German Blog

self-portrait 1894 (source: Wikipedia)

Today I want to introduce another German character to you. This one is for sure not as bekannt (famous) as Albert Einstein for example. But anyway he made his contribution to German poetry, humor and language.

Heinrich Christian Wilhelm Busch was born on April 15th 1832 in Widensahl. He was one of the most influentual humorous Dichter (poets) and Zeichner (drawers) in Germany. His first picture story was released in 1859. Already in the 1870´s he was one of the most famous characters in Germany. At the time of his death, he was seen as a „Classic of German humor“ who reached a great popularity with his satiric Bildergeschichten (picture stories).

Today he is also seen as a Pionier (pioneer) in comic strips. Some of his most famous Werke (creations) are:

- Max und Moritz
- Die fromme Helene
- Plisch und Plum
- Hans Huckebein, der Unglücksrabe
- Die Knopp-Trilogie

Many of his two-liners like „Vater werden ist nicht schwer, Vater sein dagegen sehr“ (To become father is very easy, but to be a father is not easy at all) or „Dieses war der erste Streich, doch der zweite folgt sogleich“ (This was the first coup, but the second one will follow immediately) became  figures of speech in German Sprachgebrauch (linguistic usage). His satires mock attributes of certain people or groupings. So he often offends the self-satisfaction and doubtable moral opinions of Spießbürger (philistines) and the bigotry of civil and clerical persons with his picture stories.

Busch was an earnest and close-mouthed man who lived many years in provincial Zurückgezogenheit (reclusiveness). He didn´t cherish his own picture stories. For him they were just a way to earn some money to advance his financial situation after unfinished studies of arts and a long lasting financial Abhängigkeit (dependency) on his parents.

Max & Moritz, the most famous characters of Wilhelm Busch

His attempt to become a serious painter failed with his own demands on quality. So he destroyed most of his paintings. That things that were left couldn´t be related to a special style. His lyrical compositions and Prosa (prose) unfortunately were not accepted by the audience because the people clearly associated Wilhelm Busch with his picture sories.

The failure of becoming a serious artist was something that bothered him until his death in Mechtshausen on January 9th 1908. He stopped working long before that, because based on using eyeglasses and having a shaky hand, he was feeling old.

Some vocabulary to this post:
bekannt – famous
der Dichter – poet
der Zeichner – drawer
die Bildergeschichte – picture story
der Pinoier – pioneer
das Werk – creation
der Sprachgebrauch – linguistic usage
der Spießbürger – philistine
die Zurückgezogenheit -  reclusiveness
die Abhängigkeit – dependency
die Prosa – prose