René Schickele
René Schickele was a notable Alsatian writer, born on August 4, 1883, in Oberhnheim, a region with a complex history of French and German ownership. His literary career began with a periodical celebrating Alsatian culture during his university days, reflecting his deep connection to his homeland. Although he considered French his native language, Schickele wrote predominantly in German, producing works that often explored themes relevant to his cultural background and the political climate of his time.
He gained recognition with his first novel, "Der Fremde," published in 1909, and served as a journalist and editor for influential publications, including "Die weissen Blätter," where he championed expressionist voices and advocated for pacifism and internationalism. Schickele's plays, such as "Hans im Schnakenloch," addressed the impacts of World War I on Alsace and critiqued the pursuit of political power. Following the war, he focused on writing about the beauty of Alsace and the Black Forest, emphasizing the importance of reconciliation between France and Germany. Over time, he distanced himself from the intersection of art and politics, ultimately passing away on January 31, 1940, in France. Schickele is remembered for his editorial contributions and the intellectual depth of his writings, which resonate with themes of love and wisdom across cultural divides.
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Subject Terms
René Schickele
Writer
- Born: August 4, 1883
- Birthplace: Oberehnheim, Alsace, Germany
- Died: January 31, 1940
- Place of death: Vence, France
Biography
René Schickele was born on August 4, 1883, in Oberhnheim, Alsace, a province whose ownership was long disputed by Germany and France. His father, Anton Schickele, was a former soldier who became a pacifist; his mother, Marie Ferard Schickele, was a Frenchwoman who never learned German. Young Schickele considered French his native language, though he would write all but one of his books in German. His native region so influenced his work that critics identify him as an Alsatian writer. His very first literary endeavor, a periodical launched during his university years, celebrated Alsatian culture.
Schickele attended the University of Strasbourg from 1901 to 1903 and later studied at the Sorbonne in Paris. In 1904, he married Anna Brandenburg and began working as editor of Das Neue Magazine in Berlin, Germany. In 1909, Schickele published his first novel, Der Fremde, a coming-of-age story set during the Franco Prussian War. It received positive reviews and was even called “the novel of the Alsatian soul,” but the critics did not consider it a mature work of fiction.
Schickele also was developing as a journalist. From 1909 to 1911, he was Paris correspondent for Strassburger neue Zeitung. His best work for this publication included articles on leading figures of the day, Theodore Roosevelt among them, and reports on contemporary events from labor strikes to café society gatherings.
In 1913, Schickele returned to Berlin and went to work for a new literary journal, Die weissen Blätter, of which he later would become editor. This periodical published some of the era’s leading critical thought, as well as the early work of expressionists writers Franz Kafka and Franz Werfel. Schickele shared many of the expressionists’ convictions, including their belief that writers should be politically involved. He himself took a strong stand for pacifism and internationalism.
Pacifism was the underlying theme of Schickele’s play, Hans im Schnakenloch, a drama about life in the disputed region of Alsace during World War I. Another play, Am Glockenturm, denounces the human impulse toward political power at any cost. Schickele was at odds with other writers who viewed World War I as a courageous undertaking. Support for Die weissen Blätter waned, and the publication was suspended shortly after the war.
Schickele became a French citizen by default when France acquired Alsace after World War I. He began a series of novels and essays celebrating that region and Germany’s Black Forest, focusing on the natural scenery of both places. On the whole, he believed that the way the French and Germans resolved the Alsatian question would reflect the degree to which all of Europe could live in postwar harmony.
In later years, Schickele ceased to believe that art and politics should be connected, declaring, on the contrary, that the two should be entirely separate. He died on January 31, 1940, in Vence, France. In the twenty-first century, he is remembered primarily for his brilliant editorial work on Die weissen Blätter. The esthetic movements he championed are passé, but his writing endures because of its exceptional intelligence and natural idealism, two traits not always found in a single individual. His epitaph reads in part, “His heart bore the love and wisdom of two peoples.”