Georg Kaiser facts for kids

Georg Kaiser was a famous German writer.

Friedrich Carl Georg Kaiser, known as Georg Kaiser, (born November 25, 1878 – died June 4, 1945) was a German writer who wrote plays. He was one of the most important playwrights of his time.

About Georg Kaiser

Georg Kaiser was born in a city called Magdeburg in Germany. He wrote many plays and used different styles. He was a key writer in a style called Expressionism in theater. This style focused on showing strong emotions and ideas, rather than just realistic events.

During the time of the Weimar Republic (the German government after World War I), he was one of the most popular playwrights. Some of his well-known plays include The Burghers of Calais (written in 1913), From Morning to Midnight (written in 1912), and a series of three plays: The Coral (1917), Gas (1918), and Gas II (1920).

Georg Kaiser passed away in Ascona, Switzerland. He was buried in a town called Morcote, near Lugano.

His Plays and Stories

One of Kaiser's first big successes was The Burghers of Calais (Die Bürger von Calais). He wrote it in 1913, but it was first performed in 1917. The play uses very strong language and often features characters giving long, emotional speeches. It explores the idea that people can do amazing things and rise above everyday life.

From Morn to Midnight is another famous play by Kaiser. It was written in 1912 and first shown in 1917. A silent film was even made from it in 1920. The story is about a bank cashier who suddenly realizes the power of money. He takes 60,000 Marks and tries to find happiness and excitement in a big city. However, he finds that money doesn't solve all his problems and ends up disappointed.

Many of Kaiser's plays, especially those written around World War I, encouraged people to break away from old ways and create a better society. Instead of focusing on detailed characters, he often used characters who represented general types of people. Their dialogue was often very dramatic and not always like real-life conversations.

Later, Kaiser changed his style with plays like Side by Side (Nebeneinander), written in 1923. This play was more realistic and even had some humor. It told the story of a kind pawnbroker during a time of hyperinflation in Germany. This was when money lost its value very quickly, making everything super expensive. This play helped start a new, more down-to-earth style in theater.

Kaiser's plays, especially From Morning to Midnight, had a big impact on other German writers in the 1920s. They learned from his use of different scenes, like a show, and his way of telling stories that teach a lesson.

He also worked with a composer named Kurt Weill on several short operas. These included Der Protagonist (1926), Der Zar lässt sich photographieren (1928), and Der Silbersee (1933).

In his later years, Kaiser continued to criticize the modern machine age. He was briefly jailed in 1923 for stealing bread during the hyperinflation crisis. When the Nazis came to power in the 1930s, Kaiser, who was a pacifist (someone who believes in peace and is against war), moved to Switzerland in 1938. There, he wrote plays based on old myths, like Pygmalion and Amphitryon. He also wrote a play against war called The Soldier Tanaka (1940).

His play The Raft of the Medusa (1945) tells a very serious story. It explores difficult choices people might make in extreme survival situations. (You can learn more about the real historical event at frigate Méduse and its famous painting The Raft of the Medusa.)

List of Plays

• 1914: Die Bürger von Calais (The Burghers of Calais)
• 1916: Von Morgens bis Mitternachts (From Morning to Midnight)
• 1917: Die Koralle (The Coral)
• 1918: Gas I
• 1920: Gas II
• 1923: Gilles und Johanna
• 1928: Oktobertag
• 1938: Die Gärtner von Toulouse
• 1940: Alain und Elise

Film Adaptations and Screenwriting

Many of Georg Kaiser's plays have been turned into films or TV movies. He also worked as a screenwriter for some films.

Film adaptations

• From Morn to Midnight (directed by Karlheinz Martin, 1920) — based on his play From Morning to Midnight
• Women's Sacrifice (directed by Karl Grune, 1922) — based on the play Das Frauenopfer
• The Farmer from Texas (directed by Joe May, 1925) — based on the play Kolportage
• Hurrah! I Live! (directed by Wilhelm Thiele, 1928) — based on the play Der mutige Seefahrer
• Zwei Krawatten [it] (directed by Felix Basch, 1930) — based on the play Zwei Krawatten
• The Valiant Navigator (directed by Hans Deppe, 1935) — based on the play Der mutige Seefahrer
• The Ghost Comes Home (directed by Wilhelm Thiele, USA, 1940) — based on the play Der mutige Seefahrer
• Die Frau am Weg [de] (directed by Eduard von Borsody, 1948) — based on the story Der Flüchtling
• Kolportage (directed by Hans Lietzau, 1957, TV film) — based on the play Kolportage
• Napoleon in New Orleans (directed by Imo Moszkowicz [de], 1959, TV film) — based on the play Napoleon in New Orleans
• Papiermühle (directed by Hans Dieter Schwarze [de], 1962, TV film) — based on the play Papiermühle
• Kolportage (directed by Hans Jaray, Erich Neuberg [de], 1964, TV film) — based on the play Kolportage
• Der Gärtner von Toulouse (directed by Falk Harnack, 1965, TV film) — based on the play Der Gärtner von Toulouse
• Kolportage (directed by Wilhelm Semmelroth [de], 1968, TV film) — based on the play Kolportage
• Kolportage (directed by Peter Weck, 1980, TV film) — based on the play Kolportage

Screenwriter

• Devoted Artists (directed by Erik Lund, 1919)
• Prince Cuckoo (directed by Paul Leni, 1919) — based on the novel Prinz Kuckuck by Otto Julius Bierbaum
• The Golden Lie (directed by Erik Lund, 1919)
• Alfred von Ingelheim's Dramatic Life (directed by Erik Lund, 1921) — based on the novel Alfred von Ingelheims Lebensdrama by Hans Land [de]
• The Conspiracy in Genoa (directed by Paul Leni, 1921) — based on the play Fiesco by Friedrich Schiller

See also

In Spanish: Georg Kaiser para niños