Gerhard Uhde

Gerhard Uhde (7 August 1902 - 7 August 1980), born Gerhard Gotthilf Karl Krienke, also known just as Uhde, was a novelist, journalist, poet, actor and theater director. He was born in Torun (Thorn), a town in West Prussia, which became part of Poland under the Treaty of Versailles in 1920. He grew up in Ratibor/Upper Silesia and was connected to the youth movement. Already as a young adult, he was permitted, due to his artistic stature, to adopt the professional name of Uhde.

Life

After studying at the Universities of Erlangen, Bonn and Hamburg, he was drawn to the stage. was appointed the director of a new theater in Esslingen, near Stuttgart, which Gerhard joined as an actor and assistant director. There he met Tordis, the stepdaughter of Haass-Berkow, who was employed as an actress and teacher at the theater. They were married on 3 October 1933 and their son Björn was born on 1 July 1934. It was at this time that the political situation in Germany became very unstable, which created the opportunity for the eventual takeover by the Nazis under the leadership of Adolf Hitler.

Later in 1934 Gerhard met Beryl Sharland, a young actress of English/American background in Haass-Berkow's theater, whom he eventually married following his divorce from Tordis. They had four children: Sven, born on 9 October 1935, Pamela in 1937, Volker in 1939 and Monika in 1948.

Toward the end of his life, Gerhard Uhde formed a close relationship with Ella Schneider, a long-time friend dating from his years in Heidenheim, who was instrumental in organizing his literary estate. Gerhard Uhde died on 7 August 1980, his 78th birthday, and was buried in a section of the Bad Hersfeld cemetery reserved for distinguished citizens. Many of his manuscripts, letters, as well as unpublished short stories are archived at the Louis-Demme Stadtarchiv in Bad Hersfeld.

Works

Spiel vom verlorenen sohn, Play, 1924 (about a lost son) Der Bibelrekrut, Novel, 1929 Kristall aus Sieben, Chronicle, 1931 (about an amateur theater group) Die Goldene Gans, Play, 1932 (based on fairy tales) An beiden Ufern, Poems, 1935 April bis Marz und ein Kinderkerz, (Children's?) Stories, 1936 Königin aus Holz, Novel, 1937 Veronika and Angela, Novella, 1938 Gesicht im Dunkeln, Novel, 1939 Moosburger Tafeln, Poems, 1946 (written during his imprisonment) Die Botschaft des Schlafenden, unpublished manuscript, 1946 Westöstliches Geständnis, Novella, 1950 Der Sprechende Stein, 1956 (novel?) (about the Stiftsruine cloister ruins in Bad Hersfeld) Lioba Lebt, Novel, 1960. An “expanded” seventh edition was published in 1976 Umtrunk im Sternensaal, Poems, 1962 Der Lebensbaum, Short Stories, 1962 Das Rettende Buch, Memoir (of wartime experiences), 1965 Allen Gewalten zum Trutz, 1969 (reflections on life's experiences) Tagellöhner in einer kleinen Stadt, a combination of facts and fiction (novel?), 1977 Die Gesandten, Play, 1977 Auf der Brücke, anthology of poems from five decades (which decades?), 1979

Awards and honors

1968 – Eichendorff Literary Prize 1974 – Golden Honorary Plaque from Bad Hersfeld 1977 – Cross of Merit of the German Republic 1981 – Certificate of the AWMM (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Werbung Markt- und Meinungsforschung), Buchs, Switzerland, «awarded posthumously to the poet and writer Gerhard Uhde for his complete body of works, thus honoring him as one of the most important German-speaking authors of the 20th century.”