Wolfgang Hildesheimer

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Wolfgang Hildesheimer (December 9, 1916 - August 21, 1991) was a German author who incorporated the theater of the absurd. He originally trained as an artist, before turning to writing.

[edit] Biography

Hildesheimer was born of Jewish parents in Hamburg. After studying carpentry in Palestine, where his parents had emigrated, he studied painting and stage building in London. In 1946 he worked as a translator and clerk at the Nuremberg Trials. Afterward, he worked as a writer and was a member of Group 47. In 1980, he gave the inaugural address at the Salzburg Festival (Was sagt Musik aus? — What does music say?). In addition to writing, Hildesheimer created collages, which he collected in several volumes (the first Endlich allein, 1984), an activity he shared with other late 20th century writers Peter Weiss and Ror Wolf.

[edit] Work

1952 Lieblose Legenden, Erzählungen
1953 Das Paradies der falschen Vögel
1954 Das Märchen von Prinzessin Turandot (The Fairy Tale of Princess Turnandot), a radio play
1960 Herrn Walsers Raben (Mr. Walser's ), a radio play
1962 Vergebliche Aufzeichnungen
1965 Tynset, a novel
1973 Masante, a novel
1977 Mozart, a biography
1981 Marbot, a fictional biography
1983 Mitteilungen an Max (Über den Stand der Dinge und anderes)
Pastorale oder Die Zeit für Kakao, a theatre piece.
Der Drachenthron, a comedy in three acts
Das Opfer Helena, a comedy in two parts
Die Verspätung, a work in two parts