Kasimir Edschmid
Kasimir Edschmid, originally named Eduard Hermann Wilhelm Schmid, was a notable German writer born on October 5, 1890, in Darmstadt, Germany. He came from a family with a strong academic background; his father was a physics teacher and his grandfather a theology instructor. Edschmid initially harbored dreams of adventures at sea but ultimately chose a scholarly path, studying French literature and engaging with avant-garde art in Munich and Paris. Throughout his career, he produced a variety of literary works, including poetry and prose, and became known for his unique narrative style that some reviewers likened to a fast-paced film.
His writing, which initially embraced expressionism, evolved over time as he became critical of the movement. Edschmid's literary career was significantly impacted by the rise of the Nazi regime, leading to the banning and burning of his works. After World War II, he returned to Germany, where he became actively involved in cultural initiatives and continued to write, achieving renewed popularity. He was instrumental in founding organizations such as the German Academy for Language and Writing and the West German PEN Club. Edschmid received numerous accolades throughout his life, including the Bundesverdienstkreuz and the Goethe plaque. He passed away in 1966 in Engadin, Switzerland, leaving behind a complex legacy intertwined with the cultural fabric of 20th-century Germany.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Kasimir Edschmid
- Born: October 5, 1890
- Birthplace: Darmstadt, Germany
- Died: August 31, 1966
- Place of death: Engadin, Switzerland
Biography
Kasimir Edschmid, born Eduard Hermann Wilhelm Schmid, was born in Darmstadt, Germany, on October 5, 1890. His father, Bruno Franz Frederick Schmid, was a physics teacher at the local Gymnasium, and his grandfather, a theology instructor, had written a botany textbook and edited some anthologies of poetry. His mother was Bertha Bommersheim Schmid. During his childhood, Edschmid fantasized about being a world traveler living a life on the sea, but as he approached adulthood, he realized that such a dream was an illusion. He determined to pursue a more scholarly career, and he graduated from the Ludwig-Georgs Gymnasium before going to Munich, where he studied French literature and became interested in avant-garde artists. Further studies took him to the Sorbonne and the École de Chartres in Paris, where he wrote his first book, a collection of poetry, hymns, and songs.
The following year, Edschmid moved to Strasbourg, where he studied under and met several avant-garde writers. Soon, he began writing prose and had some stories published. After about two years, he entered the University of Giessen and wrote his dissertation. He realized by that time that writing was his true calling, and he befriended the editor of a liberal periodical and wrote in various styles for several journals. When a prominent expressionist publisher came upon some of Edschmid’s work, he approached him about publishing it. By this time, World War I was in progress, delaying Edschmid’s publication for a time.
Some of Edschmid’s stories were conventional, others were violent and quite Nietzschean. His works’ frantic tempo has been compared with a film running in fast forward. One reviewer declared that Edschmid created literary expressionism, although this opinion has been challenged. In fact, by the early 1920’s, Edschmid looked upon expressionism as a fad or a phase that was passé.
For the next fifteen years, he traveled—to Italy, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. He turned to writing travel books and fictional biographies that were entertaining and readable, if not serious literature. About this time, Edschmid was an unofficial ambassador for the Weimar Republic. This fact, and the fact that he had spoken unflattering words about President Paul von Hindenburg, angered the Nazis. By the 1930’s, most of Edschmid’s books were being burned, and he was restricted from speaking in public.
Edschmid continued to write, but in 1941, the Nazis barred him from publishing. After World War II, Edschmid returned to his birthplace, where he became active in the cultural life of the early Federal Republic of Germany. He wrote travelogues, historical fiction, and light novels, and his postexpressionist work enjoyed a revival of popularity. He was influential in founding the German Academy for Language and Writing and the West German PEN Club, as well as being active in United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Among his honors were the Bundesverdienstkreuz in 1955, the Goethe plaque of Frankfurt, and the Goethe medallion of Hesse. Edschmid was the first recipient of Palermo’s international prize. A revival of interest in expressionism in West Germany led to some of his earlier works being republished, and an account of the expressionist movement appeared in 1961. Edschmid died in 1966 in Engadin, Switzerland.