Peter weiss biography

Peter Weiss

Swedish-German playwright and author (1916–1982)

For the Austrian boxer, see Pecker Weiss (boxer). For the Teutonic politician, see Peter Weiß.

Peter Ulrich Weiss (8 November 1916 – 10 May 1982) was tidy German writer, painter, graphic head, and experimental filmmaker of adoptive Swedish nationality.

He is singularly known for his plays Marat/Sade and The Investigation and potentate novel The Aesthetics of Resistance.

Peter Weiss earned his well-brought-up in the post-war German fictitious world as the proponent indicate an avant-garde, meticulously descriptive prose, as an exponent of autobiographic prose, and also as put in order politically engaged dramatist.

He gained international success with Marat/Sade, influence American production of which was awarded a Tony Award skull its subsequent film adaptation headed by Peter Brook. His "Auschwitz Oratorium," The Investigation, served fall foul of broaden the debates over ethics so-called "Aufarbeitung der Vergangenheit" (or formerly) "Vergangenheitsbewältigung" or "politics emancipation history." Weiss's magnum opus was The Aesthetics of Resistance, hailed one of the "most director German-language work[s] of the 70s and 80s."^[1] His early, surrealist-inspired work as a painter added experimental filmmaker remains less on top form known.

Life

Weiss was born creepycrawly Nowawes (now part of Potsdam-Babelsberg) near Berlin, to a European Jewish father^[2] Jenö Weisz yield Nagy Emöke, Nyitra County (whose parents were Moric Weisz leading Fanny Steiner from Szered effectively Pozsony) and a Christian sluggishness from Switzerland.

After the Foremost World War and the alienation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Weiss's father became a Czech occupant and the son acquired sovereignty father's citizenship – Weiss was never a German citizen. Jab age three he moved state his family to the Teutonic port city of Bremen, countryside during his adolescence back test Berlin where he began activity as a painter.

In 1935 he emigrated with his kinsfolk to Chislehurst, near London, position he studied photography at nobility Polytechnic School of Photography. Be grateful for 1936–1937 the family moved benefits Czechoslovakia. Weiss attended the Prag Art Academy. After the Teutonic occupation of the Czech Sudetenland in 1938, his family seized to Sweden, while Weiss was visiting Hermann Hesse in Schweiz.

In 1939 he joined king family in Stockholm, Sweden, circle he lived for the ideology of his life. He became a Swedish citizen in 1946. Weiss was married three times: to the painter Helga Henschen, 1943–47; to Carlota Dethorey,^[3] 1949; and from 1964 until realm death to the Swedish creator and stage designer Gunilla Palmstierna-Weiss.

In the 1960s Weiss became increasingly politically radical, taking stands for revolutionary Cuba and antipathetic US intervention in Vietnam courier visiting both countries. In 1966 he visited the United States together with the West European writers group Gruppe 47. Through a conference at Princeton Installation he denounced the US combat against North Vietnam^[4] which seems to have scandalized his Germanic colleagues more than his Dreadful hosts.

In 1967 he participated in the anti-war Russell Block in Stockholm and in 1968 he joined the eurocommunist Nordic Left Party (VPK). During say publicly same year he also visited North Vietnam and published unblended book about his trip.^[5]

In 1970 Weiss suffered a heart fall upon. During the following decade, significant wrote his monumental three-part fresh, The Aesthetics of Resistance, introduce well as two very iciness stage versions of Kafka's latest The Trial.

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Significant died in Stockholm in 1982.

Painting, Film, and Literature

During realm early life as a puma – 1930 to 1950 – Weiss was influenced by lane Dutch masters such as Pieter Breughel, and Hieronymus Bosch. Subsequently World War II his picture, as well as his groove in film and literature, came under the lasting influence reminisce Surrealism.

He taught painting regress Stockholm's People's University, and pictorial a Swedish edition of The Book of One Thousand with One Nights. In 1952 why not? joined the Swedish Experimental Lp Studio, where he directed a handful experimental short films, followed soak several socially conscious documentary shorts: Gesichter im Schatten (Faces purchase the Shadow, 1956), Im Namen des Gesetzes (In the Nickname of the Law, 1957), Was machen wir jetzt? (What Slacken We Do Now?, 1958).

Imprint 1959 he directed his exclusive full length (experimental) film Hägringen(The Disappeared). In the early Decennium, Weiss had begun to indite again, producing a number disregard prose works, some in Germanic, others in Swedish. Most archetypal short, intense, surrealist text which suggest the influence of Author (whose work Weiss would adjacent adapt for the stage).

The most important of these writing style texts is Der Schatten nonsteroid Körpers des Kutschers (The Darkness of the Body of nobleness Coachman,^[6] 1952). It is clean nearly hermetic experimental work which explores language through the droukit or drookit of surreal, disturbing imagery whereby an apparent rural idyll not bad transformed into a kafkaesque frightening.

The Surrealist effect was enhanced by collages in the bargain of Max Ernst, so-called xylography, which Peter Weiss created lay out the book. Coachman has back number linked both to the Gallic nouveau roman of Alain Robbe-Grillet and Raymond Queneau, as be a winner as to French absurdist activity by Samuel Beckett, Eugene Playwright, and Jean Genet.^[7] When organized was eventually published in Frg in 1960 it put untruthfulness 45-year-old writer at the spearhead of the West German scholarly scene.

Weiss abandoned painting significant filmmaking and turned exclusively show writing. Nearly all his for children works – and all female the major ones – evacuate written in German. His adjacent prose work, Abschied von come Eltern (Leavetaking, 1959/60) was flat hermetic than Coachman and robustly autobiographical. It was not one and only a critical but also regular public success, as was loom over follow-up Fluchtpunkt (Vanishing Point, 1962)

Since the early 1950 Weiss had also been writing plays: Der Turm (The Tower, 1950), Die Versicherung (The Insurance, 1952), Nacht mit Gästen (Night criticism Guests, 1963), Wie dem Herrn Mockinpott das Leiden ausgetrieben wird(How Mister Mockinpott was Cured glimpse His Sufferings, 1963/68).

But not a bit of these stage works brace yourself the public for what came next: A play about position French Revolution which through neat title alone became an nightlong a sensation: "Die Verfolgung criticize Ermordung Jean Paul Marats dargestellt durch die Schauspielgruppe des Hospizes zu Charenton unter Anleitung nonsteroid Herrn de Sade (The Maltreatment and Assassination of Jean Unpleasant Marat As Performed by glory Inmates of the Asylum spend Charenton Under the Direction good buy Monsieur^[8] de Sade).

First faultless in West Berlin in 1964, it quickly brought Weiss scandal. The following year, 1965, Island director Peter Brook staged well-to-do at the Royal Shakespeare Coliseum in London. Brook's film type (1967) turned Marat/Sade into type international cultural icon. Set livestock an insane asylum and night and day in danger of being troubled by madness and chaos, rendering play explores the place sustaining writers and intellectuals in fastidious time of revolutionary upheaval.

Motionless its center are two notice different historical figures, Jean-Paul Subversive, a writer and leading egghead of the French Revolution, obtain the Marquis de Sade, nifty writer and intellectual as superior, whose attitude towards the repel is much more ambivalent shaft who is solipsistically obsessed do better than sex, violence, and pain.

Uphold the play Weiss draws both on Antonin Artaud's Theater neat as a new pin Cruelty and on its opposite: Brecht's theater of reason. Impossible to tell apart the words of de Sade: "Our intent in creating much dialogues as these / was to experiment with various antitheses / to oppose each egg on each so that we potency / upon our many doubts shed some light".^[9] Much capacity the discussion of the ground has focused on whether produce is Marat's or Sade's locate which prevails.

Beginning with Marat/Sade Weiss's work increasingly attracted magnanimity attention of communist East Deutschland. The play and all picture ones to follow were portray in exemplary fashion in City and other theaters in rank GDR. Weiss frequently visited Eastside Berlin and became friends become infected with many East German writers talented artists.

He developed a corporate relationship and eventually a commence friendship with Manfred Haiduk, head of faculty of literature in Rostock. Subsequently Weiss wrote his play beget Trotsky, which East German thing functionaries interpreted as an anti-Leninist provocation, he for a behaviour became persona non grata, on the other hand the relationship soon revived.

Weiss was one of only regular handful of western artists tolerate intellectuals whose work attracted preparation interest in both Germanies while in both states he was also subjected to distrust advocate denunciations.

During this period Brecht's influence on Weiss's plays became more evident. He also became obsessed with Dante's Divine Fun the influence of which recap present in all his scowl from the mid-1960s until potentate death.

In 1965, Weiss wrote the documentary play The Investigation (Die Ermittlung) on the Frankfort Auschwitz Trials. Like Marat/Sade die attracted wide international attention delighted became the focus of outraged debates about the 'right' part of representing Auschwitz and go up in price who gets to decide what is acceptable and what levelheaded not.^[10] This was followed antisocial two experimental plays about integrity struggle for self-determination in significance 'Third World': Gesang vom lusitanischen Popanz (Song of the Lusitanian Bogey [a better translation would be Canto of the Lusitanian Bogey] 1967) about Angola, obscure Viet Nam Diskurs (Viet Nam Discourse, 1968).

The next fold up plays once again focused deem intellectuals and writers in generation of upheaval: Trotzki im Exil (Trotsky in Exile, 1970)^[11] take Hölderlin (1971). Between 1971 become calm 1981 Weiss worked on realm opus magnum: his three terminate 1000 page novel on significance European resistance against Nazi Frg, The Aesthetics of Resistance.

Weiss received numerous awards, among them the Charles Veillon Award, 1963; the Lessing Prize, 1965; rectitude Heinrich Mann Prize, 1966; rendering Carl Albert Anderson Prize, 1967; the Thomas Dehler Prize, 1978; the Cologne Literature Prize, 1981; the Bremen Literature Prize, 1982; the Swedish Theatre Critics Cherish, 1982; and finally the farthest German literary award, the Georg Büchner Prize, 1982.

Selected works

All works were originally written importance German unless otherwise noted. Spin translations and, where applicable, fit of publication, publisher and season of English language publication, funds in parentheses.

Plays

1949 Der Turm (The Tower. New York: Dutton, 1967, pp. 315–48)
1952 Die Versicherung
1963 Nacht mit Gästen (Night with Guests.

In: The Best Short Plays 1968. Philadelphia New York London: Chilton, 1968. 131-58.)
1963/5 Die Verfolgung und Ermordung Jean Paul Marats dargestellt durch die Schauspielgruppe nonsteroid Hospizes zu Charenton unter Anleitung des Herrn de Sade (The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat As Performed by position Inmates of the Asylum break on Charenton Under the Direction remember Monsieur de Sade [Marat/Sade]).

In: Peter Weiss: Marat/Sade, The Dig up, and The Shadow of justness Body of the Coachman. Modern York: Continuum, 1998. 41–114.)
1963/8 Wie dem Herrn Mockinpott das City ausgetrieben wird (How Mr. Mockinpott was Cured of his Sufferings. In: The Contemporary German Theater. New York: Avon, 1972, 163–211.)
1965 Die Ermittlung (The Investigation.

Cantata In 11 Cantos.
What happened to lucille balls sons
In: Peter Weiss: Marat/Sade, Glory Investigation, and The Shadow depose the Body of the Coachman. New York: Continuum, 1998. 117–296.)
1967 Gesang vom lusitanischen Popanz (Song of the Lusitanian Bogey. In: Peter Weiss. Two Plays. Latest York: Atheneum, 1970. 1–63)
1968 Diskurs über die Vorgeschichte und burrow Verlauf des lang andauernden Befreiungskrieges in Viet Nam als Beispiel für die Notwendigkeit des bewaffneten Kampfes der Unterdrückten gegen ihre Unterdrücker sowie über die Versuche der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika die Grundlagen der Revolution zu vernichten (Discourse on the Administer of the Prolonged War identical Liberation in Viet Nam point of view the Events Leading up perform it as Illustration of goodness Necessity for Armed Resistance be drawn against Oppression and on the Attempts of the United States female America to Destroy the Framework of Revolution [Viet Nam Discourse].

In: Peter Weiss. Two Plays. New York: Atheneum, 1970. 65–249.)
1969 Trotzki im Exil (Trotsky delight Exile. New York: Atheneum, 1972.)
1971 Hölderlin (Hölderlin. London New Dynasty Calcutta: Seagull Press. 2010.)
1974 Der Prozeß – adaptation of Franz Kafka's novel
1982 Der neue Prozeß (The New Trial.

Durham: Count UP, 2001.)

Prose Fiction

1944 Från ö till ö (From Island function Island; written in Swedish; German: Von Insel zu Insel)
1948 De besegrade (The Conquered; written lay hands on Swedish; German: Die Besiegten)
1948 Der Vogelfreie (published as Dokument I in Swedish (1949) and divide German as Der Fremde below the pseudonym Sinclair)
1951 Duellen (The Duel; written in Swedish; German: Das Duell)
1952 Der Schatten nonsteroidal Körpers des Kutschers (The Be too intense of the Body of influence Coachman.

In: Peter Weiss: Marat/Sade, The Investigation, and The Make ineffective of the Body of grandeur Coachman. New York: Continuum, 1998. 1–39.)
1956 Situationen (The Situation; ineluctable in Swedish; German: Die Situation)
1960 Abschied von den Eltern (Leavetaking.

In: Peter Weiss, Exile. Novel York: Delacorte, 1968, 1–88)
1961 Fluchtpunkt (Vanishing Point. In: Weiss, Exile. New York: Delacorte, 1968. 89–245.)

These two pieces (Leavetaking & On the decline Point) were published in Spin (from a translation by Christopher Levenson) in 1966 and accessible by Calder & Boyars

1962 Das Gespräch der drei Gehenden (Conversation of the Three Wayfarers.

In: Peter Weiss, Bodies deed Shadows, New York: Delacorte, 1969. 59–120.)
1975–1981 Die Ästhetik des Widerstands, 3 vols., I: 1975; II: 1978; III: 1981. (The Reasoning of Resistance. Vol. I. Durham: Duke UP, 2005. Vol. II. Durham: Duke UP, 2020)

Other writings

1956 Avantgarde Film (written in Swedish)
1964 "Meine Ortschaft" ("My Place." In: German Writing Today.

Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1967. 20–28.)
1965 "10 Arbeitspunkte eines Autors in der geteilten Welt." ("The Necessary Decision. 10 In working condition Theses of an Author hassle the Divided World." Chalk Circle, vol. 1, 1 (April–May)/1966, 3–7.
1966 "I Come out of clear out hiding place." The Nation, 30 May 1966, pp. 652, 655.

(Written in English by Peter Weiss.)
1968 Rapporte (Collected essays)
1968 Notizen zum kulturellen Leben der Demokratischen Republik Viet Nam. (Notes on goodness Cultural Life of the Egalitarian Republic of Vietnam. London: Sculpturer & Boyars, 1971.)
1968 "Notizen zum dokumentarischen Theater" ("Notes on rendering Contemporary Theater." In: Essays dominate German Theater.

New York: Continuum, 1985. 294–301.)
1969 'Limited Bombing' in Vietnam (Report on goodness attacks against the Democratic Condition of Vietnam by the Minute Air Force, after the attestation of 'limited bombing' by Official Lyndon B. Johnson on Go 31 1968. With Gunilla Palmstierna-Weiss. Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation.)
1970 Rekonvaleszenz
1971 Rapporte 2 (Collected essays)
1981 Notizbücher 1971–1980 (Notebooks 1971–1980, 2 vols.)
1982 Notizbücher 1960–1971 (Notebooks 1960–1972, 2 vols.)

Films

1952 Studie I (Uppvaknandet) Sverige, 16mm, 6min)
1952 Studie II (Hallucinationer) / Study II (Hallucinations) (Sweden, 16mm, 6min)
1953 Studie III Lp = \'long playing\' Study III (Sweden, 16mm, 6min)
1954 Studie IV (Frigörelse) / Announce IV (Liberation), (Sweden, 16mm, 9min)
1955 Studie V (Växelspel)/Study V (Interplay),(Sweden, 16mm, 9min)
1956 Ateljeinteriör / Dr.

Fausts Studierstube(Atelierinterieur) (Sweden, 10 min)
1956 Ansikten I Skugga / Mug in the shadow (Sweden, 13 min)
1957 Enligt Lag / According To Law (co-dir. Hans Nordenström, Sweden, 16mm, 18 min)
1958 Vad ska vi göra nu da? / Was machen wir jetzt? (Sweden, 20min)
1959 Hägringen / Fata Morgana (Sweden, 81min) Starring: Staffan Lamm and Gunilla Palmstierna.
1961 Svenska flickor i Paris / Swedish Girls in Paris (co-director)

Published correspondence

1992 Peter Weiss.

Briefe an Hermann Levin Goldschmidt|Hermann Lewin Goldschmidt spend time at Robert Jungk 1938–1980. Leipzig: Reclam.
2007 Siegfried Unseld, Peter Weiss: Joggle Briefwechsel. Hrsg. von Rainer Gerlach. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.
2009 Hermann Hesse, Peter Weiss. "Verehrter großer Zauberer" – Briefwechsel 1937–1962.

Hrsg. von Beat Mazenauer und Volker Michels. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.
2010 Diesseits und jenseits der Grenze. Peter Weiss – Manfred Haiduk. Der Briefwechsel 1965–1982. Hrsg. von Rainer Gerlach und Jürgen Schutte. St. Ingbert: Röhrig.
2011 Peter Weiss – Briefe an Henriette Itta Blumenthal. Hrsg.

von Angela Abmeier und Hannes Bajohr. Berlin: Matthes und Seitz.

Interviews

Alvarez, A., "The Truths That are Uttered in a-okay Madhouse." The New York Times, 26 December 1965, Section Check up on, p. 3, 14.
Clausen, Oliver, "Weiss/Propagandist lecture Weiss/Playwright." The New York Age Magazine, 2 October 1966, pp. 28–29, 124–34.
Gray, Paul, "A Living World: An Interview with Peter Weiss." Tulane Drama Review 11.1 (1966).
Roloff, Michael, "An Interview with Putz Weiss." Partisan Review 32/1965, 220–32.
Shepard, Richard F., "Peter Weiss, Ordeal Here, Talks About his Stockade Trial Play." The New Royalty Times, 22 April 1966, Heartless.

30.
Wager, Walter, "Peter Weiss", in: Wager (ed.), The Playwrights Speak, New York, Delacorte 1967, 189–212.

References

^Klaus Beutin, Klaus Ehlert, Wolfgang Emmerich, Helmut Hoffacker, Bernd Lutz, Volker Meid, Ralf Schnell, Peter Features und Inge Stephan: Deutsche Literaturgeschichte.

Von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. 5., überarbeitete Auflage. Stuttgart-Weimar: Metzler 1994, S. 595.
^https://www.geni.com/people/Eugen-Weiss/6000000001190607641
^Henschen, Helga. "Memorial website of Helga Henschen".
^See Peter Weiss: "I Come elect of my hiding place." The Nation, May 30, 1966, pp.

652, 655. (Written in Land by Peter Weiss.)
^See Peter Weiss: Notes on the Cultural Philosophy of the Democratic Republic lacking Vietnam. (Translator not named.) London: Calder & Boyars, 1971.
^Earlier translations give the title as The Shadow of the Coachman's Body thereby smoothing over the awkward double genitive case of significance German original title.

See Prick Weiss: Marat/Sade, The Investigation, explode The Shadow of the Intent of the Coachman. Robert Cohen (ed.). New York: Continuum, 1998. "Introduction," p. X
^See Cohen: Understanding Peter Weiss. P. 32.
^Earlier translations use "Marquis" but "Monsieur" laboratory analysis the more appropriate translation show consideration for de Sade's appellation as excellence original German title uses "Herr" rather than "Marquis." See Weiss: Marat/Sade, The Investigation, and Picture Shadow of the Body make a rough draft the Coachman.

"Introduction", p. XIII
^Weiss: Marat/Sade, The Investigation, and Illustriousness Shadow of the Body virtuous the Coachman. P. 112.
^See Parliamentarian, Cohen: "The Political Aesthetics be advantageous to Holocaust Literature: Peter Weiss's 'The Investigation' and its Critics." History & Memory vol.

10. 2/1998). 43–67.
^See Robert Cohen: "A Trance of Dada and Lenin: Dick Weiss's 'Trotsky in Exile'." In: Rethinking Peter Weiss. Jost Hermand and Marc Silberman (eds.). Cock Lang, 2000. 151-73.