Table Of ContentGripsholm  Castle 
A translation  of Schloss  Gripsholm 
by  Kurt  Tucholsky 
by 
alfred wilke 
ADVISbRS: 
Dr.  Hardy  Fuchs 
German  Department 
Ms.  Barbara  Traister 
English Department 
A paper  submitted  in  partial  fulfillment 
of  the  requirements  for  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of Arts  at 
Kalamazoo  College 
1973
I  wou1.d  like  very much  to  thank  Ingeborg  Thiele  for 
all  of her help with  this  translation.Wi:tIt"out her  I  would 
not know  what  to  do;  the  project  probably never would  have 
been  finished  and  most  certainly never  started.  This  book 
is sincerely dedicated  to  her. 
Besten Dank  auch  an  did  ganze  Familie  Thiele  fUr  ihr 
und  ihre  Hilfe. 
Verst~ndnis 
In addition my  thanks  go  to Dr.  Hardy  Fuchs  for  his 
translation suggestions  and  to  Ms.  Barbara  Traister for  her 
help  in  polishing up  the  work. 
"If you  really  thought  the  original 
was  like  tbat.,  what  h.ave 
~,.yo-q. 
."  :_ :_.~  '. l.  ;,;'  ,  .:.  ~  .  •.  '., -.- ;.' 0,  '  .:,  •  •. ~  ", 
seen  in it to make  you  think  it 
was  worth  translating?" 
Robert  Bridges 
ii
The  era  of  the  Weimar  Republic  was  one  of which  it 
could  be  said  that  the  sword  proved  mightier  than  the  pen, 
for  the  best  German  writers  of  that  period were  unquestion 
ably among  the  liberals and  leftists.  Some  of  these,  like 
Bertold Brecht,  Erich  K!stner  and  Erich Marie  Remarque,  sur 
vived  the  years  and  became  well  known  in English  speaking 
countries,  particularly after World  War  II.  Probably  the 
most  colorful  of  those  whose  voices  were  stilled was  Kurt 
Tucholsky,  also known  under  the  pen  names  Peter Panter,  Theo 
1 
bald  Tiger,  Kasper  Hauser  and  Ignaz Wrobel. 
Kurt  Tucholsky  (~ronounced approximately  too-KHOL-skee) 
was'  virtually Wlknown  in  the  United  States  until about  fif' 
teen  ago,  when  an anthology  of  his  prose  writings  ap 
ye~rs 
peared  in an English  by Harry  Zohn,  under  the 
~~8D8].ation 
title  The  World  Is  Comedy.  Long  before,  his writings  had 
~ 
once  again  become  popular  in  German-speaking  countries,  in-
cluding both East  and  West  Germany,  and  he  is  the  subject  .. 
of  innumerable  quotations  and  discussions.  Only  the  barrier 
of  language  has  so  far  prevented  the  rest  of  the  world  from 
learning more  about  this  spokesman  for  a  Germany  that might 
2 
have  been.
Tucholsky was  born  in  1890  in Berlin,  the  son  of  a 
well-to-do  Jewish  merchant.  At  the  age  of nine  he  began 
r;- Harry  Zohn  and  Karl  F.  Ross.  What  If --? Satirical Writ 
ings  2! ~ Tucholsky.  Page  iIi."' - -
2.  ibid.  Page  xii. 
iii
attending  the  French  Gymnasium  there,  a  Huguenot-founded 
institution which  instilled  in him  an  abiding love  of  France; 
his  linguistic  prowess,  clear reasoning and  lucid  style de 
rive  from  this  education.'  In  1908  Tucholsky  entered  the 
University  of  Berlin;  he  also  studied  in  Geneva  and  earned 
a  doctor  of laws  degree  from  the  University  of  Jena  in  1915. 
Oonscripted  into  the  German  Army  in 1915,  he  spent  three  and 
a  half years  of war  service  on  Germany's  eastern front  and 
became  an  ardent  pacifist.  He  was  married  two  times,  for 
short  periods,  the  second  time  to Mary-Gerold  Tucholsky,  who 
today,  as  his  literary executrix,  administers  the  Tucholsky 
Archives  in  the  Bavarian resort  town  of Rottach-Egern.  Dur 
ing most  of his  later years,  from  1924  to  his suicide  in 
1935,  Tucholsky  lived  outside  Germany,  mainly  in France, 
Switzerland  and  Sweden. 
Tucholsky's  literary career,  interrupted  only  by  his 
military service,  extended  over  the  two  decades  from  1912 
to  1932,  ranging from  his  first  published  work  (a  satirical 
sally against Kaiser Wilhelm  in  the  form  of  a  fable)  to  his 
last diary entry  (a  drawing  of  a  ladder with  three  ascend 
ing steps  labeled  "Speech-Writing-Silence").  His  first book, 
= 
Rheinsberg  A Picture  for  Lovers,  appeared  in  1912. 
~ 
In  1913  Tucholsky  became  associated  with  the  SchaubUhne, 
~ibid.  Page  xii. 
iv
later called  the  WeltbUhne  (world  stage),  which  became  one 
of  the  most  aggresive  and  best-known  satirical-political 
periodicals  of  the  time.  Although  he  freely  contributed  to 
other  publications,  the  WeltbUhne  remained  the  principal 
vehicle  for  his  poems  (a number  of which  were  written  in the 
Berlin dialect),  his  anecdotes  and  aPhorisms,  his  philosoph 
ical  essays  and  critical attacks  upon  the  foibles  of  his 
society and  the  resurgent  German  militarism.  Many  of  Tu 
cholsky's  lyrics were  set  to  music,  some  of  them  by  "Theo 
bald  Tiger"  himself,  and  were  widely  sung  at union meetings 
as  well  as  on  the  cabaret  stage.  When  the  editor  of  the 
WeltbUhne  died  unexpectedly  in  1926,  Tucholsky  briefly took 
over  the  management  of  that  publication;  he  was  succeeded 
in  this  task by  Carl  von  Ossietzky,  another  staunch anti 
militarist,  who  was  to  receive  the  Nobel  Peace  Prize  in  1935 
while  languishing  in a  Nazi  concentration  camp. 
Collections  of  Tucholsky's  writings  appeared  in book 
form  from  the  year  1927  on.  The  first  of  these  books  - 
.2 
whose  title Mit  PS  could  mean  either  "With  Five  Horsepower" 
or  "Under  Five  Pseudonyms"  - lifts  the  veil  off  the  "gay 
schizophrenia,,4  and  reveals  the  many  facets  of  this  prolific 
writer.  Although  Tucholsky  today  is  chiefly remembered  as 
a  satirist,  his  last book,  Gripsholm  Castle,  is not  exactly 
~ibid.  Page  xiv. 
v
a  satirical work  but  rather,  like  his  first  one,  Rheinsberg, 
blends  the  melancholy  charm  of  the  nineteenth  century with 
the  brash wit  prevalent among  Berlin  society  in  the  early 
years  of  this  century and  between  the  Tucholsky,  the 
wars~. 
travel-book writer,  is  seen  to  good  advantage  in A Book 
About  the  Pyrenees  (1927). 
Some  of Tucholsky's  writings,  intended  for  publication 
in a  militant  periodical,  were  necessarily  of an  ephemeral 
character and  are  of  little interest  to  readers  three  or 
four  decades  and  a  continent  removed.  But  many  sf his art 
icles and  nearly all his  poems  have  these  qualities which 
mark  them  as  enduring  pieces  of  good  literature,  to  say noth 
ing  of  the  inSights  they give  into  the  cross-currents  of an 
era about which  serious  scholars  still ask:  How  could  it 
have  happened?  This  is  true  even  though,  in a  few  instances, 
obscure  passages  have  to  be  clarified  in  translation  or  omit 
ted  completely.5 
The  thrusts  of  Tucholsky's  typewriter were  sharp and 
well  aimed,  but  he  himself  imposed  certain restrictions  on 
the  range  of his  targets.  In  1929  he  wrote:  "Satire  has  a 
limit at  the  top;  Buddha  is above  it.  It also  has  a  limit 
at  the  bottom:  The  Fascist forces  in  Germany.  It doesn't 
pay  - one  can't shoot  that 10w.,,6  And  so,  Tucholsky  -- an 
implacable  foe  of  National  Socialism and  everything  it stood 
~ibid.  Page  xiv. 
6.  ibid.  Page  xvi. 
vi
for  -- was  less vocal  in his  attacks  on  the  Hitler movement 
than he  might  have  been  if he  had  not,  like  so  many  others, 
underestimated  its virulence.  He  was  less  restrained  in 
his  criticism of  the  German  Social  Democrats  for  their vac 
illation,  compromises,  and  alleged  betrayal  of  the  1918  rev 
olution.  This  endeared  him  to  the  Communists,  but  Tucholsky 
never  joined  their  party or any  other,  except  for  a  brief 
affil11ation with  a  Socialist  splinter group  in  the  early 
1920s.  He  opposed  organized  religion,  but  referred 
r~rely 
to  God  in an  irreverant manner  - especially in his  later 
writings  - and  evidently did  not  consider  it reactionary  to 
invoke  His  assistance. 
When  the  National  Socialists  came  to  power  in  Germany, 
Tucholsky  was  safe  in Sweden;  only his  books  were  burned 
publicly after the  Nazi  takeover,  an honor  he  shared  with 
many  other  prominent  German  writers.  There  are  no  obvious 
answers  to  the  question  of why,  on  a  December  day  in  1935, 
Tucholsky  ended  his  life by  taking  poison,  leaving  only a 
request  not  to  be  disturbed.  There  were  no  overt,  direct 
military developements  in  1935  that, could  have  been  respon 
sible  for  his  suicide.  The  remilitarizationof the  Rhine 
land,  the  annexation  of Austria  and  the  dismemberment  of 
Czechoslovakia  still lay  in  the  future.  True,  Tucholsky had 
been  cut  off from  his  German  readership,  but  from  his  Swedish 
vii
sanctuary he  might  still have  published  his writings  in 
Switzerland  and,  to  a  more  limited  extent,  in Austria; 
while  the  original WeltbUhne  had  been  silenced  in  Germany, 
a  successor  entitled  WeltbUhne  had  been  started  in 
~ 
Prague  by  German  emigrants  eager for  contributions  from 
Tucholsky.  Yet  little more  was  heard  of  him  until  that 
day  the  newspapers  throughout  Europe  shocked  their readers 
with  the  announcement  of his  voluntary death. 
Kurt  Tucholsky  cannot  be  brought  back,  although  the 
world  sorely needs  his wit,  his  humor,  his  searching reve 
lations  and  his  lashing  tongue.  It is  to  be  hoped,  however, 
that  through  translation  some  of  these  assets  can  be  re 
called. 
viii
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
to  Tucholsky  biography 
Schulz,  Klaus-Peter.  Kurt  Tucholsky  In Selbstzeugnissen 
Bilddokumentation. 
~ 
Hamburg:  Rowohlt  Taschenbuch  Verlag,  1959. 
If 
Zohn,  Harry  and  Karl  F.  Ross.  What  --7  Satirical Writ 
ings  of  Kurt  Tucholsky. 
New  York:  Funk  & Wagnalls,  1967. 
ix
We  can  also  blow  the  trumpets 
And  blare  throughout  the  .land; 
But  we'd  rather stride  through  the  days  of May, 
When  the  primroses  bloom  and  the  thrushes  sing, 
Quietly musing  on  the  banks  of  the  brook. 
Storm
Description:the big door, the door closed, a key rattled. Over. There we stood. "Very pretty ••• ," said Charlie. The. Princess put her handkerchief away. "You are both a  "We cantt make war here, I realize that. But we do want to help the child, don't we? So, and what's. the moth- er's name:?" - "Collin