!!!Grillparzer, Franz

b. Vienna, Jan. 15, 1791, 
d. Vienna, Jan. 21, 1872, dramatist, narrative writer and poet. 
Artistically one of the most versatile Austrian poets, though full of 
contradictions. The son of the influential Viennese lawyer Wenzel G. 
(d. 1809) and his wife Anna Franziska (d. 1819, suicide), a sister of 
the secretary of the Court Theatre, J.  Sonnleithner; wrote in his 
"Selbstbiographie" ("Autobiography"), that "two creatures entirely 
isolated from each other live within me. A poet of all-embracing, 
racing imagination and a rational person of the coldest and toughest 
sort."

\\
1796-1799 attended St. Anna's elementary school and the Piarist school 
as a private student, from 2nd grade a public student at St. Anna's 
secondary school. Studied philology (1807-1809) and law (1807-1811) at 
the University of Vienna. In 1812 G. accepted a position as court 
tutor and master of ceremonies with Count Seilern. In 1813 unpaid work 
as a clerk in the Court Library and (after holding various other 
offices) became a clerk in the treasury in 1823. From 1832 until his 
retirement in 1856 director of the treasury archives ( Archives). 
founding member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in 1847 and from 
1861 life member of the upper chamber of the Reichsrat.

\\
His first attempts as a dramatist date back to his time at university. 
1807 wrote the tragedy "Blanka von Kastilien", which was rejected by 
Sonnleithner and not performed until 1958. The publication in 1816 of 
a part of his translation of the drama "A Dream is Life" ("Das Leben 
ein Traum") by Calderon in the newspaper "Wiener Moden-Zeitung" caught 
the attention of J.  Schreyvogel, literary and artistic director of 
the Hofburgtheater. At first angered about the alleged attack on his 
own version, Schreyvogel consequently became G's spiritual mentor and 
most significant supporter. Upon his advice G. revised the tragedy 
"The Ancestress" ("Die Ahnfrau"), which had its première in 
January 1817 at the Hofburgtheater. Subsequently G. wrote the tragedy 
"Sappho" (1819), a great success, upon which he was awarded a 5-year 
contract as Imperial and Royal Poet of the Court Theatre, which he 
cancelled again in 1821. Travels to Italy, Greece, Germany (where he 
met Goethe in 1826), France and to Turkey exposed G. to various 
political systems and currents of thought.

\\
His most productive period was between 1820 and 1831. His poem "The 
Ruins of Campo Vaccino" ("Die Ruinen des Campo Vaccino") published in 
1820 brought him into disfavour at the Imperial Court; from then on 
problems with censorship. For L. van Beethoven G. wrote the libretto 
for the opera "Melusina" (1823), but Beethoven never took this up. 
Works like the trilogy "The Golden Fleece" ("Der Gastfreund", "Die 
Argonauten", "Medea", 1822), the tragedies "King Ottokar's Fortunes 
and Fall" ("Koenig Ottokars Glueck und Ende") 1825 including the 
famous hymn to Austria,"Hymne auf Oesterreich", or "Ein treuer Diener 
seines Herrn" (1830) were completed and met with ready acceptance by 
the audience. G's relationship with C. v. Paumgartten, his "eternal 
fiancee" K.  Froehlich but especially with M. von Smolk-Smolenitz had 
a major influence on his love poetry written 1826-1828 and published 
in 1835 under the title "Tristia ex Ponto". The story "Das Kloster von 
Sendomir" was published in 1828. The tragedy "Hero and Leander" ("Des 
Meeres und der Liebe Wellen") was a failure with his audience. G. 
celebrated his last great success in 1834 with the dramatic tale "Der 
Traum ein Leben". After the failure of the comedy "Weh dem, der 
luegt!" (literally: "Woe To Him Who Lies") in 1838 G. withdrew from 
theatre life.

\\
With the exception of a few works (i.e. a fragment of "Esther" in 
1868) G. then refused to have new plays performed. In his will he even 
decreed the destruction of his 3 late works "Ein Bruderzwist in 
Habsburg", "Die Juedin von Toledo" and "Libussa", all written between 
1847 and 1851. Their premières were staged only after G's 
death.

\\
The almanac "Iris" in 1847 featured the narrative "Der arme Spielmann" 
("The Poor Musician"), an allegory of the inner division of man. 
Another important late work (incompleted) is the "Selbstbiographie" 
("Autobiography") of 1872, based on diaries and written for the 
Austrian Academy of Sciences in 1853.

\\
G.'s plays draw their dramatic tension from the ambivalence between 
public responsibility and individual motivation. They also reflect G's 
political indecisiveness, as, in spite of being an opponent of  
Metternich, G. was full of scepticism about the "fever of freedom" and 
the  Revolution of 1848 (symbolic poem "Feldmarschall Radetzky", 
1848).

\\
Editions: Saemtliche Werke, Historisch-kritische Gesamtausgabe, publ. 
by A. Sauer and R. Backmann, 42 vols., 1909-1948; Selected works, 
publ. by O. Rome, 10 vols., 1919; Works, publ. by von H. Bachmaier, 6 
vols., 1986ff.

!Literature
J. Nadler, F. G., 1948; P. v. Matt, Der Grundriss von G. 
Buehnenkunst, 1965; H. Politzer, F. G. oder Das abgruendige 
Biedermeier, 1972; W. E. Yates, "Die Jugendeindruecke wird man nicht 
los ...", 1973; F. Sengle, Biedermeierzeit, vol. 3, 1975; D. C. G. 
Lorenz, G. Der Dichter des sozialen Konflikts, 1986; H. Bachmaier, F. 
G., 1990; Zw. Weimar und Wien. G. - ein Innsbrucker Symposion, publ. 
by S. Kettenhammer, 1992; H. Haider-Pregler (ed.), Stichwort G., 1994; 
G. Neumann (ed.), F. G., 1994; G. Scheit, F. G., %%sup 3/%1999.



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