul Kornfeld was a Czech-born German-language Jewish writer whose expressionist
plays and scholarly treatises on the theory of drama earned him a specialized niche in influencing contemporary intellectual discourse.
, Paul Kornfeld came to adulthood in the city which, as the capital of Bohemia
, was, at the time, a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a major center of culture and learning. In 1913, at the age of 23, he formulated a thesis elucidating his philosophy of dramaturgy
, Der beseelte und der psychologische Mensch [The Spiritual and the Psychological Person, also translated as The Inspired and the Psychological Being] and wrote the first draft of his most-renowned play, Die Verführung [The Seduction]. His circle of young friends and compatriots included some of the most renowned German-speaking Jewish literary figures of the era, Oskar Baum
, Max Brod
, Rudolf Fuchs, Willy Haas
, Franz Janowitz, Franz Kafka
, Egon Erwin Kisch
, Otto Pick, Hermann Ungar
, Johannes Urzidil
and Franz Werfel
.
In 1916, amidst the chaos of World War I
and, with ultimate birth of the future republic of Czechoslovakia
only two years away, Kornfeld moved to Germany
where, during the Weimar period
, he experienced his most intense period of creativity. In 1918, during the final months of the war, he published a revised version of his thesis and oversaw the first production of Die Verführung. An expressionist work, which put forth abstract and revisionist ideas, it attempted to encapsulate the universality of human aspiration. Character development and plot details were eschewed in favor of an atmosphere of hopeless inability to cope, which defeated the play's tragic protagonist. A subsequent expressionist drama, Himmel und Holle [Heaven and Hell] presented even more abstract ideas, but in a vein that was, to a greater degree, lyrical and ecstatic.
Kornfeld also wrote satirical comedies which did not utilize expressionism and showed him in possession of a highly developed sense of humor. Der ewige Traum [The Eternal Dream] (1922), which held up a jaundiced mirror to reflect upon monogamous and polygamous relationships, Palme, oder Der Gekränkte [Palme, or The Offended One] (1924), which spotlighted a character of comically extreme sensitivity and Kilian, oder Die gelbe Rose [Kilian, or The Yellow Rose] (1926), all enjoyed audience approval as did his collaboration with Max Reinhardt
on a 1925 Berlin
theatrical production. Written in 1929 and staged in 1930, his final Berlin play, Jud Süß
[Suss, the Jew, generally known under its literal translation, Jew Suss], presented a highly nuanced and objective portrayal of the controversial 18th century Jewish financier Joseph Süß Oppenheimer
whose story had already been depicted a century earlier in Wilhelm Hauff
's 1827 novella and, again, only four years before his own work, in Lion Feuchtwanger
's 1925 historical novel
. Within a decade, it also became the subject of a 1934 British film
starring Conrad Veidt
, and a notorious 1940 German
anti-semitic
propaganda film
with Ferdinand Marian
in the title role.
, and transported to Ghetto Litzmannstadt, the name given during the German occupation to a section of Łódź, Poland
's second-largest city (since 2007, third-largest). Between 1939 and 1944, over 200,000 Jews and a small number of Roma passed through the ghetto, an area of 4 sq. kilometers, of which only 2.4 kilometers were developed and habitable. Fuel supplies were extremely limited, and the inhabitants burned whatever they could to survive the harsh winter. Some 18,000 died during a famine in 1942, one of them Paul Kornfeld. He was 52 years old. Through the passing decades, his literary output has remained, for the most part, neglected, although a critical edition
, Paul Kornfeld: Revolution mit Flötenmusik und andere kritische Prosa [Paul Kornfeld: Revolution with Flute Music and Other Critical Prose], was issued in 1977.
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
plays and scholarly treatises on the theory of drama earned him a specialized niche in influencing contemporary intellectual discourse.
Writing career before and after World War I
A native of PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Paul Kornfeld came to adulthood in the city which, as the capital of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, was, at the time, a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a major center of culture and learning. In 1913, at the age of 23, he formulated a thesis elucidating his philosophy of dramaturgy
Dramaturgy
Dramaturgy is the art of dramatic composition and the representation of the main elements of drama on the stage. Dramaturgy is a distinct practice separate from play writing and directing, although a single individual may perform any combination of the three. Some dramatists combine writing and...
, Der beseelte und der psychologische Mensch [The Spiritual and the Psychological Person, also translated as The Inspired and the Psychological Being] and wrote the first draft of his most-renowned play, Die Verführung [The Seduction]. His circle of young friends and compatriots included some of the most renowned German-speaking Jewish literary figures of the era, Oskar Baum
Oskar Baum
Oskar Baum was a Czech music educator and writer.He became blind at the age of 11.- External links :* http://www.aktion-patenschaften.de/autoren/b02.htm...
, Max Brod
Max Brod
Max Brod was a German-speaking Czech Jewish, later Israeli, author, composer, and journalist. Although he was a prolific writer in his own right, he is most famous as the friend and biographer of Franz Kafka...
, Rudolf Fuchs, Willy Haas
Willy Haas
Willy Haas was a German screenwriter. He wrote for 19 films between 1922 and 1933. He was a member of the jury at the 8th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:* The Burning Soil...
, Franz Janowitz, Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
, Egon Erwin Kisch
Egon Erwin Kisch
Egon Erwin Kisch was a Czechoslovak writer and journalist, who wrote in German. Known as the The raging reporter from Prague, Kisch was noted for his development of literary reportage and his opposition to Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime.- Biography :Kisch was born into a wealthy, German-speaking...
, Otto Pick, Hermann Ungar
Hermann Ungar
Hermann Ungar was a Bohemian writer and an officer in Czechoslovakia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His novels were influenced by expressionism and psychoanalysis...
, Johannes Urzidil
Johannes Urzidil
Johannes Urzidil was a Czech-German writer, poet, historian, and journalist. Born in Prague, he died in Rome....
and Franz Werfel
Franz Werfel
Franz Werfel was an Austrian-Bohemian novelist, playwright, and poet.- Biography :Born in Prague , Werfel was the first of three children of a wealthy manufacturer of gloves and leather goods. His mother, Albine Kussi, was the daughter of a mill owner...
.
In 1916, amidst the chaos 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...
and, with ultimate birth of the future republic of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
only two years away, Kornfeld moved to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where, during the Weimar period
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, he experienced his most intense period of creativity. In 1918, during the final months of the war, he published a revised version of his thesis and oversaw the first production of Die Verführung. An expressionist work, which put forth abstract and revisionist ideas, it attempted to encapsulate the universality of human aspiration. Character development and plot details were eschewed in favor of an atmosphere of hopeless inability to cope, which defeated the play's tragic protagonist. A subsequent expressionist drama, Himmel und Holle [Heaven and Hell] presented even more abstract ideas, but in a vein that was, to a greater degree, lyrical and ecstatic.
Kornfeld also wrote satirical comedies which did not utilize expressionism and showed him in possession of a highly developed sense of humor. Der ewige Traum [The Eternal Dream] (1922), which held up a jaundiced mirror to reflect upon monogamous and polygamous relationships, Palme, oder Der Gekränkte [Palme, or The Offended One] (1924), which spotlighted a character of comically extreme sensitivity and Kilian, oder Die gelbe Rose [Kilian, or The Yellow Rose] (1926), all enjoyed audience approval as did his collaboration with Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
on a 1925 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...
theatrical production. Written in 1929 and staged in 1930, his final Berlin play, Jud Süß
Jud Süß
Jud Süß is a novella by Wilhelm Hauff based on the historical Jewish banker and financial planner Joseph Süß Oppenheimer. In Hauff's novella Joseph Süß Oppenheimer believes he is a Jew. His unfair business practices result in the betrayal of an innocent girl. Consequently, he is arrested and...
[Suss, the Jew, generally known under its literal translation, Jew Suss], presented a highly nuanced and objective portrayal of the controversial 18th century Jewish financier Joseph Süß Oppenheimer
Joseph Süß Oppenheimer
Joseph Süß Oppenheimer was a Jewish banker and financial planner for Duke Karl Alexander of Württemberg in Stuttgart...
whose story had already been depicted a century earlier in Wilhelm Hauff
Wilhelm Hauff
Wilhelm Hauff was a German poet and novelist.-Early life:Hauff was born in Stuttgart, the son of August Friedrich Hauff, a secretary in the ministry of foreign affairs, and Hedwig Wilhelmine Elsaesser Hauff...
's 1827 novella and, again, only four years before his own work, in Lion Feuchtwanger
Lion Feuchtwanger
Lion Feuchtwanger was a German-Jewish novelist and playwright. A prominent figure in the literary world of Weimar Germany, he influenced contemporaries including playwright Bertolt Brecht....
's 1925 historical novel
Jud Süß (Feuchtwanger novel)
Jud Süß is a 1925 historical novel by Lion Feuchtwanger based on the life of Joseph Süß Oppenheimer.-Historical background:Joseph Süß Oppenheimer was an 18th century Court Jew in the employ of Duke Karl Alexander of Württemberg in Stuttgart...
. Within a decade, it also became the subject of a 1934 British film
Jew Suss (1934 film)
Jud Süß is a 1934 British historical romantic drama film. Directed by Lothar Mendes, the film stars German actor Conrad Veidt in the role of Joseph Süss Oppenheimer. British censors did not allow a film to openly criticize the persecution of Jews, since it would have appeared as an attack on German...
starring Conrad Veidt
Conrad Veidt
Conrad Veidt was a German actor best remembered for his roles in films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari , The Man Who Laughs , The Thief of Bagdad and Casablanca...
, and a notorious 1940 German
Jud Süß (1940 film)
Jud Süß is an antisemitic propaganda film produced in 1940 by Terra Filmkunst at the behest of Joseph Goebbels. The movie was directed by Veit Harlan, who wrote the screenplay with Eberhard Wolfgang Möller and Ludwig Metzger, and starred Ferdinand Marian and Harlan's wife Kristina Söderbaum.The...
anti-semitic
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
propaganda film
Propaganda film
The term propaganda can be defined as the ability to produce and spread fertile messages that, once sown, will germinate in large human cultures.” However, in the 20th century, a “new” propaganda emerged, which revolved around political organizations and their need to communicate messages that...
with Ferdinand Marian
Ferdinand Marian
Ferdinand Marian was an Austrian theatre and film actor, best known for playing the leading character of Joseph Süß Oppenheimer in the Nazi propaganda film Jud Süß.-Life and career:...
in the title role.
Hitler era and death
Hitler's coming to power in 1933 put an end to Kornfeld's Berlin odyssey and forced him back to Prague, no longer a gathering hub of German-language culture, but, since October 1918, the capital of the new republic of Czechoslovakia. His subsequent literary output greatly decreased and he began work on what turned out to be his only novel, Blanche oder Das Atelier im Garten [Blanche or The Studio in the Garden], which was not published until 1957, fifteen years after its author's death. Shortly after completing it, in 1941, he was taken into custody by the German authorities administering occupied PragueGerman occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
, and transported to Ghetto Litzmannstadt, the name given during the German occupation to a section of Łódź, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
's second-largest city (since 2007, third-largest). Between 1939 and 1944, over 200,000 Jews and a small number of Roma passed through the ghetto, an area of 4 sq. kilometers, of which only 2.4 kilometers were developed and habitable. Fuel supplies were extremely limited, and the inhabitants burned whatever they could to survive the harsh winter. Some 18,000 died during a famine in 1942, one of them Paul Kornfeld. He was 52 years old. Through the passing decades, his literary output has remained, for the most part, neglected, although a critical edition
Textual criticism
Textual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
, Paul Kornfeld: Revolution mit Flötenmusik und andere kritische Prosa [Paul Kornfeld: Revolution with Flute Music and Other Critical Prose], was issued in 1977.
External links
- Paul Kornfeld biographical entry in the Dictionary of Literary Biography
- English-language website of German publisher Schöffling & Co. providing brief digests of positive critical notices engendered by its republication of Paul Kornfeld's novel, Blanche oder Das Atelier im Garten {Blanche or The Studio in the Garden}; a brief biographical paragraph is also included