Erich Kestner (1899-1974), a German writer and critic, originally from Dresden, has earned his popularity due to humorous novels for children and topical poetry with a touch of satire.
Childhood
You can learn about the writer’s childhood from his work entitled When I was Little. Of the biographical texts available on the Web, not much is known: the boy grew up in Dresden, and at the age of 14 he entered teacher courses. However, three years later, shortly before their official completion, Erich Kestner interrupted his studies. Later, these events will be described by the author himself in the book Flying Classroom.
The house in which the boy lived with his family was located on Königsbrücker Strasse. Now, not far from it is a museum dedicated to the writer himself. Kestner’s father worked as a saddler, and his mother managed to visit three “roles”: a maid, a housemaid and a hairdresser.
The young man loved her very much, therefore, even having left his father's house with the beginning of the First World War (1917), he continued to write to his mother, writing touching letters and postcards. Erich Kestner transferred tender feelings to her in his works. Moreover, his attitude was not shaken even with the appearance of rumors that she was cheating on her husband with their family doctor Emil Zimmerman. However, this information was not confirmed, as well as the assumption that Erich could be his son.
Youth
Being called up for military service, the young man was trained in a company of heavy artillery. This turned out to be a very difficult test for young Kestner and played a major role in shaping his worldview.
Erich’s army was harshly trained, which led to the development of heart disease in the future writer. A little later, the image of his main offender, sergeant Vaurich, will appear in one of the satirical poems that ridicule German militarism and similar people who happily support this policy.
Career
After the end of the First World War, Erich Kestner was enrolled in the University of Leipzig, where he preferred the humanities and theater studies. However, the training was not free, and the empty pockets made the young man think about the need for part-time work, despite the “golden scholarship” he had received earlier.
As a result, Kestner tried a lot: from a perfume seller to an assistant stock broker. After defending his dissertation in 1925, Erich began to earn in the field of journalism by criticizing theatrical performances in a column of a local newspaper, but two years later he was fired. The young man was accused of frivolous behavior for writing the poem "Evening Song of the Chamber Virtuoso", which has a clear erotic connotation.
Almost immediately after the events described, Kestner Erich moved to Berlin to continue working in the same newspaper, only as a freelance employee in the cultural department. Over time, the young man went over a lot of pseudonyms under which he published his articles: Bertold Burger, Cupronickel Kurtz, Peter Flint and Robert Neuner.
To date, it became known that in the period from 1923 to 1933. Kestner has written over 350 articles. The exact figure is unknown, since many of the writer's works were destroyed by fire in 1944.
In the period from 1926 to 1932. Beyers für Alle published a little less than two hundred different stories and puzzles for children written by Erich and published under the pseudonym Klaus and Claire. In addition, the man printed his articles and other materials in various periodicals, which quickly brought him fame in the intellectual circles of Berlin.
Erich Kestner: Author's Books
The first book of the writer, published in 1928, was a collection of poems, as well as the next three. A year later, works appeared in prose: one of them (the children's novel "Emil and the Detectives") is still popular. Several films and even a mini-series were shot on it, although some changes were made to the plot of the very first film adaptation, in accordance with the requirements of that time.
A little later, other children's works were published: Button and Anton, Flying Classroom, Two Lotts. The only novel of value, from the point of view of literary significance, is considered published in 1931, "Fabian: the story of a moralist."
In 1933, Erich Kestner, whose books were burned as defaming and objecting to the German spirit, was deleted from the Writers' Union after several interrogations at the Gestapo. The writer, who remained in Berlin due to unwillingness to leave his mother, personally watched the "fire show" in the square.
As a result, in the Third Reich the publication of his works was strictly prohibited, but Erich managed to publish several completely harmless novels in Switzerland.
At the end of the war, the writer will write an autobiographical story about his childhood, “When I was Little,” as well as “Little Max” and “Little Max and Little Miss” (1957), dedicated to the son of Erich.
Kestner’s last work, published in 1961, will be his diary, “Notabene 45”.
After the second world war
In 1944, Kestner’s apartment was burned out as a result of the bombing, so when the war was over, the writer moved to Munich, where he took a leadership position in the local newspaper department, spoke on the radio and in a literary cabaret.
Apparently, thanks to such a stormy life, Kestner Erich was never married, but had his beloved son Thomas. The writer died in one of the Munich clinics (Neuperlach) in July 1974 and was buried in the cemetery of St. George.