Joachim Maass
Joachim Maass was a German writer born in Hamburg in 1901, noted for his literary contributions during a tumultuous period in history. As one of the many writers who fled Germany with the rise of Nazism, Maass initially trained in his father's business before discovering his passion for literature while in Portugal. His writing career began in the 1920s, with works ranging from translations of folk songs to plays and novels. Notably, his novel "Ein Testament" (1939) served as a veiled critique of Hitler, a theme that permeated much of his work.
After fleeing to the United States in 1939, Maass contributed to the literary community as a lecturer and coeditor of the journal "Neue Rundschau," while also producing autobiographical works like "Das Magische Jahr" (1944). Despite his efforts, he found that his themes of moral reflection were often overlooked in a post-war Germany eager to move on from its past. A later success, "Der Falle Gouffe" (1952), showcased his signature blend of moral inquiry and detective fiction. Ultimately, while he returned to Germany for recognition, the shifting cultural landscape left him feeling disconnected from his audience. His legacy includes both his literary achievements and the challenges he faced as an exiled writer grappling with themes of identity and morality.
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Joachim Maass
Writer
- Born: September 1, 1901
- Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
- Died: October 15, 1972
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
Joachim Maass, born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1901,was one of a group of German writers who fled Germany during the rise of Nazism. The third son of a successful merchant, Maass attended a private preparatory school in Hamburg. In 1922, he became an apprentice in his father’s business, a position which took him to Portugal. There he discovered his calling in literature and began writing poetry. He resigned his position and returned to Hamburg to begin a career as a writer. Maass did not marry, but late in his career he lived with Marie Renee Luft in New York City.
Maass began his career as a freelance writer working on newspapers, first in Hamburg and then Berlin. His first published work, appearing in 1925, was a translation of Portuguese folk songs. This was followed by several dramas, including Kain, a play that indicted his lifelong preoccupation with the question of good and evil. By the 1930’s he had turned to fiction, publishing several minor novels before the major achievement of the novel, Ein Testament (1939; The Weeping and the Laughter, 1947).This complex allegorical work was, in fact, a disguised accusation of Hitler, but because the plot used the detective story format, its moral message was not at first apparent to the Nazi regime. However, after his home and papers were searched during his absence, Maass recognized his personal danger and fled Germany, immigrating to the United States in 1939. Having helped German Jews immigrate to America, Maass had friends in New York City and with the aid of the National Carl Shurz Association, he secured a position lecturing in German language and literature at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts.
He continued to write while he lived in the United States. His book Das Magische Jahr (1944; The Magic Year, 1944), is a nostalgic autobiographical novel describing his childhood in Hamburg. In its lengthy preface, he confessed his loneliness and sense of isolation working in America. While the work received positive reviews, it did not attract attention outside of a small audience of exiles.
At the end of World War II, Maass became coeditor of the literary journal Neue Rundschau and wrote articles on the work of his fellow German exiles. He eventually resigned his position at the journal to devote more time to writing. During this period, Maass completed Der Falle Gouffe (1952; The Gouffe Case, 1960), another detective novel including the moral themes typical of his work. This work, with its mesmerizing female character and action-focused plot, was a popular success. When the film rights were purchased, Maass was able to return to Germany. Much to his disappointment, interest in his literary achievements had waned. The German people, intent on rebuilding and forgetting the past, did not appreciate his reiteration of moral accusations. He left Germany a second time for New York, where he turned to writing drama.
His works were not republished in Germany until the 1950’s. In 1961, he returned to accept a literature award from the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts. In 1957, he completed a biography of German poet Heinrich von Kleist, translated into English in 1983.