ABSTRACT
Of impoverished parents, Erich Kästner attended the Lehrerseminar in Dresden before being conscripted (1917) into an infantry regiment; the harsh discipline which he experienced caused a life-long dislike of militarism. After 1918 he studied at Leipzig university; in the 1920s he worked as a bookkeeper and journalist, writing for Die Weltbühne and associating with Tucholsky and Stefan Zweig. A collection of poems (Herz auf Taille) appeared in 1928; the following year saw the publication of Kästner’s most popular book Emil und die Detektive, which brought international recognition. The same year saw the anthology Lärm im Spiegel. Kästner moved to Berlin, became involved in the film world and, in 1931, was elected to the membership of the German PEN club. The satirical novel Fabian. Die Geschichte eines Moralisten appeared that year, to be followed by the children’s book Das fliegende Klassenzimmer in 1933. With the Nazi seizure of power Kästner, surprisingly, returned to Germany from Zurich: he remained there throughout the Nazi period and the Second World War. His left-wing attitudes meant that his books were burned in May 1933 but he was permitted to publish abroad. He was asked to move to Switzerland to found a journal attacking emigrants, but refused. In 1934 Emil und die drei Zwillinge and Drei Männer im Schnee appeared, to be followed by Die verschwundene Miniatur (1935) and a collection of poetry Dr. Erich Kästners lyrische Hausapotheke (1936). Film rights for two of his novels were acquired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Kästner, in 1942, wrote a script for the film Münchhausen. A ban was imposed on his writing for the next three years. After the war he became a co-founder of the cabaret Die Schaubude; he also edited the magazine section of the Neue Zeitung and founded Pinguin, a magazine for young people. Bei Durchsicht meiner Bücher, a collection of poems, appeared in 1946; Der tägliche Kram in 1948. Another book for children, Das doppelte Lottchen, was filmed in 1950. The later works include Die kleine Freiheit (1952) and Als ich ein kleiner Junge war (1957). A satirical comedy, Die Schule der Diktatoren, appeared in the same year. Der kleine Mann und die kleine Miβ was published in 1966. It is as a writer for children that Kästner is best known, but the satirical elements are also noteworthy. Gesammelte Schriften (seven vols) appeared in 1959; the Gesammelte Schriften für Erwachsene (eight vols) in 1969.
