Werner Bergengruen

German novelist and poet. Born in Riga on the Baltic coast to a doctor (who participated in the Russo-Japanese War as a military doctor). After attending the Gymnasium in Lübeck (the alma mater of Sturm and Thomas Mann), he studied at universities throughout Germany, but when World War I broke out, he volunteered for the German army. After the war, he became a standard-bearer in the Baltic Defense Army (cavalry lieutenant). From 1920, he worked as an editor in Berlin while writing poetry and novels, and translating Russian literature into German. From 1922, he became independent as a writer, and wrote about 200 short stories, 13 full-length novels from "The Laws of Atum" (1923) to "The Third Crown" (1962), several books of poetry, as well as travelogues, biographies, and essays, for which he received various awards. In 1936, he converted from Protestantism to Catholicism and moved to the outskirts of Munich. During the Second World War, he was forced to move to Tyrol due to air raids, and after the war he moved to Zurich. In 1958 he settled in Baden-Baden, where he spent his later years devoted to writing.

He continued to trust in the great supernatural order that supports this world even in the midst of a storm of anxiety, and overcoming the persecution of the Nazi government, he sent out the full-length novels "The Tyrant and the Judgement" (1935) and "In Heaven and on Earth" (1940), which, while set in the past, depicted the fragility and salvation of humans in real, marginal situations. The three full-length novels he wrote in his later years, starting with "The Last Cavalry Captain" (1952), skillfully incorporate his early short stories and present an ideal image of middle age with strong autobiographical elements.

His short stories, such as "The Three Hawks" (1937), "The Death of Reval" (1939), and "The Rose of Spain" (1941), which are known for their meticulous structure, ingenious and elegant storytelling, and bright humor, are truly his forte. His poetry collections include "The Rose of Jericho" (1936) and "The Day of Wrath" (1945).

[Funayama Yukiya]

"Tsui-chan" (translated by Toshiro Ueda, Iwanami Children's Library)" ▽ "E. T. A. Hoffmann" (translated by Goro Omori, 1970, Asahi Press) " ▽ "Gleanings" by Keiichi Togawa (1970, Shunjusha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ドイツの小説家、詩人。バルト海沿岸のリガに医師（軍医として日露戦争に参加）の子として生まれる。リューベックのギムナジウム（シュトルムやトーマス・マンの母校）を経てドイツ各地の大学で学ぶうち第一次世界大戦が勃発(ぼっぱつ)し、ドイツ軍に志願する。戦後バルト防衛軍旗手（騎兵中尉）。1920年からベルリンで編集者をしながら詩や小説を書き、ロシア文学をドイツ語訳。1922年以降作家として自立、生涯に約200編の短編小説と、『アトゥムの法則』（1923）から『第三の花冠』（1962）に至る13の長編小説、数冊の詩集のほか、紀行、評伝、随想などを著し、各種の賞を受けた。1936年プロテスタントからカトリックに改宗、ミュンヘン近郊に転居。第二次世界大戦中空襲を受けチロールへ、戦後チューリヒへ移住、1958年バーデン・バーデンに定住、著作にいそしみつつ晩年を送った。

　現世を支える大きな超自然の秩序を、不安の嵐(あらし)のさなかにも信頼し続ける彼は、ナチス政府の迫害を超えて長編小説『大暴君と審判』（1935）や『天上も地上も』（1940）を世に送り、舞台を過去に設定しつつ現実の限界状況の人間のもろさと救いを描いた。『最後の騎兵大尉』（1952）以降の晩年の長編三部作は、初期の短編を巧みに組み入れながら、自伝的要素の濃い理想の熟年像を提示する。

　緻密(ちみつ)な構成、巧妙で高雅な話術、そして明るいユーモアで知られる『三羽の鷹(たか)』（1937）、『レーバルの死』（1939）、『スペインのバラ』（1941）などの短編群は、まさに彼の本領である。詩集に『ジェリコのバラ』（1936）、『怒りの日』（1945）などがある。

［船山幸哉］

『植田敏郎訳『ツィーゼルちゃん』（岩波少年文庫）』▽『大森五郎訳『E・T・A・ホフマン』（1970・朝日出版社）』▽『戸川敬一著『落穂集』（1970・春秋社）』

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