Wolfgang Hildesheimer

Wolfgang Hildesheimer (December 9, 1916 - August 21 1991) was a German author who incorporated the Theatre of the Absurd. He originally trained as an artist, before turning to writing.

Biography

Hildesheimer was born of Jewish parents in Hamburg. After studying carpentry in Palestine, where his parents had emigrated, he studied painting and stage building in London. In 1946 he worked as a translator and clerk at the Nuremberg Trials. Afterward, he worked as a writer and was a member of Group 47. In 1980, he gave the inaugural address at the Salzburg Festival ("Was sagt Musik aus?" — "What does music say?"). In addition to writing, Hildesheimer created collages, which he collected in several volumes (the first "Endlich allein", 1984), an activity he shared with other late 20th century writers Peter Weiss and Ror Wolf.

Work

* 1952 Lieblose Legenden, Erzählungen
* 1953 Das Paradies der falschen Vögel
* 1954 Das Märchen von Prinzessin Turandot (The Fairy Tale of Princess Turnandot), a radio play
* 1960 Herrn Walsers Raben (Mr. Walser's ), a radio play
* 1962 Vergebliche Aufzeichnungen
* 1965 Tynset, a novel
* 1973 Masante, a novel
* 1977 Mozart, a biography
* 1981 Marbot, a fictional biography
* 1983 Mitteilungen an Max (Über den Stand der Dinge und anderes)
* Pastorale oder Die Zeit für Kakao, a theatre piece.
* Der Drachenthron, a comedy in three acts
* Das Opfer Helena, a comedy in two parts
* Die Verspätung, a work in two parts

Awards

*Hörspielpreis der Kriegsblinden (a radio play prize for Princess Turnandot) 1955
*Georg Büchner Prize 1966