Mehring, Walter

WRITER (GERMANY)
BORN 29 Apr 1896, Berlin - DIED 3 Oct 1981, Zürich
GRAVE LOCATION Zürich: Friedhof Sihlfeld A (Gruppe C, FG 81094)

In his early career Walter Mehring held contacts with the Dada movement in Berlin and published articles in literary magazines. He was among the founders of political literary cabaret in Berlin during the twenties. He wrote for Max Reinhardt, Rosa Valetti and Trude Hesterberg.

From 1921 until 1928 he lived in Paris where he worked as a correspondent. There he translated old song from the time of the Commune and he wrote the novel "Paris in Brand" (1927).

His play "Der Kaufmann von Berlin" (1929) caused a scandal and Goebbels himself wrote an article against him in "Der Angriff". In 1933 many of his books were burnt. He fled to France before he could be arrested, but in 1939 he was imprisoned in that country. In 1941 he fled to the USA. After the war he returned and lived quietly in Tessin, Munich and Zürich, where he died in 1981.

Related persons
• cooperated with Grosz, George
• knew Hollaender, Felix
• was a friend of Pauli-Basch, Hertha

Events
7/6/1938Funeral of Ödön von Horváth at the Saint-Ouen cemetery in Paris. The grave was at the back end of the cemetery. Walter Mehring, Franz Werfel, Carl Zuckmayer spoke and also present were his parents, Wera Liessem, Hertha Pauli, Erwin Piscator and many others. In 1988 his remains were transferred to Vienna. [Horváth, Ödön von][Pauli-Basch, Hertha][Piscator, Erwin][Werfel, Franz]

Images

The grave of Walter Mehring at the Sihlfeld Cemetery, Zürich.
Picture by Androom (18 Aug 2005)

 

Sources
Baedeker Berlin, Baedeker Verlag, Stuttgart, 1994
Walter Mehring – Wikipedia


Meilhac, Henri

Published: 17 Jun 2007
Last update: 16 Jan 2022