Karl Frenzel (writer) explained

Karl Wilhelm Theodor Frenzel (6 December 1827 – 10 June 1914) was a German novelist, essayist and theatre critic.

Life

Born in Berlin as son of an innkeeper, Frenzel studied here since 1849 philology, philosophy and history, finished his studies in 1853 with a doctorate and worked first full-time as teacher at the Friedrich- and . At the same time Frenzel published in different magazines; already before 1850 he had published poems under the pseudonym Carl Frey in the Berliner Figaro and in 1848 he participated in the Freischärler of Louise Aston. In 1853 he turned to his idol Karl Gutzkow, whom he admired as a versatile writer and first-class critic, and became one of the most important contributors to Gutzkow's conversations at the domestic hearth. In 1863 he took over the direction of this journal and also published the last volume in 1864. In 1861 he joined the editorial staff of the liberal Berlin National-Zeitung, of which he was head of the feuilleton and theatre critic until 1908. Along with Theodor Fontane, who became a theatre critic for the Vossische Zeitung in 1870, Frenzel was regarded by his contemporaries as Berlin's authoritative theatre critic. His influential position was unchallenged for a long time and only weakened when Gerhart Hauptmann and others were joined by Naturalism, whom Frenzel, in contrast to Fontane, condemned and fought against. His stage reviews were published under the title: Berliner Dramaturgie collected.

On Frenzel's 70th birthday in 1897 the Prussian state awarded him the title of professor. Frenzel died on 10 June 1914 at 86 in his Berlin apartment at Dessauer Straße 19 and was buried in the Invalids' Cemetery on Scharnhorststraße. The burial site no longer exists.

Artistic work

Already in 1857 Frenzel had a drama printed (Attila, only printed as a manuscript), but for good reasons he did not follow the career of a theater poet. He opened his independent literary career in 1859 with a collection of historical essays Dichter und Frauen ("Poets and Women"), which was soon followed by further collections of essays and reviews, novel and novella volumes. Frenzel initially turned to the genre of the historical novel and wrote a number of narrative works, the plot of which was preferably set in the 18th century, during the period of the Enlightenment with its then predominant French education. Later, Frenzel also wrote novels from the present, in which the growing imperial capital Berlin is the main setting.

Temporarily (1866-67) Frenzel was also co-editor of the Deutsches Museum founded by Robert Eduard Prutz. In 1874 he played a decisive role in founding the Deutsche Rundschau of his friend Julius Rodenberg. Many of his novels and novellas were published in this monthly, and he was also a speaker for the Berlin stage for many years. Other activities were also of importance for the literary life of Berlin in the last third of the 19th century: he was, for example,  a co-founder of the Verein Berliner Presse, an important member of the Berlin branch of the Deutsche Schillerstiftung and a sought-after speaker for various cultural events. He delivered the eulogy at Theodor Fontane's funeral in 1898.

Work

Literature

Notes and References

  1. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/600687563 Erinnerungen und Strömungen
  2. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/162959251 Die Berliner Märztage und andere Erinnerungen
  3. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/914654845 Dunst. Zur Karakteristik unserer modernen deutschen Romanliteratur
  4. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/720251066 Horst Ribeiro: Der Theaterkritiker Karl Frenzel
  5. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/470680677 Gerhart Hauptmanns soziales Drama „Vor Sonnenaufgang“ im Spiegel der zeitgenössischen Kritik. Eine rezeptionsgeschichtliche Modellanalyse: Karl Frenzel, Theodor Fontane, Karl Bleibtreu, Wilhelm Bölsche
  6. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/611003188 "Ihm war nichts fest und alles problematisch" : Karl Frenzels Erinnerungen an Karl Gutzkow

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