Stephan Hermlin
Stephan Hermlin was a significant German author and poet born in 1915 in Chemnitz, Germany, into a wealthy Jewish family. His early life was marked by political upheaval, leading him to join the Communist Party at a young age, just before Adolf Hitler rose to power. As a result of the Nazi regime's persecution, Hermlin spent years in hiding and engaged in various resistance efforts, including fighting for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War and participating in the French Resistance. After World War II, he returned to Germany and became an influential figure in the East German socialist government, although his literary work, which often explored themes of exile, war, and despair, faced scrutiny from authorities.
Despite experiencing acclaim for his poetry, Hermlin's aesthetic approach conflicted with the ideals of Socialist Realism, prompting him to shift towards writing fiction, essays, and translations. His memoir, "Abendlicht," is noted for its lyrical quality and reflective take on his life and political beliefs. Over time, Hermlin became increasingly critical of the East German government's treatment of artists, yet his prominence in the artistic community provided him some protection from persecution. He maintained his commitment to Communist ideals throughout his life and passed away in Berlin in 1997, remembered as one of the foremost lyric poets of his generation.
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Stephan Hermlin
Poet
- Born: April 13, 1915
- Birthplace: Chemnitz, Germany
- Died: April 6, 1997
- Place of death: Berlin, Germany
Biography
Stephan Hermlin was born into a wealthy Jewish family in Chemnitz, Germany, in 1915. His mother was from England and his father was an industrialist and art collector. Hermlin experienced a difficult childhood in Germany during a time of great political turmoil. He joined the Communist Party when he was sixteen, two years before Adolf Hitler took over the German government. Hitler promised to keep the country safe from Communist takeover and to eliminate the Jews. Hermlin was forced into hiding and spent years in England and Spain. He also fought for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War before joining the French Resistance. Hermlin’s father was sent to a Nazi concentration camp.
Hermlin returned to Germany after World War II and supported the East German socialist government. He had written poetry during the war and now set out to find a publisher. Thematically, his work dealt with exile, war, death, and the wonders of Communism. Although his poetry received international acclamation, his work came under suspicion from authorities in the German Democratic Republic, and he was admonished by Marxist critics that his aesthetic sense was in direct confrontation with the ideals of Socialist Realism. This criticism forced Hermlin to turn away from poetry, and he began to write fiction, essays, and translations, all in the name of sacrificing his art for the Community Party. His fiction, however, tended to retain his primary artistic focus: the era’s alienation, despair, and violence. In reviewing his short story “Lebensfrist,” one critic noted how Hermlin saw only through suffering eyes.
Hermlin’s memoir Abendlicht (1979; Evening Light, 1983), which deals with his political views, was praised by critics for its lyric quality in recollecting his life and for its ability to sum up an artistic life of struggle with great poise. By this time, however, Hermlin had become highly critical of the East German government’s conduct toward artists. However, while other poets were denounced and punished, Hermlin’s stature kept him safe. By 1989, when the Berlin Wall was torn down, Hermlin had lost some of his former Communist Party prestige, yet he maintained his unshaken support of Communism. He died in Berlin on April 6, 1997.
Hermlin was once considered a premier member of the artistic community in East Germany and remains one of the foremost lyric poets of his generation. An unwavering Communist, he remained completely dedicated to the philosophy’s precepts and worked stringently to integrate his background, art, and politics within himself and his work.