Heinrich Böll

Heinrich Böll in 1981 by Hoffmann, Harald from Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Facts about Heinrich Böll


 

Heinrich Böll is remembered as one of Germany’s pioneer post-World War II writers. He was awarded a Georg Büchner Prize in 1967 and Nobel Prize in Literature in 1972 for his works.

Moreover, some of his famous books are The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum published in 1974, and The Clown (1963). The novel, Group Portrait with Lady (1971) is also part of his famed creations.

His writing cuts across different themes. Such as political, social, and economic accounts related to Germany’s pre and post-World War II occurrences. Böll’s writing also includes events that took place during the war.

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Here are the Top 10 Realities about Heinrich Böll.

1. Heinrich Böll was born during the Great War

German World War I Armistice delegation

German World War I Armistice delegation led by Matthias Erzberger (center, hands in pockets) by Underwood & Underwood from Wikimedia Commons

He was born on 21 December 1917 in Cologne, Germany. At the time, World War I was ongoing having started on 28 July 1914.

According to historical records, Germany joined WWI on August 1, 1914. The war ran until November 11, 1918, when the warring parties including Germany signed an armistice that ceased the fights.

2. Heinrich Böll stopped his university studies to fight WWII

He attended Köln Raderthal for his elementary schooling from 1924 to 1928. Later he joined Kaiser-Wilhelm secondary school in Cologne which was run by the state. Heinrich completed his high school studies in 1937.

To join a university, there was a compulsory labor service one had to take. Hence Böll served six months. Once he was done, he enrolled in a Germanistics and Classical Philology program at the university during the 1939 summer term.

Additionally, his studies were cut short because he was forced into the German Army during the late summer of 1939. Thereafter WWII broke out on September 1, 1939, and he was part of the action.

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3. He married Annemarie Cech in 1942

 René Böll

René Böll (son of Heinrich Böll) by Heinrich Böll Stiftung from Wikimedia Commons

Annemarie was instrumental to his writing career. She assisted him in translating some of his German literature into the English language.

Besides their work collaborations, they had four children together. Raimund was born in 1947, René in 1948, and Vincent in 1950. They lost their first child Christoph, in October 1945.

4. Böll was a bookseller before he began writing

When he completed his high school academics, he worked as an apprentice bookseller. He worked for a company called Matth. Lempertz which was located in Bonn. He was part of the team for about one year from the spring of 1937 until the spring of 1938.

After he quit the bookseller job, Heinrich began his attempt at writing. He didn’t make much writing progress at the time. This was because he went on to serve his labor service, joined university, the German Army, and WWII as discussed earlier.

5. He returned to writing in 1945

Heinrich-Böll-Archive

Heinrich-Böll-Archive by Rana Düsel from Wikimedia Commons

Heinrich Böll decided to get back to writing after World War II came to a stop on 2 September 1945. He went back to Cologne with his wife and relatives. Yet their living conditions were deplorable. Between 1946 to 1949, he was involved in writing short stories. After that, he ventured into novel writing.

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6. Heinrich Böll’s first novel was “The Train Was on Time”

This novel was published in 1949 as Der Zug war pünktlich. It was later translated to English as The Train Was on Time.

The novel was a narration of the experiences of German soldiers during the Second World War. Further, it emphasized the encounters of the troops on the Eastern Front. The fighting in that region was fierce and Böll had a first-hand engagement in the clashes.

The work saw him invited to a post-war writers’ forum by the name Gruppe 47 in 1951. He made many friends after the meeting. Such as renowned German writers Hans Werner Richter and Alfred Andersch.

7. He worked in the Statistics bureau from 1950

Heinrich Böll

Heinrich Böll by Marcel Antonisse / Anefo from Wikimedia Commons

The novelist, Heinrich Böll got a chance to work in a temporary position at Cologne’s Bureau of Statistics in 1950. He served in that capacity until 1951.

8. Heinrich Böll became a full-time writer in 1951

During the summer of 1951, he quit working in Cologne’s statistics office. He transitioned to freelance writing which saw him increase the number of his published books.

These are some of his acknowledged novels, 1953s And Never Said a Word and The Bread of Those Early Years (1955). Furthermore, 1959s Billiards at Half-past Nine and The Clown (1963) were also big wins for him.

On top of that, Group Portrait with Lady (1971) and 1974’s The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum added to his famed works. As well as The Safety Net released in 1979.

There are also many short stories, radio plays, and essay collections by Böll some of which are already published. His unpublished works like personal papers are archived in the Cologne Library. Though some were destroyed in March 2009 following a collapse of the building.

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9. Heinrich’s books show his devotion as a pacifist

His experience in WWII is evident in most of his post-war writings. He condemned war and summed it up in the phrase, “never war again” in some of his writings.

10. He was bold to share his opinions

Heinrich Böll and Manteau

Heinrich Böll (Right) and Manteau in 1983 by Rob Bogaerts / Anefo from Wikimedia Commons

Heinrich Böll was courageous to share personal thoughts on matters that affected his society such as politics and religion. For instance in his book, The Clown he talked against the July 1933 treaty between the Vatican and the Nazis.

In 1972, he wrote an article in Bild newspaper titled Soviel Liebe auf einmal, or in English, So much love at once. In the article, Böll challenged 1968 passed constitutional reforms that silenced freedom.

Heinrich Böll quick facts

11. He had a cottage in Ireland that since 1992 it serves as a residency for writers.

12. American folk music singer and songwriter Eric Anderson has created several musicals based on Böll’s books.

13. In his honor, Heinrich Böll Foundation and Heinrich Böll Archive in the Cologne Library was established.

14. He received honorary awards in 1974- the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Ossietzky Medal.

15. Heinrich was President of PEN International from 1971 to 1973. It’s a global association of writers.

16. He died on July 16, 1985.

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