Woman admits actions, not apologizing or admitting guilt
Flip the Script: Revolutionary Women Writers in the Weimar Era
Give this a read if you're intrigued by the groundbreaking female scribes gracing the Weimar Republic's literary scene during the roaring twenties. Regine Ahrem's book "Radiant Years - The Breakthrough of Women 1926-1933" gives an unfiltered look into the lives and careers of these pioneering women, such as Vicki Baum, Marieluise Fleißer, and others. The book's short, easy-to-digest chapters outline their journeys from fledgling wordsmiths to acclaimed authors, with some even making it big in Hollywood.
Unmasking the Silent Tyrant, Fragile and Frail
Despite their disparate backgrounds, these ladies had more similarities than differences. Take, for instance, the shared sense of being birthed a woman lacking in life experience, as reported by Erika Mann, Irmgard Keun, and Vicki Baum themselves. Add to that the cultural industry's infection of youth, causing some to lie about their age for a boost in reputation.
Ingolstadt's Embrace: The Catholic Crucible
Alright, these ladies needed help, and it came from various supporters and patrons who recommended them left and right. Bert Brecht, for example, endorsed Fleißer's "Mut zum Skandal," and caused quite a stir by staging her play "Pioniere in Ingolstadt." Despite the biographical accounts focusing on empowerment, there's more to the story, though. Some ladies, such as Ruth Landshoff, reveled in their rebellious image, driving the first pop literature movement in German literature as a self-made, independent woman with her own set of wheels.
Vicki Baum was more interested in the sweet science of boxing, becoming the first female boxer in German literature. Ahrem's research reveals the boxing studio of Sabir Mahir, where notables such as Brecht, Hans Albers, and Marlene Dietrich would occasionally train alongside her. It's not all about party life, though.
Gabriele Tergit: Challenging Taboos
Take Gabriele Tergit, for example, who wrote fearlessly about subjects considered off-limits at the time, like abortion, in her court reports. The thread connecting these writers is their underestimation of the danger they faced as women in the literary world and the ominous future that loomed over them. Tergit herself reflected on a court trial in 1931, where she squared off with the ruthless Hitler himself. She famously opined, "If I had shot him, I would have saved fifty million people from death."
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No longer spectators, women playmakers of the Weimar Republic redefined the literary landscape with courage, conviction, and rebelliousness.
In the midst of their diverse origins, these groundbreaking authors shared a commonality – the feeling of being a woman inexperienced in life, as confessed by Erika Mann, Irmgard Keun, and Vicki Baum themselves. Such racial appearance, coupled with the youthful allure of the cultural industry, led some to deceive about their ages, seeking to enhance their credibility.
Bert Brecht's endorsement of Marieluise Fleißer's play "Pioniere in Ingolstadt" caused quite a commotion, and even Ruth Landshoff, a self-made, independent woman and pioneer of the first pop literature movement in German literature, was not immune to the influence of patrons and supporters who championed her work.
Vicki Baum, on the other hand, opted for a different path and became the first female boxer in German literature, training alongside notables such as Brecht, Hans Albers, and Marlene Dietrich in Sabir Mahir's boxing studio. Nevertheless, their lives were not limited solely to the vibrant Weimar Republic's party scene.
Gabriele Tergit, one of these fearless writers, confronted taboo subjects like abortion in her court reports, disregarding the social norms and challenges of her time. The essence linking these authors was their underestimation of the adversity they faced as women in the literary world, bracing themselves against an ominous future that would soon evolve.
Echoing Tergit's sentiments, these women writers, no longer mere spectators, reshaped the literary landscape with bravery, steadfastness, and audacity – traits that would prove vital as the era progressed. (For further exploration, visit our site, bb)
