Hermann Bahr facts for kids
Hermann Anastas Bahr (born July 19, 1863 – died January 15, 1934) was an important Austrian writer. He was also a playwright (someone who writes plays), a director for theater, and a critic (someone who reviews art and literature).
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About Hermann Bahr
Hermann Bahr was born and grew up in Linz, Austria. He studied in several cities like Vienna, Graz, and Berlin. He focused on subjects like philosophy (the study of knowledge and existence), political economy (how governments and economies work), and law.
While he was living in Paris, he became very interested in literature and art. He started his career as an art critic, first in Berlin and then in Vienna. In 1890, he became an editor for a newspaper called Berliner Freie Bühne (Berlin Free Stage). Later, he also worked as an editor and critic for the Deutsche Zeitung (German Newspaper).
In 1894, he started his own newspaper, Die Zeit (The Times). He also edited other newspapers like the Neue Wiener Tagblatt (New Vienna Daily Flyer) and the Oesterreichische Volkszeitung (Austrian Popular Newspaper).
From 1906 to 1907, Bahr worked with a famous theater director named Max Reinhardt at the German Theater in Berlin. Later, starting in 1918, he became a Dramaturg (a person who helps choose and prepare plays for a theater) at the Vienna Burgtheater.
His Important Ideas
Hermann Bahr was a key figure in a literary group called Young Vienna. He was very active in the Austrian avant-garde, which means he was part of a group of artists who created new and experimental art. He wrote many critical essays and also plays in the Impressionist style.
Bahr was the first critic to use the term "modernism" for new literary works. He was also one of the first to notice and write about Expressionism, another important art movement. His writings about these ideas helped define new ways of thinking about literature. While he wrote about 40 plays and 10 novels, his most important work was his theoretical writing about art and literature.
Hermann Bahr passed away in Munich at the age of 70.
Selected Writings
Hermann Bahr wrote many different kinds of works, including plays, short stories, and essays.
Plays
Some of his well-known plays include:
- The New People (Die neuen Menschen – 1887)
- The Mother (Die Mutter – 1891)
- The Concert (Das Konzert – 1909)
- The Children (Die Kinder – 1911)
Short Stories and Novellas
He also wrote shorter fiction, such as:
- The School of Love (Die gute Schule. Seelenstände – 1890)
- Fin de siècle (1891)
Essays and Books
Bahr wrote many essays where he shared his ideas about art and literature. Some important ones are:
- Zur Kritik der Moderne (1890) – This was about modern art.
- Expressionismus (1916) – This essay helped define the Expressionism movement.
- Self-Portrait (Selbstbildnis – 1923) – This was his autobiography, telling his life story.
See also
In Spanish: Hermann Bahr para niños
