Page 32 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Germany

30  INTRODUCING GERM AN Y A POR TR AIT OF GERM AN Y  31

Thomas Mann (1875–1955) was
German Literature awarded the Nobel Prize in 1929. Gerhart Haupt-
The best-known of his novels is mann (1862–1946),
The first known examples of written German date from the 8th century. Buddenbrooks, which chronicles the dramatist, novelist
German literature flourished in the Renaissance, although it was mainly life of a Lübeck family. and winner of the
Nobel Prize in 1912,
later writers who entered the world’s canon of great literature. Goethe and lived and worked
Schiller, who wrote many of their most famous works in the Sturm und mainly in Silesia. The
Drang (Storm and Stress) era, in the late 18th century, count among the Weavers is his most
greatest. Germany also produced many dramatists, poets and novelists in famous drama.
the 19th and 20th centuries. German writers have won eight Nobel Prizes KielKiel
for literature, awarded to Nelly Sachs, Thomas Mann, Heinrich Böll and SCHLESWIG-SCHLESWIG- RostockRostock
Günter Grass among others. HOLSTEINHOLSTEIN
MECKLENBURG-MECKLENBURG- Theodor Fontane (1819–98)
LOWERLOWER was born in Neuruppin, and
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729– BremerhavenBremerhaven HamburgHamburg SchwerinSchwerin POMERANIAPOMERANIA his literary activities were
81), the most famous German writer chiefly connected with
of the Age of Enlightenment, Brandenburg. He was
wrote dramas such as Nathan Schwedt/Schwedt/ the author of realistic
the Wise, reviews of plays BremenBremen OderOder novels such as Effi Briest,
performed in Hamburg as and he wrote excellent
well as essays on literary and LOWER SAXONY,LOWER SAXONY, theatre reviews.
cultural theory. HAMBURG AND BREMENHAMBURG AND BREMEN
BerlinBerlin
PotsdamPotsdam Bertolt Brecht (1898–
HanoverHanover
1956), the great dramatist,
MagdeburgMagdeburg BRANDENBURGBRANDENBURG poet and director, wrote
The Threepenny Opera,
BielefeldBielefeld SAXONY-SAXONY- and was a co-founder of
ANHALTANHALT the Berliner Ensemble
DortmundDortmund theatre company.
HalleHalle LeipzigLeipzig
NORTH RHINE-NORTH RHINE- KasselKassel SAXONYSAXONY
Erich Maria Remarque DüsseldorfDüsseldorf WESTPHALIAWESTPHALIA
(1898–1970) emigrated ErfurtErfurt DresdenDresden
from Germany in 1931. His GeraGera
pacifist writings, including BonnBonn THURINGIATHURINGIA ChemnitzChemnitz
All Quiet on the Western HESSEHESSE
Front and L’Arc de Triomphe,
brought him acclaim
around the world. Karl May (1842–1912) was
known around the world as the
RHINELAND-RHINELAND- FrankfurtFrankfurt author of travel books but his
The Brothers Grimm, PALATINATE ANDPALATINATE AND am Mainam Main great popularity stems from a
Jacob Ludwig Karl SAARLANDSAARLAND cycle of stories featuring the
(1785–1863) and Indian chief Winnetou, which he
Wilhelm Karl (1786– SaarbrückenSaarbrücken NurembergNuremberg wrote in Radebeul.
1859), were university
professors and
philologists, but better RegensburgRegensburg Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–
known as collectors 1832) was the most highly acclaimed
and publishers of StuttgartStuttgart German poet and writer of the Sturm
some of the world’s BAVARIABAVARIA und Drang period. Born in Frankfurt,
favourite fairy tales. he spent most of his life in Weimar.
BADEN-BADEN- His most famous work is Faust.
Friedrich Schiller WÜRTTEMBERGWÜRTTEMBERG
(1759–1805) wrote MunichMunich Nelly Sachs (born Leonie
about the concept of Sachs, 1891–1970) was
individual freedom in born in Berlin and
his great dramas, survived the holocaust by
such as The Robbers fleeing to Sweden. Known
and Wallenstein. He for her lyrical poetry, she
also wrote ballads won the 1966 Nobel Prize
and songs, including in Literature alongside
0 kilometres 75
Ode to Joy. Shmuel Yosef Agnon.
0 miles 75

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