Iffland, August Wilhelm

PLAYWRIGHT, ACTOR (GERMANY)
BORN 19 Apr 1759, Hannover, Niedersachsen - DIED 22 Sep 1814, Berlin
GRAVE LOCATION Berlin: Kirchhof Jerusalem und Neue Kirche II, Zossener Strasse (Halleschen Tor), Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (Südmauer 114, (231-EB-57), Ehrengrab)

August Wilhelm Iffland's father wanted him to be a clergyman, but when he was eighteen years old he ran away from home to Gotha. There he had the good luck to have the famous actor Hans Ekhof as his teacher and he did so well that in 1779 he was engaged at the theatre in Mannheim.

After playing at several other theatres he moved to Berlin in 1796 where he was appointed director of the Nationaltheater. In 1811 he became general director of the Royal Theatre. As an actor he was best in comical parts. Apart from acting he wrote his own plays like "Die Jäger", "Dienstpflicht" and "Die Advokaten".

He often staged works by Shakespeare, Goethe, Schiller and Zacharias Werner. During the French occupation he was very patriotic. The Iffland-Ring is now an important prize that is awarded to German-speaking actors.

Related persons
• visited Beer, Amalie
• knew Devrient, Ludwig
• was teacher of Jagemann, Caroline
• knew Schiller, Friedrich von
• performed with Sontag-Markloff, Franziska

Events
13/1/1782Premiere of Schiller's "Die Räuber" at the Nationaltheater in Mannheim. A.W. Iffland was Franz Moor, Johan David Beil was Der Schweizer, Heinrich Beck was Kosinsky. Anna Toscani was Amalia and Friedrich Meyer was Hermann. Friedrich Schiller wasn't allowed to leave Württemberg but he secretly attended the premiere together with his freund Andreas Streicher. [Schiller, Friedrich von][Streicher, Andreas]
13/4/1784Premiere of Friedrich Schillers "Kabale und Liebe" at Schauspiel Frankfurt in Frankfurt am Main. Schiller's drama in five acts was received well. Many authors and critics praised it, but court critics were less enthousiastic. The play was banned in Stuttgart and Vienna. Schiller had originally named the play "Luise Millerin" but the actor August Wilhelm Iffland suggested the title "Kabale und Liebe". [Schiller, Friedrich von]
9/3/1785Premiere of Iffland's "Die Jäger" at the theatre in Schloss Dürkheim 
7/9/1791The Hoftheater in Weimar is opened with a performance of Iffland's "Die Jäger". Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was in charge of the theatre and wanted to keep Iffland in Weimar. But Iffland went to Berlin where he was put in charge of the Nationaltheater. [Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von]
18/10/1796Iffland is appointed director of the Königliches Nationaltheater in Berlin 
18/6/1811Iffland is appointed general director of the Köninglichten Schauspiele in Berlin 

Images

The grave of August Wilhelm Iffland at the Kirchhof Jerusalem und Neue Kirche II, Halleschen Tor, Kreuzberg, Berlin.
Picture by Androom (08 Apr 2003)

 

Sources
Baedeker Berlin, Baedeker Verlag, Stuttgart, 1994
August Wilhelm Iffland - Wikipedia
http://www.content.landesarchiv-berlin.de/php-bestand/arep167-pdf/arep167.pdf
August Wilhelm Iffland – Wikipedia
Die Räuber – Wikipedia
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – Wikipedia
Kabale und Liebe – Wikipedia


Ihrer, Emma

Published: 16 May 2010
Last update: 04 Jan 2022