Hasenclever, Walter |
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BORN 8 Jul 1890, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen - DIED 15 Aug 1940, Les Milles, Bouches-du-Rhône (near Aix-en-Provence) CAUSE OF DEATH suicide GRAVE LOCATION Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône: Cimetière St.-Pierre, Avenue des Déportés de la Résistance Aixoise (Allée A6, ligne R 17 nord, tombe 1265 ) |
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Son of the doctor Friedrich Hasenclever. Educated in Oxford, Lausanne and Leipzig. His drama "Der Sohn" ("The Son", 1914) turned him into a person rebellious youngsters identified themselves with and into a representatieve of expressionism. In 1914 he enrolled as a war volunteer at a hospital in Dresden, but in 1915 he was sent to the Easten Front in Belgian, although he was a pacifist. He simulated a mental illness and was treated at a sanoratorium in Dresden. He became friends with Kokoschka and sat for his paintings. In 1917 he received the Kleist Prize for his "Antigone", a pacifistic version of the play by Sophocles. Under the influence of Paul Wegener he became interested in occultism and was one of the publishers of "Menschen. Zeitschrift neuer Kunst". From 1925 tot 1930 he was correspondent in Paris of the "8-Uhr-Abendblatt" in Berlin and became friends with Kurt Tucholsky and Jean Girandoux. From 1929 to 1932 he lived in Berlin and worked as a scriptwriter for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Part of the time he lived at the Künstlerkolonie in Berlin. After the nazis came to power in 1933 he moved to France, Dubrovnik (1935), London (1936), Nice 1936-1937) and Florence (1937-1939). He was imprisoned twice in Southern France in 1939 and 1940, but Giraudoux intervened and he was released. During this time he wrote the autobiographical novel "Die Rechtlosen". In 1940 he was imprisoned once more, at the concentration camp "Les Milles" near Aix-en-Provence. He committed suicide as the german troops were about to reach the camp. Works: "Der Jüngling (1913)"; "Der Sohn" (1914); "Gedichte an Frauen" (1922); "Napoleon greift ein" (Film, 1930). Related persons • knew Ebinger, Blandine • was a friend of Giraudoux, Jean • was a friend of Kokoschka, Oskar • was a friend of Pinthus, Kurt • was influenced by Wegener, Paul |