The Rudolf Steiner Archive

44. Gottfried Keller Evening

[ 1 ] On Wednesday, Mr. Kurt Holm hosted a “Gottfried Keller Evening” at the Architektenhaus as the second modern lecture evening of the season. The program included an introductory lecture by Dr.

[ 2 ] Rudolf Steiner had taken over, along with various recitations from the works of Gottfried Keller. – Dr. Steiner drafted a brief yet comprehensive account of Keller’s life; he particularly emphasized the influence of Herwegh and Feuerbach on the young poet, who was inspired by a fervent yearning for intellectual and economic independence. More realistic and free of any fantastical embellishments than any other biography, Keller has left us an account of his own “Sturm und Drang” years in his Green Henry. What we must admire time and again in this novel is the perfect balance between imagination and reason, which are always in harmony. While Goethe’s Poetry and Truth at times distorts the image of its creator beyond recognition through fantastical embellishments, in Keller’s Green Henry the actual experiences take center stage with almost historical accuracy. – His next major work, which earned him the honorary title of “the Shakespeare of the German novella,” is The People of Seldwyla. In these novellas, he reveals himself to be a master of that genuine humor which does not insert contrived wit into the plot of his story, but rather builds the individual episodes upon one another in such a way that their own interplay yields the humor. In this style of humorous storytelling, he vividly recalls his compatriot, the painter Arnold Böcklin, whose paintings are composed in the same way and, insofar as they belong to the humorous genre, achieve the same effects. His “Seven Legends” should also be viewed from this perspective, whereas in “Sinngedicht” Keller works with more subtle hues and an almost refined technique. His magnum opus, however, is his last work: Martin Salander; this book, one of the greatest satires ever written about an era and political ambition, exudes from every line its creator’s thirst for freedom and his contempt for a certain type of person. – Yet through his works, Gottfried Keller the man also speaks to us: a complete, strong-willed man, a steadfast, self-contained character, and one of the greatest minds of the second half of the 19th century.

[ 3 ] Kurt Holm's recitations were met with enthusiastic applause; the pieces performed included: “Feueridylle,” “Das Tanzlegendchen,” “Spielmannslied,” “Berliner Pfingsten,” and “Frau Rösel.”