Heinrich von Kleist facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Heinrich von Kleist
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| Born | Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist 18 October 1777 Frankfurt (Oder), Prussia |
| Died | 21 November 1811 (aged 34) Kleiner Wannsee, Berlin, Prussia |
| Occupation | poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer |
| Nationality | German |
| Literary movement | Romanticism |
| Notable works | The Broken Jug, The Marquise of O, Michael Kohlhaas, Penthesilea, The Prince of Homburg |
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Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (born October 18, 1777 – died November 21, 1811) was a famous German poet, playwright, novelist, short story writer, and journalist. He is known for his exciting plays like The Broken Jug and Penthesilea. He also wrote popular short stories such as Michael Kohlhaas and The Marquise of O.
A special award for German literature, the Kleist Prize, is named after him. There is also a theater in his hometown, Frankfurt an der Oder, called the Kleist Theater.
Contents
His Life Story
Heinrich von Kleist was born in Frankfurt an der Oder, a city in Prussia. He came from a noble family called von Kleist.
When he was young, he didn't get much schooling. In 1792, he joined the Prussian Army. He fought in the Rhine campaign in 1796. He left the army in 1799 as a lieutenant.
After leaving the army, Kleist studied law and philosophy at the Viadrina University. In 1800, he got a job in the Ministry of Finance in Berlin.
However, Kleist loved to travel and explore. In 1801, he took a long break from his job. He visited Paris and then settled in Switzerland. There, he met good friends like Heinrich Zschokke. He read his first play, a serious tragedy called The Schroffenstein Family, to them.
In 1802, Kleist returned to Germany. He met famous writers like Goethe and Schiller in Weimar. He also spent time in Leipzig and Dresden.
In 1804, he went back to his job in Berlin. Later, while traveling to Dresden in 1807, the French army arrested him, thinking he was a spy. He was held prisoner for a while. After he was freed, he went to Dresden. There, he started a journal called Phöbus with Adam Heinrich Müller in 1808.
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In 1809, Kleist moved to Prague and finally settled in Berlin. He worked as an editor for a newspaper called Berliner Abendblätter from 1810 to 1811.
His Amazing Works
Kleist wrote many different kinds of stories and plays.
Plays
His first serious play was The Schroffenstein Family. He also wrote Penthesilea (1808), which is about the queen of the Amazons from Greek stories.
One of his most popular romantic plays was Käthchen of Heilbronn (Das Käthchen von Heilbronn) (1808). People loved this play for many years.
Kleist was also good at writing funny plays. His comedy The Broken Jug (Der zerbrochne Krug) (1808) is very well-known. He also adapted a play by Molière called Amphitryon (1808), which became popular after his death.
Another important play was Die Hermannsschlacht (1809). This play was written to show his strong feelings against Napoleon and the French. It expressed his anger towards those who were controlling his country.
One of his best works is the play The Prince of Homburg (Prinz Friedrich von Homburg oder die Schlacht bei Fehrbellin). This play, along with Die Hermannsschlacht, was published after his death by Ludwig Tieck in 1821. He also started a big play called Robert Guiskard, but he never finished it.
Short Stories
Kleist was a master of short stories. His collection of stories, Gesammelte Erzählungen (Collected Short Stories) (1810–1811), includes some of the best German stories of his time.
- Michael Kohlhaas is a famous story about a horse dealer from Brandenburg.
- The Earthquake in Chile (Das Erdbeben in Chili) is another great example of his storytelling.
- St. Cecilia, or the Power of Music (Die heilige Cäcilie oder die Gewalt der Musik) is also a fine story.
- The Marquise of O (Die Marquise von O) is one of his most famous novellas.
His short stories had a big impact on other writers, like Kafka. He also wrote patriotic poems during the Napoleonic Wars.
His Ideas and Thoughts
Kleist is also known for his essays. These were writings where he shared his ideas about aesthetics (what makes things beautiful) and psychology (how the mind works).
His Death
Heinrich von Kleist died on November 21, 1811. He died with his friend, Henriette Vogel, who was very ill.
List of Works
- 1803-1807: Der zerbrochne Krug
- 1807: Amphitryon
- 1807: Das Erdbeben in Chili
- 1808: Die Marquise von O....
- 1808: Die Hermannsschlacht
- 1808: Penthesilea
- 1808: Das Käthchen von Heilbronn or Die Feuerprobe.
- 1810: Das Bettelweib von Locarno
- 1810: Die heilige Cäcilie oder die Gewalt der Musik. Eine Legende
- 1810: Über das Marionettentheater
- 1811: Der Findling
Adaptations of His Works
Many of Kleist's stories and plays have been turned into operas and films.
Operas
- Der Prinz von Homburg (1960), by Hans Werner Henze
- Der zerbrochne Krug (1968/69), by Fritz Geißler
- Penthesilea (1927), by Othmar Schoeck
- Penthesilea (2015), by Pascal Dusapin
Films
- Wie zwei fröhliche Luftschiffer (Like Two Merry Aeronauts, 1969), a film about Kleist's last three days.
- Michael Kohlhaas – der Rebell (1969), directed by Volker Schlöndorff.
- San Domingo (1970), directed by Hans-Jürgen Syberberg.
- Earthquake in Chile (1975), directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms.
- The Marquise of O (1976), directed by Éric Rohmer, based on Kleist's story.
- Heinrich (1977), directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms, about Kleist himself.
- Ragtime (1981), directed by Miloš Forman, includes a story similar to Michael Kohlhaas.
- Heinrich Penthesilea von Kleist (1983), directed by Hans Neuenfels.
- Die Familie oder Schroffenstein (1984), directed by Hans Neuenfels.
- Il principe di Homburg (1997), an Italian film based on Prinz Friedrich von Homburg oder die Schlacht bei Fehrbellin.
- The Jack Bull (1999), loosely based on Kleist's Michael Kohlhaas.
- Il seme della discordia (2008), a modern Italian film based on Die Marquise von O.
- Kohlhaas oder die Verhältnismäßigkeit der Mittel (2012), a German film loosely based on Michael Kohlhaas.
- Amour Fou (2014), a film about Heinrich and Henriette.
- Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas (2014), with Mads Mikkelsen as Kohlhaas.
Images for kids
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A monument dedicated to Kleist in Frankfurt (Oder).
See also
In Spanish: Heinrich von Kleist para niños
