Gregor von Rezzori facts for kids
Gregor von Rezzori (born May 13, 1914 – died April 23, 1998) was a talented writer, actor, and artist. He was born in Austria-Hungary but lived in many places and spoke many languages, including German, Romanian, Italian, French, and English. He was a citizen of several countries throughout his life, including Austria-Hungary, Romania, and the Soviet Union, before becoming Austrian.
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About Gregor von Rezzori
Gregor von Rezzori was born in a city called Czernowitz in 1914. This city was part of Austria-Hungary at the time. His family came from Italy but had moved to Vienna. His father worked for the government in Czernowitz. After World War I, the region became part of Romania, and Gregor became a Romanian citizen.
His Early Life and Studies
After the war, Gregor went to colleges in Braşov, Fürstenfeld, and Vienna. He first started studying mining, then architecture and medicine. He eventually earned a degree in arts from the University of Vienna.
Moving to Bucharest and Berlin
In the mid-1930s, Gregor moved to Bucharest, the capital of Romania. He joined the Romanian Army for a while and worked as an artist. In 1938, he moved to Berlin, Germany. There, he became busy writing novels, working as a journalist, writing for radio, and helping make films. Because he was a Romanian citizen, he did not have to join the German army during World War II.
Later Career and Life
Until the mid-1950s, Gregor worked as a writer for a broadcasting company. He wrote many novels and stories. He also worked in movies as a writer and an actor. He even acted alongside famous stars like Brigitte Bardot and Marcello Mastroianni.
From the early 1960s, Rezzori lived between Rome and Paris. He also spent time in the United States. Eventually, he settled in a beautiful region of Italy called Tuscany.
Besides his writing and acting, Gregor and his wife, Beatrice Monti della Corte, loved collecting art. They also started a special place called the Santa Maddalena Retreat for Writers. Gregor von Rezzori passed away in Santa Maddalena, Italy, in 1998.
Gregor von Rezzori's Books
Gregor von Rezzori started his writing career by creating lighthearted stories. He became well-known in 1953 with his book Maghrebinian Tales. These were funny stories from a made-up land called "Maghrebinia." This imaginary place combined funny parts of his multicultural hometown, the old Austria-Hungary, and Bucharest where he grew up. Over time, he wrote more Maghrebinian Tales, which showed off his amazing writing skills and free spirit. He wrote with humor, deep understanding, and elegance.
Other Important Works
Other books by Rezzori, like The Death of My Brother Abel and The Snows of Yesteryear, describe the changing world during the World Wars. These books are praised for their strong descriptions and unique style.
English-speaking readers first noticed Rezzori in 1969 when his story "Memoirs of an Anti-Semite" appeared in The New Yorker magazine. A famous writer named Elie Wiesel said about Rezzori:
- "Rezzori talks about the big problems of our time, and his voice sounds like the amazing magic of a true storyteller."
The longer book version of Memoirs of an Anti-Semite was published in Germany in 1979. It came out in English in 1981 and received great reviews. It was re-released in 2007. Another writer, Christopher Hitchens, said that Gregor von Rezzori was special because he wrote about difficult events in a calm way, which made his book even more powerful.
His books The Snows of Yesteryear and An Ermine in Czernopol were also re-released later. In 2019, his books The Death of My Brother Abel and its follow-up, Cain, were published together as one book. Elie Wiesel said that The Death of My Brother Abel was a "great novel" because of its strong ideas, characters, and unique tone.
Rezzori also used his sharp humor in his book Guide for Idiots through German Society. Even though not everyone thought he was a major writer in Germany during his life, many now see him as one of the most important German-language authors of modern times.
List of Published Books
- Self-Extinguishing Flame (novel, 1939)
- Rombach's Lonely Years (novel, 1942)
- Rose Manzani (novel, 1944)
- Tales of Maghrebinia (1953)
- Oedipus Prevails at Stalingrad (1954)
- A Primer on Men (1955)
- An Ermine in Czernopol (novel, 1958)
- An Idiot’s Guide through German Society. 1: Upper Nobility (1962)
- An Idiot’s Guide through German Society. 2: Nobility (1962)
- Bogdan in the Garlic Forest. A Maghrebinian Tale (1962)
- An Idiot’s Guide through German Society. 3: Glitterati (1963)
- An Idiot’s Guide through German Society. 4: Notables (1965)
- The Dead on Their Places. Journal of the Movie 'Viva Maria' (1966)
- 1001 Year Maghrebinia. A Commemorative Publication (1967)
- The Death of My Brother Abel (novel, 1976 in Germany; 1985 in U.S., reissued in 2019)
- Grab the Fiddle, Ms. Yesteryear (novel, 1978)
- Memoirs of an Anti-Semite (1979 in Germany; 1981 in U.S., reissued in 2007)
- The Jobless King: A Maghrebinian Tale (1981)
- Short Trip on a Long Route: A Farce (1986)
- The Snows Of Yesteryear (autobiographical essays, 1989)
- Beyond the Cliff (stories, 1991)
- Encounters (1992)
- A Stranger in Lolitaland (essay, 1993)
- Old Men's Mutterings: A Statement of Accounts (1994)
- Italy, Fatherland of Legends, Motherland of Myths. Travels through the European Fatherlands or How Old Commonplaces Are to Be Replaced by New Ones (1996)
- France. God's Land of Women and Phrases. Travels through the European Fatherlands or How Old Commonplaces Are to Be Replaced by New Ones (1997)
- On My Own Traces (1997)
- Cain. The Last Manuscript (published after his death, 2001)
Awards He Won
- Theodor-Fontane-Preis (1959)
- Premio Scanno (1987)
- Premio Boccaccio
- Premio Lorenzo Il Magnifico
Movies He Worked On
Gregor von Rezzori was involved in many films, both as a writer and an actor.
As a Screenwriter (He Wrote the Movie Script)
- Kopfjäger von Borneo (1936)
- Under the Stars of Capri (1953)
- Labyrinth (1959)
- Beloved Augustin (1959)
- Storm in a Water Glass (1960)
- Man nennt es Amore (1961)
- Beloved Impostor (1961)
- The Gentlemen (1965)
- A Degree of Murder (1967)
As an Actor (He Appeared in These Movies)
- She (1954) as Redakteur
- El Hakim (1957) as Lord Avon
- Paprika (1959) as Tokasz, Ilonas Vater
- Labyrinth (1959) as Schweizer Zöllner
- Adorable Arabella (1959)
- Das Riesenrad (1961) as Graf Wallburg
- A Very Private Affair (1962) as Gricha
- Destination Rome (1963) as Sir Craven
- Games of Desire (1964)
- Un mari à prix fixe (1965) as Konrad Reinhoff
- Die Herren (1965) as Onkel Grischa
- Viva Maria! (1965) as Diogène
- Man on Horseback (1969) as Kunz
- Ein bißchen Liebe (1974)
- Le beau monde (1981, TV Movie) as Eric (his last film role)
See also
In Spanish: Gregor von Rezzori para niños
- Premio Gregor von Rezzori
