Michael Ende is one of the most popular German-language writers of the post-war period. His works have been translated into forty languages. The total circulation of the books is over twenty million copies. In Russia, he became famous in 1984, when the film "Endless History" was released. The books of the German writer were translated into Russian much later.
Early childhood writer
In the small German town of Garmisch, Michael Ende was born. The date of birth of this writer is November 12, 1929. The father of the future writer was a painter, painted in a mysterious surreal style. Edgar Ende's work had a decisive influence on Michael. Subsequently, becoming an adult, he sought to recreate the style of his father in his literary works.
However, Michael Ende's childhood was far from cloudless. In 1933, in Germany, as you know, Adolf Hitler ruled all spheres of life. And totalitarianism reigned in the country. About what should be the art in the Third Reich, the Fuhrer had clear ideas. Hitler did not approve of the surrealists, believing that the art they represent is "degenerative." And therefore, the paintings of Father Michael, as well as the works of other representatives of avant-garde art, were strictly prohibited.
Michael Ende is a writer who has dedicated his work to children. Perhaps the choice of themes for the works was related to the feeling of loneliness that Ende experienced as a schoolboy. Parents often quarreled. There was not enough money in the family. After the work of Ende Sr. was banned, his mother got a job. But this did not improve the financial situation in the family. It seemed to the boy that it was he who caused the misfortunes and constant scandals. Parents often in their quarrels indicated that they did not have the opportunity to support the child. Michael's imaginary guilt grew into chronic loneliness.
School
Studied Michael Ende very badly. Once he even stayed in his second year. It is not known how the fate of Ende would have happened if he had not once met a boy living in the neighborhood. His name was Matthias. His father held a small bookstore. First of all, a new friend introduced Ende to the wonderful world of literature. And later, when Michael read a lot of fascinating books, Matthias invited him to start writing poems.
In 1935, Ende moved to Munich. In this city they rented a small apartment. In the neighborhood lived artists, sculptors and other people of art. Aesthetic views of Michael were formed under the influence of not only the works of his father, but also of his friends. However, this influence was far from always positive.
War
Michael Ende did not stay at the front for long. At sixteen he was called up. But a few years before this event, something happened that had an impact on the worldview of the future writer. Michael Ende, whose biography is quite saturated due to historical events, with which he became an unwitting witness, first learned about what war is in 1943.
In 1941, father Michael was called to the front. And two years later, the future writer, while in Munich, witnessed a terrible bombardment. Michael Ende did not want to fight after this incident, and therefore joined the Bavarian anti-Nazi organization. Although there is another version, according to which Ende, being at the front, impressed one of the officers so unfavorably that he had to forget about his military career. However, the son of a surrealist artist was not upset, for he dreamed of a more peaceful profession. Already in his youth, he began to write plays.
After the war
At the end of the forties, Michael Ende led an independent life. Interesting facts from his biography boil down to work in the theater and training in a course of acting. Did Ende dream of becoming a hypocrite? Not at all. But in those years he was extremely attracted to theatrical art. He wrote several plays. I dreamed of putting them. But the creation of such works is inextricably linked with acting. And therefore, he considered this difficult science to be his duty.
Dramaturgy
Ende played several minor roles in the theater. In his free time, he composed plays. He once read one of them in his father’s workshop, where famous Munich writers and playwrights gathered. After the reading, the listeners made neither critical nor approving remarks. They continued to talk on abstract topics. This play was never staged on the stage. Although the audience and theatre's admirers of theatrical art learned about the subsequent dramatic works, they reacted very coldly to them.
Michael Ende worked in the theater until 1952. The world of literature attracted him much more. In addition, the work in the theater had to be abandoned, since it was during this period that a tragedy occurred in the End family. The relationship of the parents finally went wrong. Father left the family. And mother even tried to commit suicide.
For several years, Ende worked as a theater critic. Before becoming a famous writer, he also worked on Munich Radio. One of the speeches dedicated to the works of the German classic Schiller was a success. However, Ende did not have a career on the radio either.
Literary work
Ende published his first work of art in 1960. This writer burst into the world of literature rapidly and immediately gained popularity among readers. Critics also reacted to the novice author very favorably. At least for the work that is known in Russia under the name “Jim Button and the Engineer Lucas”, Ende was awarded a prestigious literary prize. However, this writer is known for the famous "Endless History". This work was created in 1979.
Michael Ende, whose photo is presented in this article, is a writer known throughout the world primarily as the author of short stories for children. However, he himself never distinguished between children's literature and works that are interesting exclusively to young readers. Perhaps that is why his creations are interesting to people of different age categories.
"Endless story"
The plot of this work is complex. The novel is about a boy who is rather unhappy: his peers do not like him, his father does not notice. Moreover, he does not study well. It seems that the hero of this work is Michael Ende in childhood. However, a miracle happens in the life of the main character from Endless History, which the author did not meet in reality. Once, fleeing from hooligans, a boy ends up in a small antique shop. The owner gives him a book. And it is with this gift that adventure begins.
Film adaptation
In 1980, the writer entered into an agreement on the film adaptation of the novel "Endless History". Before the premiere, as expected, the author was invited to a private viewing. And he was extremely dissatisfied with the film. But the film still appeared on the screens. The film raised over sixty million dollars.
In 1986, another work by Michael Ende was filmed - "Momo". The director of the film deliberately refused all sorts of electronic tricks. He placed all his hope in acting. This movie Enda liked.
Personal life
Michael Ende was married twice. The first time he married in the early sixties. His chosen one was the actress Ingeborg Hoffmann. This woman influenced not only the writer's personal life, but also on his work. With Hoffmann, Ende discussed manuscripts and unfinished works. Ingegeborg died in 1985. The second wife, Mariko Sato, also took part in his literary work. In particular, she translated several books by Michael Ende into Japanese.
Creative success did not bring Enda happiness. In 1988, it became known that the agent not only deceived him for several years, but also left many debts in the name of the writer. Ende had a small inheritance: paintings and furniture of his father. All property was seized. Michael Ende, author of many-run books and scripts for popular films, went bankrupt. But nevertheless, this blow of fate steadfastly withstood.
German writer Michael Ende passed away in 1975 as a result of cancer. The author of The Endless Story in Munich is buried.