Frühlings Erwachen

by Frank Wedekind

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117 pages, Paperback

Published April 25, 2005

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

[Edgar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Skandalbuch des 19. Jahrhunderts handelt von der Pubertät, sexuellem Erwachen und dem sozialen Supergau der Zeit - ein 14-jähriges Mädchen, Wendla, wird schwanger vom 15-jährigen Gymnasiasten Melchior. Die Gesellschaft reagiert mit Ausschluss und Skandalisierung. Ein Ausweg ist der Selbstmord, ein anderer die Auswanderung. Wie werden die Eltern reagieren?

In Form eines Theaterstücks geschrieben ist dieses Buch sprachlich mächtig und inhaltlich interessant im Vergleich zwischen den Jahrhunderten. Wie leicht ist es heute mit Verhütungsmitteln, der Pille danach oder Abtreibung im Vergleich zu früher!

Noch im Jahr 2012/2013 führte das Drama in Zürich zusammen mit einem anderen Werke zur Anklage einer Mutter gegen einen Deutschlehrer, der das Werk im Schulunterricht durchnahm. Er habe sich der Pädophilie und Zugänglichmachung pornografischen Materials schuldig gemacht, wurde aber nach einem längeren Prozess schließlich freigesprochen. So richtig vergangen ist das 19. Jahrhundert also doch noch nicht, jedenfalls nicht überall.