Hans Rehberg
Hans Rehberg was a German playwright and historical drama writer, born on December 25, 1901, in Posen, Germany, a region that became part of Poland after World War II. He became involved with the Nazi Party in 1930 and began crafting plays that reflected German heroism and ideals. His early works, such as "Cecil Rhodes" and "Johannes Keppler," did not achieve significant success. In 1934, he initiated the "Prussian Cycle," a series of plays examining the influence of Prussian nobility on German culture and politics. However, Rehberg faced expulsion from the Nazi Party due to his dissent against certain party actions.
During World War II, he served as a lieutenant and war correspondent while continuing to write, although some of his works were censored. After the war, Rehberg's association with the Nazi regime led to a decline in his reputation, despite his continued focus on historical figures in his plays. He passed away on June 20, 1963, in West Germany. While efforts were made by some critics to rehabilitate his legacy in German theater, his works have seldom been revived. His son, Hans-Michael Rehberg, gained recognition as an actor, notably appearing in the film "Schindler's List." Many of Hans Rehberg's papers are housed in the Schiller-Nationalmuseum in Marbach, Germany.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Hans Rehberg
Playwright
- Born: December 25, 1901
- Birthplace: Posen, Germany
- Died: June 20, 1963
- Place of death: Germany
Biography
Hans Rehberg was born on December 25, 1901, in Posen, Germany, a region that became part of Poland following World War II. He was married to Maria Ohly and the father of six children. Rehberg joined the Nazi Party in 1930 and began writing historical dramas representing heroic German values.
His first play, Cecil Rhodes, was performed in March,1930. This biography of the English diamond magnate and politician in nineteenth century Africa was a failure. Johannes Keppler, an examination of the life of the German astronomer, was produced in 1933. Rehberg began his Prussian Cycle in 1934, a series of six plays exploring German ideals through the Prussian noblemen who once dominated German politics.
Rehberg was expelled from the Nazi Party for criticizing a 1934 law exonerating the party leadership for the murder of one of its members. As World War II broke out, Rehberg wrote a play designed to convince the French to mistrust the British. During the war, Rehberg was a lieutenant in the Supreme Submarine Command, where his primary duties were as a war correspondent. He continued writing plays, although one set in a submarine was censored by the Nazi government. Fleeing the advancing Russian army at the end of the war, Rehberg lost the manuscripts of his plays.
Rehberg’s reputation declined after World War II because of his close association with the Nazi regime, but he continued writing historical plays about such subjects as Queen Elizabeth I of Great Britain, Rembrandt, and the writer Heinrich von Kleist. He died of heart failure in West Germany on June 20, 1963. Some German critics attempted to resurrect his place in German theater history, but his plays have rarely been revived. Ironically, one of his sons, the actor Hans-Michael Rehberg, appears in director Steven Spielberg’s Holocaust film Schindler’s List. Many of Rehberg’s papers are in the Schiller- Nationalmuseum in Marbach, Germany.