Vollmoeller, Karl (1878-1948)

Vollmoeller, Karl

PLAYWRIGHT, PHILOLOGIST, ARCHAEOLOGIST, POET, AIRCRAFT DESIGNER (GERMANY)

BORN 7 May 1878, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg - DIED 18 Oct 1948, Los Angeles, California: Garden of Allah Hotel, 8152 Sunset Boulevard
BIRTH NAME Vollmöller, Karl Gustav
GRAVE LOCATION Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg: Pragfriedhof, Friedhofstrasse 44 ((ashes))

Karl Volmoeller was the son of the merchant Robert Vollmöller (1849-1911), the founder of the textile company Vollmoeller AG. After the death of his mother in 1894 he started writing poetry. He studied classical philology and art in Berlin in Paris. In 1897 hisfirst book "Die Sturm- und Drangperiode und der moderne deutsche Realismus" was published.

From 1899 he studied architecture in Bonn and he was promoted in Bonn in 1901. He spent his summers in Sorrento and he wrote poetry for Simplicissimus and Pan. From 1897 to 1902 he also wrote for Stefan George's Blättern für die Kunst. In 1898 he travelled to Greece with Max Dauthendey and in 1900 he was involved in the excavations at Pergamon. In 1903 his volume of poetry "Parcival - Die frühen Gärten" was published. From 1904 onwards he translated classical dramas from Greek into German. In the same year he married Maria Carmi.

Between 1902 and 1908 he was active as a race car driver. With his brother Hans Robert he worked as aircraft designers around 1910. In 1912 a five year old girl died when she was hit by his car in Innsbruck. He wrote the play "The Miracle" that was performed between 1911 and 1932 and in 1924 for a whole year on Broadway. It was also filmed in 1912 with his wife in the leading role. After the First World War he rented the Palazzo Vendramin in Venice and lived there part of the year. In the same year he also bought a house in Basel. From 1919 onwards he lived for three to six months in Hollywood each year.

In 1920 he divorced his wife and around that time he had an affair with Lena Amsel. From 1924 to 1930 he was in a relationship with Ruth Landshoff-Yorck. In 1930 he wrote the screenplay for "Der Blaue Engel", the movie that made Marlene Dietrich famous. He had spotted her as early as 1923.

After the nazis came to power he hardly visited Germany and he lived in Venice, Basel, Hollywood and Paris. In 1938 the Italian fascists threw him out of the Palazzo Vendramin and confiscated his costly furniture and paintings. In 1939 he emigrated to the USA, where he was imprisoned on 31/12/1941 because of his German citizenship. Thirteen months later he was released. From 1943 to 1948 he lived in New York. He died in 1948 in a hotel Los Angeles. In 1951 Ruth Landshoff-Yorck transported his remains back to Germany and he was buried in the grave of his parents in Stuttgart.

Family
• Father: Vollmoeller, Robert

Related persons
• was the lover of Amsel, Lena
• was a friend of George, Stefan
• visited Klimt, Gustav
• cooperated with Reinhardt, Max
• was visited by Schnitzler, Arthur

Images

The grave of Robert Vollmöller and Karl Vollmöller at the Pragfriedhof, Stuttgart.
Picture by Androom (07 Mar 2015)