Goll, Ivan

WRITER (FRANCE)
BORN 29 Mar 1891, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, Vosges - DIED 27 Feb 1950, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine
BIRTH NAME Lang, Isaac
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 10, ligne 01)

Ivan Goll studied Law in Strassburg and became a Doctor of Philosphy in 1912. In 1914 he fled to Switzerland to avoid service during World War I. There he lived in Zürich, Lausanne and Ascona.

Together with the poet Clara Goll he went to Paris in 1919 and they married in 1921. In Paris he befriended Appolinaire. He wrote in English, French and German, His work was surrealistic and influenced by Breton and Éluard. Together with Clara he wrote "Poèmes d' amour" (1925). His play "Methusalem oder Der ewige Bürger" ("Methusalem or the Eternal Civilian") was an early example of absurd theatre. It was first performed in Berlin in 1925.

Both Goll and his wife had Jewish blood and they lived in New York during the war. In 1947 they returned to France. He died in Paris in 1950.

Family
• Wife: Goll-Aischmann, Clara (1921-)

Related persons
• was a friend of Apollinaire, Guillaume
• was influenced by Breton, André
• was influenced by Éluard, Paul
• was published by Kiepenheuer, Gustav

Images

The grave of Ivan and Clara Goll at Père Lachaise, Paris. It is located directly opposite the grave of Frédéric Chopin.
Picture by Androom (19 Nov 2006)

 


Goll-Aischmann, Clara

Published: 11 Nov 2007
Last update: 26 Jan 2022