Carl Zuckmayer

1.1. Early life and background

Carl Zuckmayer was born on 27 December 1896, in Nackenheim, a town in Rhenish Hesse, Germany. He was the second son of Carl Zuckmayer Sr. (1864-1947) and Amalie Zuckmayer (née Goldschmidt, 1869-1954). His older brother was Eduard Zuckmayer, who became a distinguished pedagogue, composer, conductor, and pianist. When Carl was four years old, his family relocated to Mainz, a city that would later influence his writing, particularly through the use of its local dialect.

1.2. World War I and studies

With the outbreak of World War I, Zuckmayer, like many other high school students, completed his Abitur (final exams) under facilitated "emergency" conditions at Rabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium and volunteered for military service. He served as a Leutnant der Reserve (Reserve Officer) with the German Army's field artillery on the Western Front. During the war, in 1917, he began publishing his first poems in the pacifist journal Die Aktion. Following the German Revolution of 9 November 1918, he was among the signatories of the "Appeal" published by the Antinational Socialist Party.

After the war, Zuckmayer pursued academic studies at the University of Frankfurt. He initially focused on humanities before shifting his studies to biology and botany. In 1920, he married his childhood friend Annemarie Ganz, but their marriage ended in divorce just one year later, after Zuckmayer became involved with actress Annemarie Seidel.

1.3. Early literary ventures and success

Zuckmayer's initial forays into the literary and theatrical world were met with considerable failure. His first drama, Kreuzweg (1921), was poorly received and removed from production after only three performances. His appointment as dramatic adviser at the theatre of Kiel was short-lived, as he lost the position following his controversial staging of Terence's The Eunuch.

In 1924, he became a dramaturge at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, working alongside the influential playwright Bertolt Brecht. After another setback with his second drama, Pankraz erwacht oder Die Hinterwäldler, Zuckmayer finally achieved public success in 1925 with the rustic comedy Der fröhliche Weinberg (The Merry Vineyard). Written in his native Mainz-Frankfurt dialect, this play marked a departure from his earlier expressionism and resonated with audiences due to its vibrant portrayal of life in the Rhine region. The play earned him the prestigious Kleist Prize in 1925, two years after it was awarded to Brecht, effectively launching his career as a playwright.

1.4. Life in Austria and marriage

In 1925, the same year as his breakthrough, Zuckmayer married the Austrian actress Alice Herdan-Zuckmayer. They acquired a house in Henndorf, near Salzburg, in Austria, which became their home for several years. His subsequent play, Der Schinderhannes (1927), an outlaw drama, also achieved success, captivating audiences as a folk play. This was followed by the circus-themed human-interest play Katharina Knie (1928), which further demonstrated his ability to connect with popular audiences.

In 1929, Zuckmayer wrote the screenplay for the iconic film The Blue Angel, starring Marlene Dietrich, based on Heinrich Mann's novel Professor Unrat. That same year, he was awarded the Georg Büchner Prize, another highly regarded German-language literary honor.

1.5. Opposition to Nazism and exile

In 1931, Zuckmayer's play Der Hauptmann von Köpenick premiered and became a monumental success. This masterpiece satirized bureaucracy and militarism, further cementing his reputation. However, with the rise of Nazism in Germany, his plays were prohibited in 1933. This prohibition was due to his background; his maternal grandfather had been born Jewish, although he had converted to Protestantism.

Zuckmayer and his family moved to their house in Austria, where he continued to publish some works. After the Anschluss (annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany) in 1938, he was officially expatriated by the Nazi government. The Zuckmayers were forced to flee, first to Switzerland and then, in 1939, to the United States. Initially, he worked as a scriptwriter in Hollywood. In 1941, he rented Backwoods Farm near Barnard, Vermont, where he lived and worked as a farmer until 1946.

During his time in the United States, from 1943 to 1944, Zuckmayer contributed to the war effort by writing "character portraits" for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). These approximately 150 reports evaluated the involvement of various German actors, writers, and artists with the Nazi regime. These reports were later published in Germany in 2002 under the title Geheimreport. The family's experiences during their years in Vermont were famously chronicled in Alice Herdan-Zuckmayer's memoir, Die Farm in den grünen Bergen ("The Farm in the Green Mountains"), which became a bestseller in Germany upon its publication in 1949.

1.6. Post-war return and later career

In January 1946, following the end of World War II, Carl Zuckmayer was granted US citizenship, for which he had applied in 1943. He subsequently returned to Germany, traveling extensively throughout the country for five months as a US cultural attaché. His observations and findings were compiled into a report for the War Department, later published in Germany in 2004 as Deutschlandbericht.

His play Des Teufels General ("The Devil's General"), which he had written in Vermont and whose main character was inspired by the biography of Ernst Udet, premiered in Zürich on 14 December 1946. This play, which depicted the conflict between the military and the Nazis, became a significant success in post-war Germany and was one of the first literary works to directly address the complex issues of Nazism. It was later adapted into a film in 1955, starring Curd Jürgens.

Zuckmayer continued his prolific writing career. His play Barbara Blomberg premiered in Konstanz in 1949, and Das kalte Licht (which dealt with atomic spy issues) premiered in Hamburg in 1955. He also wrote the screenplay for Die Jungfrau auf dem Dach, the German-language version of Otto Preminger's 1953 film The Moon is Blue. After several years of traveling between the United States and Europe, the Zuckmayers permanently left the U.S. in 1958 and settled in Saas Fee in the Valais region of Switzerland. He became a Swiss citizen in 1966. That same year, he published his memoirs, titled Als wär's ein Stück von mir ("A part of myself"), a quotation from the poem Ich hatt' einen Kameraden. His final play, Der Rattenfänger ("The Pied Piper"), with music by Friedrich Cerha, premiered in Zürich in 1975.

Carl Zuckmayer died on 18 January 1977, in Visp, Switzerland. His body was interred on 22 January in Saas Fee.

2.1. Plays

Zuckmayer's dramatic works are characterized by their diverse themes, ranging from folk comedies and historical dramas to sharp political satires and profound explorations of morality during wartime.

His significant plays include:

• Der fröhliche Weinberg (The Merry Vineyard, 1925): A rustic comedy that marked his breakthrough success.
• Schinderhannes (1927): An outlaw drama that gained popular appeal.
• Katharina Knie (1928): A human-interest play set in a circus environment.
• The Captain of Köpenick (1931): A satirical masterpiece that critiques bureaucracy and militarism.
• Des Teufels General (The Devil's General, 1946): A major post-war success that confronted the moral dilemmas of Nazism.
• Barbara Blomberg. Ein Stück in drei Akten (1949)
• Der Gesang im Feuerofen. Drama in drei Akten (1950)
• Das kalte Licht. Drama in drei Akten (1955): A drama dealing with atomic spy issues.
• Die Uhr schlägt eins. Ein historisches Drama aus der Gegenwart (1961)
• Das Leben des Horace A. W. Tabor. Ein Stück aus den Tagen der letzten Könige (Life of Horace Tabor, written 1962-1964)
• Kranichtanz. Ein Akt (1967)
• Der Rattenfänger (The Pied Piper, 1975): His last play, later adapted into an opera by Friedrich Cerha.
• Hige no haeta Seifuku (Bearded Uniform)

2.2. Prose and Memoirs

Beyond his plays, Zuckmayer also wrote significant autobiographical works:

• Second Wind (1941): His first autobiographical volume, covering his youth, experiences in World War I, and his flight from Austria to America after the Anschluss.
• Als wär's ein Stück von mir (A Part of Myself, Portrait of an Epoch, 1966): An expanded memoir, including his experiences farming in Vermont during exile.

3.1. Screenwriting credits

Carl Zuckmayer wrote screenplays for several films, including:

• 1926: Torments of the Night (directed by Curtis Bernhardt)
• 1930: The Blue Angel (directed by Josef von Sternberg), based on Professor Unrat by Heinrich Mann
• 1931: Salto Mortale (directed by E. A. Dupont), based on a novel by Alfred Machard
• 1936: Rembrandt (directed by Alexander Korda)
• 1939: Boefje (directed by Douglas Sirk), based on a children's book by Marie Joseph Brusse_{Marie Joseph Brusse}^Dutch
• 1940: Sarajevo (directed by Max Ophüls)
• 1953: Die Jungfrau auf dem Dach (directed by Otto Preminger), based on a play by F. Hugh Herbert

3.2. Works adapted into film

Many of Zuckmayer's plays and stories were adapted into films:

• 1927: The Merry Vineyard, directed by Jacob Fleck and Luise Fleck (based on Der fröhliche Weinberg)
• 1928: The Prince of Rogues, directed by Curtis Bernhardt (based on Schinderhannes)
• 1929: Katharina Knie, directed by Karl Grune (based on Katharina Knie)
• 1931: The Captain from Köpenick, directed by Richard Oswald (based on The Captain of Köpenick)
• 1942: Menschen, die vorüberziehen, directed by Max Haufler (based on Katharina Knie)
• 1945: The Captain from Köpenick, directed by Richard Oswald (based on The Captain of Köpenick)
• 1948: After the Storm, directed by Gustav Ucicky (based on the short story Nach dem Sturm)
• 1950: Der Seelenbräu, directed by Gustav Ucicky (based on the short story Der Seelenbräu)
• 1952: The Merry Vineyard, directed by Erich Engel (based on Der fröhliche Weinberg)
• 1954: A Love Story, directed by Rudolf Jugert (based on the short story Eine Liebesgeschichte)
• 1955: Herr über Leben und Tod, directed by Victor Vicas (based on the novel Herr über Leben und Tod)
• 1955: Des Teufels General, directed by Helmut Käutner (based on Des Teufels General)
• 1956: The Girl from Flanders, directed by Helmut Käutner (based on Engele von Loewen)
• 1956: The Captain from Köpenick, directed by Helmut Käutner (based on The Captain of Köpenick)
• 1958: Frauensee, directed by Rudolf Jugert (based on the short story Ein Sommer in Österreich)
• 1958: Der Schinderhannes, directed by Helmut Käutner (based on Schinderhannes)
• 1960: Carnival Confession, directed by William Dieterle (based on the novel Die Fastnachtsbeichte)
• 1997: Der Hauptmann von Köpenick, directed by Frank Beyer (TV film, based on The Captain of Köpenick)

4.1. Family and marriage

Carl Zuckmayer was the second son of Carl Zuckmayer Sr. and Amalie Zuckmayer (née Goldschmidt). His older brother, Eduard Zuckmayer, was a notable figure in music and pedagogy.

Zuckmayer's first marriage was in 1920 to his childhood friend Annemarie Ganz. However, this marriage was brief, ending in divorce after just one year, following his affair with the actress Annemarie Seidel.

In 1925, he married the Austrian actress Alice Herdan-Zuckmayer. Their marriage proved to be a lasting partnership, with Alice becoming a significant companion and support throughout his life, including their period of exile. Alice Herdan-Zuckmayer also became a successful author in her own right, notably with her memoir Die Farm in den grünen Bergen, which recounted their experiences farming in Vermont during their exile in the United States.

6.1. Critical reception

Zuckmayer's early works, particularly Der fröhliche Weinberg, marked a significant departure from the expressionism of his initial attempts, establishing him as a playwright capable of capturing the vitality of folk life. Plays like Der Schinderhannes and Katharina Knie were praised for their popular appeal and human-interest elements, drawing large audiences as folk plays. His masterpiece, The Captain of Köpenick, was widely acclaimed for its sharp satire of bureaucracy and militarism, achieving immense success and becoming a defining work of its era.

After his return from exile, Des Teufels General was met with widespread acclaim in post-war Germany. It was recognized as one of the first significant literary attempts to grapple with the complex moral questions surrounding Nazism and the role of individuals within the regime. This play cemented his status as a vital voice in the reconstruction of German culture.

However, the reception of his later works, such as Das kalte Licht (which addressed the atomic spy issue), was less successful. Critics observed that his dramatic style, which often blended sentimentality with topical themes in an effort to find universal human drama, began to feel increasingly distant from the sensibilities of modern audiences. Despite this, his earlier successes and his unwavering opposition to Nazism ensured his lasting place in German literary history.