Franz Karl Ginzkey
Franz Karl Ginzkey was a notable Austrian author born in Pula, Croatia, to a prominent chemist in the Austro-Hungarian navy. Orphaned early, he created an imaginary world heavily influenced by German folklore, which permeated his later works that often romanticized Austrian and German culture. Although initially following a military career due to parental expectations, Ginzkey found his true passion in writing, publishing his first poetry collection and later gaining acclaim for his children's story, "Hatschi Bratschi." His novels often explored themes of love, loss, and financial struggles, reflecting aspects of his own life experiences.
Despite a challenging early career, Ginzkey achieved recognition as a significant literary figure in Austria, especially after World War II. He wrote over fifty works, including sentimental ballads about Old Vienna and historical novellas. During World War I, he served in roles more aligned with his interests, such as a war correspondent. Ginzkey was also briefly involved in politics as a member of the Austrian legislature but remained largely apolitical during the rise of the Nazis. He continued to write until his eighties and was awarded the Grand Austrian State Prize in 1957 for his contributions to literature before passing away in 1963.
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Franz Karl Ginzkey
Writer
- Born: September 8, 1871
- Birthplace: Pula, Austria (now Croatia)
- Died: April 11, 1963
- Place of death: Austria
Biography
Franz Karl Ginzkey was born to a high-ranking chemist in the Austro-Hungarian navy and his wife, in what is now Pula, Croatia. His mother died when he was a baby. He spent a lonely childhood, building an elaborate imaginary country in his mind. Its features were apparently drawn from the German tales he read. Traces of it show through in much of his work as an adult, which romanticizes Austrian and German culture.
Despite his dreaminess and lack of aptitude, as a youth he enrolled in the empire’s Naval Academy. When this did not work out, he enrolled in an infantry officers school, following his father’s wishes. He managed to graduate, and in fact was delighted with his first posting, to Salzburg. Not only was he surrounded by the German atmosphere he had fantasized about, but his officer’s commission gave him a certain social cachet. Yet military life itself was alien to his nature. He began to write.
Transferred back to Pula, he was actively unhappy. He grabbed at an opportunity to work in the Vienna Military Insitute for Geography. Map-making was not his choice of vocation either, but it suited him better than regular army routine. He stayed in the geographic office for fifteen years.
Meanwhile, Ginzkey’s first literary work, a book of poems, was published. Next came a tale of an evil sorcerer with a balloon, Hatschi Bratschi, which became acclaimed as a children’s classic. Another poetry collection followed, then he began to write novels which showed a strong romantic streak. His first novel, Jakobus und die Frauen: Eine Jugend, had a gentle young lieutenant as hero. He loses the woman he loves because of an insufficient income. Some later novels were variations on the same theme, and no doubt were partly based on his own life.
Ginzkey himself did not marry until 1900, when Stephanie Stoiser became his wife. Neither prosperity nor fame came easily to him. He eventually attained both, becoming one of Austria’s grand old men of literature in the post-World War II period, but only by virtue of writing more than fifty works over his career.
Ginzkey wrote many sentimental ballads about Old Vienna. These were popular and led to his writing several historical novellas, including one about Albrecht Durer. Despite his dislike of army life, he reenlisted for four years during World War I. This time the assignments were more to his liking: first serving as a war correspondent, then working with the army archives in Vienna.
In his later career, Ginzkey turned more and more to his Austrian army experiences for background and themes. These memoirs and stories helped glamorize the monarchy’s last years at the same time as they told of individuals’ dilemmas. He was a member of the Austrian legislature from 1934 to 1938, but actually took little part in politics, neither protesting nor helping the Nazi takeover. He continued to publish even into his eighties, and in 1957 won the Grand Austrian State Prize for exceptional artistic achievement. Ginzkey died in 1963.