Richard Voß

Richard Voß (September 2, 1851 – June 10, 1918) was a German dramatist and novelist.

Biography

Voss was born at Neu-Grape near Pyritz, in Pomerania, the son of a country squire.

Though intended for the life of a country gentleman, he showed no inclination for outdoor life, and on his return from the war of 1870-71, in which he was wounded, he studied philosophy at Jena and Munich, and then settled at Berchtesgaden. In 1884 Voss was appointed by the grand duke of Weimar librarian of the Wartburg, but, in consequence of illness, he resigned the post.

He passed much of his life in Frascati, in Italy, and there he was inspired to write a lot of novels and dramas.

Main works

Dramas

• Savonarola (1878)
• Magda (1879)
• Die Patricierin, a classical drama, which won the Schiller prize in 1896 (The Patrician Dame; 1880)
• Pater Modestus, dealing with the problem of religion (1882)
• Der Mohr des Zaren (1883)
• Unehrlich Volk (1885)
• Alexandra (1888)
• Eva, patterned after Ibsen's character Nora (1889)
• Wehe dem Besiegten (Woe to the Vanquished; 1889)
• Die neue Zeit (1891)
• Schuldig (1892)

Novels

• San Sebastian (1883)
• Der Sohn der Volskerin (1885)
• Die Sabinerin, remarkable for its beautiful descriptions of Italian country (1888)
• Der Mönch von Berchtesgaden (1891)
• Villa Falconieri, the story of a successful poet who lost confidence in his powers (1896)
• Der neue Gott (1898)
• Die Rächerin (1899)
• Amata, a story of Rome in Nero's time (1901)
• Römisches Fieber (1902)
• Allerlei Erlebtes (1902)
• Die Leute von Valdars (1902)
• Zwei Menschen (1911)

References

•  "Voss, Richard". New International Encyclopedia. 1905. 
•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Voss, Richard". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
•  "Voss, Richard". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.