Fritz von Unruh
Fritz von Unruh was a prominent German Expressionist playwright and a vocal critic of militarism, especially during the tumultuous period leading up to and during the rise of Nazi Germany. Born in Koblenz in 1885 to a military family, Unruh's early experiences with strict discipline and authority influenced his writing, which often grappled with themes of conflict between humanism and militaristic values. His works, including the notable play "Jurgen Wullenweber," reveal his transformation from a military supporter to a dedicated pacifist after witnessing the horrors of World War I.
Throughout his career, Unruh faced significant challenges, including censorship and political persecution, especially after the Nazis rose to power. His anti-war sentiments culminated in plays like "Ein Geschlecht," which were often met with hostility, leading to the banning of his works and their eventual destruction by Nazi officials. After fleeing Germany, Unruh spent time in Italy, France, and the United States, where he continued to write despite diminishing recognition. He returned to Germany in 1962, where he remained active in literary pursuits until his death in 1970. Unruh's legacy lies in his courageous voice against the tide of nationalism and militarism, making him a significant figure in 20th-century German literature.
Subject Terms
Fritz von Unruh
German playwright, novelist, poet, nonfiction writer, and first non-Swiss winner of Switzerland’s Bodmer Prize.
- Born: May 10, 1885
- Birthplace: Koblenz, Germany
- Died: November 28, 1970
- Place of death: Diez an der Lahn, Germany
Biography
Between the end of World War II and the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazism in Germany, the clarion voice of Fritz von Unruh warned Germans of impending doom. Like many prophets throughout history, Unruh was largely unheeded. He ended up a martyr. Along with Ernst Toller, Walter Hasenclever, Reinhard Sorge, Georg Kaiser, and a few others playwrights, Unruh was among the most influential German Expressionist playwrights in Europe.
Fritz Wilhelm Ernst von Unruh was born in Koblenz, Germany. His father, Karl, a colonel in the Prussian Army, was a Protestant; his mother, Mathilde Klehe von Unruh, was Catholic. Unruh’s writing reflects the strict religious training of his youth. As expected, Fritz joined a cadet corps that emphasized discipline and total obedience to authority. Rankling from this unbending environment, Unruh attempted suicide.
At this time, Unruh wrote his first play, Jurgen Wullenweber, about a young man conflicted over the contrasting values of military gallantry and humanism. In his next two plays, Unruh dealt with similar conflicts, but he unceasingly glorified Prussian rule. Despite this, because he had the temerity to express doubts about militarism, he was forced to resign from the military.
Unruh, joining the cavalry during World War I, soon witnessed the horrors of battle, which turned him into the a dedicated pacifist. While in the cavalry, his poem, "Vor der Entscheidung" (before the decision) was circulated clandestinely among the troops, leading to a court martial. He was acquitted. The poem received Switzerland’s Bodmer Prize; Unruh was the first non-Swiss poet to win it.
Unruh’s Ein Geschlecht (a race) focused on how war robs people of their humanity. The play was banned by German censors, but a splinter group performed it privately. It brought Unruh the Young Germany prize in 1922 and Austria’s Grillparzer Prize. In 1924, Unruh, active in founding the Republican Party in Germany, was elected to the Reichstag. Two of his plays, Stürme (storms) and Rosengarten (rose garden), had driven home his conviction that harmony among people is possible worldwide, and this possibility attracted many voters.
With the rise of Hitler, however, Unruh’s star was descending. Zero, his last play performed as Nazism gripped Germany, was greeted by a nationalistic hysteria that brought Unruh to the stage to warn of the dangers ahead. The following year, the Nazis burned his writing. In 1935, he fled to Italy, but with the rise of the Fascists, he was persecuted there. He moved to France, but when World War II erupted, the French held him as an enemy alien.
Finally, in 1940, Unruh and his wife came to the United States, where Albert Einstein and Thomas Mann supported their application for residency status. Unruh lived intermittently in the United States and Europe after the war, settling on the French Riviera and returning to Germany in 1962. His most productive days were behind him, although he continued to write novels and plays almost until his death in 1970.
Author Works
Drama:
Jurgen Wullenweber, pr. 1909
Offiziere, pr., pb. 1911
Louis Ferdinand, Prinz von Preussen, pb. 1913, pr. 1921
Ein Geschlecht, pb. 1917, pr. 1918
Platz, pr., pb. 1920
Stürme, pr., pb. 1922
Rosengarten, pr. 1922
Hienrich von Andernach, 1925
Bonaparte, pr., pb. 1927
Phaea, pr., pb. 1930
Berlin in Monte Carlo, 1931
Zero, pr., pb. 1932
Gandha, pb. 1935
Charlotte Corday, pb. 1936
Miss Rollschuh, pb. 1941
Der Berfreiungsminister, pb. 1948
Wihelmus, Prinz von Oranien, pr. 1952, pb. 1953
Duell an der Havel, pb. 1954
Bismarck: Oder, Warum steht der Soldat da?, pb. 1955
Odysseus auf Ogygia, pb. 1968
Long Fiction:
Der Opfergang, 1919 (Way of Sacrifice, 1927)
Der nie verlor, 1948
Die Heilige, 1952
Fürchtet nichts, 1952
Der Sohn des Generals, 1957
Nonfiction:
Vaterland und Freiheit: Eine Ansprache an die deutsche Jugend, 1923
Flügel der Nike: Buch einer Reise, 1925
Seid wachsam! Eine Goethe-Rede, 1948
Rede an die Deutschen, 1948
Mächtig seid ihr nicht in Waffen, 1957
Meine Begegnungen mit Trotzki, 1963
Friede in USA?, 1967
Poetry:
"Vor der Entscheidung", 1914
Bibliography
"Fritz von Unruh Papers." Syracuse University Libraries Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University, library.syr.edu/digital/guides/u/unruh‗fv.htm. Accessed 27 June 2017. Provides a biographical overview on Unruh, along with details on his papers held by Syracuse University.
Humble, Malcolm. "The Unknown Soldier and the Return of the Fallen: The Political Dimension of Mourning in German Texts from the First World War to the Present." Modern Language Review, vol. 93, no. 4, Oct. 1998, pp. 1034–44. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=1337888&site=eds-live. Accessed 27 June 2017. This essay includes Unruh's play Heinrich aus andernach as a key example in its critical examination of German literature dealing with the theme of the unknown soldier.
Jelavich, Peter. "Unruh, Fritz von." McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama, edited by Stanley Hochman, 2nd ed., McGraw-Hill, 1984, pp. 70–71. Provides a brief biography of Unruh along with discussion of his major works.
Meister, Robert. Fritz von Unruh. Ebering, 1967. A standard biography of Unruh.
"Unruh, Fritz Von (1885–1970)." The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance, vol. 2, Oxford University Press, Inc, 2003. Presents a basic outline of Unruh's life and career, including mention of his more prominent works and his role in German Expressionism.