Lulu. Erdgeist. Die Büchse der Pandora

Lulu #1-2

by Frank Wedekind

Die »Urgestalt des Weibes« hatte Wedekind mit seiner Figur der Lulu im Sinn, befreit von gesellschaftlichen Konventionen. Erst in der verzerrenden Ordnung der bürgerlichen Moral bleibt für sie keine andere Rolle als die der männermordenden femme fatale und Prostituierten, die schließlich Opfer des Frauenmörders Jack wird.
Die Dramen »Erdgeist« und »Die Büchse der Pandora« wurden zu Wedekinds Lebzeiten von Theaterskandalen und Zensurmaßnahmen begleitet. Von Wedekind später unter dem Titel »Lulu« vereint, gilt die Doppeltragödie heute als sein Hauptwerk.

E-Book mit Seitenzählung der gedruckten Ausgabe: Buch und E-Book können parallel benutzt werden.

Genres: Plays, Classics, German Literature, Drama, Theatre, Fiction, Germany

174 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1904

About the author

Frank Wedekind was a German dramatist whose bold, unconventional plays reshaped modern theatre by challenging social norms and exposing the hypocrisies of bourgeois morality, especially around sexuality. Raised between Germany and Switzerland and drawn early to travel, performance, and satire, he lived an eclectic life that included work in advertising, time with a circus, and a celebrated stint as a cabaret performer with the influential troupe Die elf Scharfrichter. His fearlessness as both writer and performer made him a central figure in the artistic circles of Munich, where his sharp wit and provocative themes influenced a new generation of socially critical satirists. His early play Spring Awakening caused an uproar for its frank depictions of adolescent sexuality, repression, and violence, while his two-part “Lulu” cycle introduced a character whose rise and fall exposed society’s fascination with desire and destruction. These works challenged censorship, pushed theatrical boundaries, and later inspired films, operas, and adaptations across decades. Wedekind’s personal life was intense and often turbulent, marked by complicated relationships, creative restlessness, and brushes with authority, including a prison sentence for lèse-majesté after publishing satirical poems. His marriage to the actress Tilly Newes brought both devotion and strain, reflected in the emotional swings of his later years. Even near the end of his life, recovering from surgery, he returned to the stage too soon, driven by the same energy that fueled his art. His influence extended well beyond his death, resonating through the Weimar era and shaping the development of expressionism and later epic theatre. Many of his works were translated, staged, or adapted by major artists, ensuring that his confrontational spirit and fearless exploration of human desire would remain part of the theatrical canon.

Reviews

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get you a woman die sich mit Absicht mit Cholera infiziert um ihre Geliebte aus dem Gefängnis zu holen

[Holly Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

A troubling and maddening play. Is it violently misogynistic or bitterly feminist? Well, I've had a peek at Wedekind's diaries, so I guess I cheated a little. Anyway, I read this in a Starbucks, I think, on someone's Kindle I borrowed, like a real smarmy little prick. I like Erdgeist the play less than 'Pandora's Box' the Pabst film, but more than 'Lulu' the Berg opera.

[Josh Ang · Rating 3 out of 5]

This play's conception and history is perhaps as muddled as the titular character. This adaptation by Nicholas Wright (from a translation by Wes Williams) combines Wedekind's "Lulu" plays, which took on different titles, "Pandora's Box" and Earth Spirit", at various points in Wederkind's checkered career.

Risque even by today's standards, Lulu is equal parts nymphomaniac and a virginal innocent who impetuously manipulates the men who desire her as well as fall under their tyranny with shocking pliancy, taking on a different name with each lover. The contradiction that Lulu is can be read as the confusing array of roles a woman are supposed to assume, which ironically proves to be schizophrenic if she were to encompass them all.

Lulu destroys each of her lovers in turn, ensnaring the affections of a Countess who wants her to be the star attraction at a ladies only party. It is clear Lulu enjoys the turmoil she creates and at a pivotal point in the play when she is caught in an act of betrayal, she declares, "This is the most beautiful moment of my life".

At times ludicrous and farcical, and the action bordering on pantomime, the play nonetheless convincingly raises the question of identity and how it is idealised or demonised depending on who constructs it, as is seen in Lulu's response when one of her lovers asks if she is an angel or devil. She says, I'm neither. This is me. I've never pretended to be anything else. All the rest is just your imagination. You can think about that."

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il mio primo impatto con la Lulu di Wedekind è stata l’omonima opera di Alban Berg. Per quanto io non sia un’esperta di musica classica (tutt’altro), e si potesse quindi pensare che non avrei apprezzato la musica dodecafonica, invece ho amato moltissimo la Lulu di Berg, sia per il testo che per la musica. Ho dunque deciso di leggere il testo di Wedekind, e l’ho preso in questa bella edizione per Kindle, ma si trova anche gratuitamente in rete, perlomeno in tedesco.

Il libro, tradotto in italiano da Adelphi con lo stesso titolo, è composto da due tragedie diverse, Erdgeist, o Lo spirito della terra, e Die Büchse der Pandora, Il vaso di Pandora. La prima molto più riuscita della seconda, oserei dire.

In ogni caso, mi riesce difficile parlare di questo libro, come mi succede spesso con i libri molto belli e che mi toccano molto nel profondo. Mi limiterò dunque a poche indicazioni.

Lulu è la classica femme fatale che seduce tutti gli uomini che le capitino intorno, e per la quale gli uomini muoiono. Lulu è tre volte vedova nella prima parte: il suo primo marito muore di infarto o qualcosa di simile quando scopre che Lulu lo tradisce, il secondo si suicida per lo stesso motivo, il terzo viene ucciso da Lulu stessa, sempre per il medesimo motivo. Lulu non è affatto incapace di amore, infatti il terzo marito, suo amante nel corso di tutta la prima parte, è l’unico uomo che abbia mai amato veramente, ma questo non le impedisce di tradirlo con uomini e donne. Nella seconda parte ritroviamo Lulu una volta fuggita dal carcere, dove era stata rinchiusa per l’omicidio del terzo marito – è evasa grazie all’aiuto della contessa Geschwitz, una sua amante che per lei farebbe qualsiasi cosa. In seguito la ritroviamo prostituta a Londra, dove infine viene uccisa da Jack lo squartatore.

Lulu è l’eterno femminino di goethiana memoria, la donna fatale che non può fare a meno di essere tale. Donna per cui chiunque, uomo o donna che sia, farebbe qualsiasi cosa, donna da tutti desideratissima ma forse da nessuno amata realmente. Lulu è costantemente circondata da uomini, ma forse non esiste persona più sola di lei, perché non è mai amata veramente, quanto piuttosto desiderata, bramata, sessualmente voluta. Forse l’unica che la ami realmente è la contessa Geschwitz, che arriva a farsi rinchiudere in prigione al suo posto, dopo aver contratto il colera allo scopo esclusivo di salvarla dal carcere. Gli altri vogliono sesso, soldi, bellezza, ma mai davvero amore. Lulu è un personaggio pieno di vita, eppure immensamente triste, dietro la sua maschera di allegria costante.

Questo è il poco che mi sento di dire su questa bellissima tragedia, oltre a consigliarne la lettura a tutti gli amanti della letteratura tedesca e a chi abbia amato l’opera di Berg.

[Louisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teilweise zäh, gerade der 2. Teil, aber dennoch raffiniert gestrickt und an sich sehr interessant, mit Figuren, die zwischen archetypen und differenzierten Persönlichkeiten schwanken. Wedekind wird ja gerne als großer Feminist seiner Zeit gefeiert und ja, Lulu ist ein ambivalenter Charakter, und ja, es wird deutlich reflektiert, dass es lediglich die Männer sind, die ihre persönlichen Fantasien auf sie projizieren, und ja, es gibt einen lesbischen Charakter in einem Stück vom Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts, der nicht fetischisiert wird. Teilweise natürlich dennoch veraltet, trotzdem supi, jedoch habe ich dann das Nachwort gelesen und damit auch, was Wedekind selbst so über Lulu gesagt und geschrieben hat und das lässt mich mit einem anderen Blick auf diese Tragödie zurück - denn diese doch so überraschend differenzierte Frauenfigur wird in seinen Anmerkungen reduziert zum Archetyp der “ursprünglichen, primitiven” Frau, deren Natur die Verführung und Sexualität ist, an der sich Männer wiederum laben können. Ganz toll. Es ist ganz gut, wenn man das Nachwort der Reclam-Ausgabe einfach ignoriert (sollte man natürlich nicht). Und das Vorwort von Wedekind selbst am besten auch.

[Alin Cristian · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nu sunt făcut pentru fericire. Am o teamă infernală de ea." (Frank Wedekind)

*3.7

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, Wedekind's best known play: Lulu. Or should I say, his best known two plays, seeing as this is a double tragedy? Lulu is a fin die siècle piece with a very strong femme fatale main character. During the show Lulu has several lovers/husbands, often gets them where she wants them, without ever fully getting control over them. Lulu is strong, but not invincible, and is eventually killed my women-killer Jack The Ripper. In a.. not so nice way. Auwch.

I thought the play was witty and insightful, and I liked that Wedekind is not shy about using taboos. The second play of this double tragedy, Pandora's Box, was several years in the making and he got in quite a lot of trouble because of it, and trust me, when you read it, you will understand why. Wedekind was erotic, fighting for women's emancipation, there was hinting at female/female sex (in 1901!), not shy about using various crimes and murders and, most importantly, offered a very crude assessment of society. I loved it. I still have a book with background material on this play, and I'm very much looking forward to it, 'cause it should make for a fascinating read. The fin de siècle is just a very interesting period in time.

It would be interesting to see a modern adaptation of this someday, because I don't think it's outdated at all and could very well play out in today's society as well.

"Wer mir den Glauben an die Menschen zurückgibt, gibt mir mein Leben zurück."

[Red Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Lulu as a play.

Wedekind did such a wonderful job showing how women are often just a projection of how men see them. We don’t even know Lulu’s true name. Each man in her life calls her something different, attributes different characteristics to her and makes her fit whatever image they have of her.

I think the first part of this book “Erdgeist” is my favorite. It shows Lulu with the different men, how each treats her and at the end feels used by her, because she wasn’t what they thought. But she never said she was.

The second part, “Pandora’s Box” shows how Lulu ends up in a truly bad situation and how her story ends.

Excellent character writing on some issues that not only were difficult during Wedekind’s time, but have been plaguing us in the 21st century still.

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are the two stage plays that inspired Metallica & Lou Reed's ill-fated collaboration. I've read them as research for my review of the album for Dead End Follies.

It was pretty interesting, to be honest. Some have criticized Wedekind's work for being misogynistic, but I think it's the opposite. LuLu is a comment on misogyny. She's a woman who can only define herself through the eyes of men, because the only emotion she ever elicited was desire. So that's kind of a cool concept. It's a little dated, sure. But it's also forward thinking.

Is the album anything like it? Well, that's another story you'll have to tune in to Dead End Follies for.

[Amani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love and hate this play because the Lulu archetype both intrigues and disgusts me, as she does many women. Secretly, I think every woman longs to be someone's muse. The notion that a woman can be so devastatingly provocative and inspiring, yet ultimately helpless and lost is a contradiction that still confounds me. The way Wedekind develops Lulu through her interplay with other characters is very telling of his, and many others', take on the reality of what it truly means to be a muse--it's pretty grim.

[Rieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erdgeist habe ich tatsächlich in binnen von zwei Tagen gelesen und war sehr begeistert davon, dieser Teil des Dramas würde von mir auch eigentlich 5 Sterne bekommen, weil ich ihn wirklichwirklich sehr gut fand.
Die Büchse der Pandora war auch nicht schlecht, auf keinen Fall, aber ich habe mich schwer getan mit dem Lesen. Es war sehr zähflüssig, zumindest der Anfang. Gegen Ende ging es dann wieder, aber fast den gesamten 1. Aufzug habe ich mich durchgequält und danach wurde es zwar besser, aber es kam dennoch nicht an den ersten Teil heran. Von daher wurden es dann im Gesamten 3 von 5 Sterne.

[Lilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think i needed 3 months because i kind of lost the motivation for reading any book but when i got it back, i finished it quickly because it's really good. Exciting and modern and old. Yes, my favourite playwright

[Viktoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Die Geschichte klang interessant, aber es war anstrengend zu lesen und man musste viel herausdeuten.

[Jens · Rating 1 out of 5]

Viele Stellen sind auf Französisch. Blöd wenn man der Sprache nicht mächtig ist.

[Tiara Sampedro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Esta bien que Lulú venía con un declive importante pero hacer semi inenentible la obra y de donde salen los personajes secundarios? No wedekind en esta con vos no estoy

[Yomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 estrellas solo porque me hacía reír✋

[XAVIER JOAN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erdgeist (1895)

[caity · Rating 5 out of 5]

sorry wendla bergmann lulu ist meine neue beste freundin!

[julieta · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5⭐️
la primera parte bastante buena, entretenida rápida y divertida, pero la segunda dios mio se podía resumir muchísimo más que necesidad de ser tan repetitiva y aburrida

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Da war ein Bus, und er ist abgefahren, aber ohne mich.

[Joe.grimbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fa impressione notare come il perbenismo che tentò di censurare l'opera all'inizio del secolo scorso sia via via scomparso per poi ricomparire in una forma diversa.

La società che non sopportava di leggere o assistere a una storia considerata pornografica e amorale oggi la rigetterebbe comunque per il modo poco lusinghiero in cui dipinge le donne e il paternalismo disgustato con cui tratta l'eroica Contessa Geschwitz in quanto gay e innamorata di Lulu.

Ma Kraus aveva ragione: "Nulla è più misero dell'indignazione per la lesa moralità". Polizia della moralità e cancel culture non avranno mai ragione di storie simili.

[Lisa Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this English translation of the classic German play about 13-14 years ago. Lulu is an archetype: she's the representative of negative female energy. She uses men, she commits adultery, she is coy and secretive and ultimately she is destroyed because she is seen as such an evil in our society. The unrepentant woman. This was the first time I read the play with a sympathetic eye toward Lulu who knows only the flirtations, infidelities, manipulations, murder and also victimization that she lives and dies by. I always resented that image of the woman who seeks to weaken her enemies by playing the part of the gamine, but this time when reading the play I saw that Lulu really was a child - even when married, even when living the high society life in Paris, even when prostituting herself for her father and husband. Her only crime is that she's self-aware of her limitations. But I no longer view her as an enemy that she has such limits and commits such crimes. She is wholly indicative of the society she lives in not a devil working against the system to emasculate men.

[alessandra falca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storia di Lulu, tragedia in due atti di Wedekind, scritta agli inizi del secolo. Lulu, archetipo della Donna Fatale, appare come in una tragedia greca. Anche se, il primo riferimento per me che leggo, è R.W. Fassbinder. Forse per la Germania, forse per la morbosità. Il teatro letto è sempre comunque non compiuto. A questo punto gradirei vedere un bell'allestimento scenico.

[João Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agora já posso (re)ver o filme de Pabst "A caixa de Pandora" com outros olhos. E também já percebi por que motivo o realizador insistiu tanto na atriz Louise Brooks para o papel de Lulu (em detrimento de Marlene Dietrich). Louise Brooks está fenomenaaaaallll!!

[Juan Fuentes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parece mentira que fuera escrita en 1894. Tiene un estilo moderno, un tratamiento del tema excesivamente avanzado a su tiempo ¡cuantas obras de teatro mediocres se han escrito después que no le llegan ni a la suela del zapato! Una obra magnífica, genial.

[Richard Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illuminating.