Ricarda Huch
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Ricarda Huch (; 18 July 1864 – 17 November 1947) was a pioneering German intellectual. Trained as a historian, and the author of many works of European history, she also wrote
novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
s,
poem Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
s, and a play.
Asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
879 Ricarda 879 Ricarda is a minor planet orbiting the Sun that was discovered by German astronomer Max Wolf on July 22, 1917. This is a member of the dynamic Maria family of asteroids that most likely formed as the result of a collisional breakup of a pa ...
is named in her honour.


Early life and education

Huch was born in
Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( ; from Low German , local dialect: ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...
to Richard Huch (1830–1887) and Emilie, born Hähn (1842–1883), in 1864. The Huchs were a well off merchant family. Her brother Rudolf and cousins Friedrich and Felix were writers. While living with her family in Braunschweig, she corresponded with
Ferdinand Tönnies Ferdinand Tönnies (; 26 July 1855 – 8 April 1936) was a German sociologist, economist, and philosopher. He was a significant contributor to sociological theory and field studies, best known for distinguishing between two types of social gro ...
. Because German universities did not allow women to graduate, Huch left Braunschweig in 1887 and moved to
Zurich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
to take the entrance examinations for the
University of Zurich The University of Zurich (UZH, ) is a public university, public research university in Zurich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of the ...
. She matriculated into a PhD program in history and received her doctorate in 1892 for a dissertation on "The neutrality of the Confederation during the Spanish War of Succession" (''Die Neutralität der Eidgenossenschaft während des spanischen Erbfolgekrieges''). While at the University of Zurich, she established lasting friendships with
Marie Baum Marie Baum (23 March 1874 – 8 August 1964), was a German politician of the German Democratic Party (DDP) and social activist. She was one of the first female members of the Weimar National Assembly. She was a pioneer within German welfare and ...
, Hedwig Bleuler-Waser and
Marianne Plehn Marianne Plehn (30 October 1863 – 18 January 1946) was a German zoologist. She was the first woman to be awarded a doctorate at the ETH Zurich and the first woman to be appointed as professor in Bavaria in 1914. Plehn is commemorated in the nam ...
, who like her had come to Zurich to study. After receiving her doctorate she found employment at the Zurich public library. In 1896 she taught at a girls' school in
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
.


Early publications and historic studies

In the 1890s Huch published her first poems and stories. In 1892 her first novel was published ''Erinnerungen von Ludolf Ursleu dem Jüngeren''. In 1897 Huch moved to Vienna to research
Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...
. In Vienna she met the Italian dentist Ermanno Ceconi, whom she married in 1898. In 1899 she gave birth to their daughter Marietta. In 1899 the first volume of her two volume study on
German Romanticism German Romanticism () was the dominant intellectual movement of German-speaking countries in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, influencing philosophy, aesthetics, literature, and criticism. Compared to English Romanticism, the German vari ...
was published, ''Blütezeit der Romantik''. The book launched Huch as contributor to the contemporary cultural discourse in Germany and established her reputation as a historian. ''Ausbreitung und Verfall der Romantik'' was published in 1902. Huch argued that German Romanticism went through a period of blossoming and a later period of decay. She argued that
August Wilhelm Schlegel August Wilhelm von Schlegel (Schlegel until 1812; ; ; 8 September 176712 May 1845) was a German Indologist, poet, translator and critic. With his brother Friedrich Schlegel, he was a leading influence within Jena Romanticism. His translations o ...
,
Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel Karl Wilhelm Friedrich (after 1814: von) Schlegel ( ; ; 10 March 1772 – 12 January 1829) was a German literary critic, philosopher, and Indologist. With his older brother, August Wilhelm Schlegel, he was one of the main figures of Jena Roma ...
, Friedrich von Hardenberg,
Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder (13 July 1773 – 13 February 1798) was a German jurist and writer. With Ludwig Tieck and the Schlegel brothers, he co-founded German Romanticism. Life Wackenroder was born in Berlin. He was a close friend of Tieck ...
and
Ludwig Tieck Johann Ludwig Tieck (; ; 31 May 177328 April 1853) was a German poet, fiction writer, translator, and critic. He was one of the founding fathers of the Romanticism, Romantic movement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Early life Tieck w ...
were exponents of early German Romanticism. In this blossoming period
utopian A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia'', which describes a fictional island soci ...
thinking and a striving for balance between
reason Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing valid conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, religion, scien ...
and
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
, mind and body, culminated in the idea that human perfectibility was a task for everyone. Huch identifies late German Romanticism with a leaning towards simplistic
folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
,
myth Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
and self-destructive tendencies. She counts
Zacharias Werner Friedrich Ludwig Zacharias Werner (18 November 1768 – 17 January 1823) was a German poet, dramatist, and preacher. As a dramatist, he is known mainly for inaugurating the era of the so-called "tragedies of fate". Biography Werner was born at K ...
,
Clemens Brentano Clemens Wenzeslaus Brentano (also Klemens; pseudonym: Clemens Maria Brentano ; ; 9 September 1778 – 28 July 1842) was a German poet and novelist, and a major figure of German Romanticism. He was the uncle, via his brother Christian, of Franz a ...
,
Achim von Arnim Carl Joachim Friedrich Ludwig von Arnim (26 January 1781 – 21 January 1831), better known as Achim von Arnim, was a German poet, novelist, and together with Clemens Brentano and Joseph von Eichendorff, a leading figure of German Romanticism. ...
,
Bettina von Arnim Bettina von Arnim (born Elisabeth Catharina Ludovica Magdalena Brentano; 4 April 178520 January 1859) was a German writer and novelist. Bettina (or Bettine) Brentano was a writer, publisher, composer, singer, visual artist, an illustrator, patr ...
and Justinus Kerner among the late and decadent Romantics. Huch lamented the aspirituality and technocentrism of her own day and expressed the hope that after the rejection of Romanticism in the first half of the 19th century the intellectual achievements of Romanticism would be regenerated. Huch emphasised the role of women in early German Romanticism, pointing to the writings of Caroline Schelling,
Dorothea von Schlegel Dorothea Friederike von Schlegel (; 24 October 1764 – 3 August 1839) was a German novelist and translator. Life She was born as Brendel Mendelssohn in 1764 in Berlin,In older literature and on her gravestone one finds the date 1763, but this ...
,
Karoline von Günderrode Karoline Friederike Louise Maximiliane von Günderrode (11 February 1780 – 26 July 1806) was a German Romantic poet. She used the pen name Tian. Life Günderrode was the eldest of six children of and Louise Sophie Victorine Auguste. Her pare ...
,
Rahel Levin Rahel Antonie Friederike Varnhagen () (née Levin, later Robert; 19 May 1771 – 7 March 1833) was a German writer who hosted one of the most prominent salons in Europe during the late-18th and early-19th centuries. She is the subject of a celebr ...
,
Bettina von Arnim Bettina von Arnim (born Elisabeth Catharina Ludovica Magdalena Brentano; 4 April 178520 January 1859) was a German writer and novelist. Bettina (or Bettine) Brentano was a writer, publisher, composer, singer, visual artist, an illustrator, patr ...
and Dorothea von Rodde-Schlözer. Huch's historical research was challenged by her contemporaries. While her meticulous research was admired and her breadth of vision was honoured, she was criticised for poetic imagination. In her days historians would interpret the meaning of historic documents, while Huch focused on conjuring up images by describing contents, symbolism, colour and moods to evoke the world view of a historic period. Her contemporary Toni Wolff identified Huch as a medial historian who had the ability to “evoke historical situations and persons”. This caused bewilderment among her contemporaries, who were used to thinking of history as big events, military campaigns and great men. Instead Huch presented the historic facts and drew character studies of the individuals, with their failures and triumphs. In her historic studies she also charted the lives of ordinary people, such as monks, society ladies and children. Huch and her husband moved to Trieste and then to Munich. In early 1900 the couple divorced, though Huch remained close to Ceconi. In 1903 Huch's novel ''Vita somnium breve'' was published, which was retitled and republished in 1913 as ''Michael Unger''. In 1906 her treatise on
Gottfried Keller Gottfried Keller (19 July 1819 – 15 July 1890) was a Swiss poet and writer of German literature. Best known for his novel '' Green Henry'' (German: ''Der grüne Heinrich'') and his cycle of novellas called '' Seldwyla Folks'' (''Die Leute von Se ...
''Die Geschichte von Garibaldi'' was published. A volume with poetry followed in 1907. In the same year Huch married her cousin Richard Huch, who had divorced from her sister in 1907. In 1908 she published a treatise on the Italian unification ''Aus dem Zeitalter des Risorgimento''.


Publications during World War I

In 1914 Huch celebrated her fiftieth birthday, three weeks after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
, her final volume of her trilogy on the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
had just been completed. This trilogy solidified her reputation as one of Germany's foremost historians. During the first years of the
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
Huch lived in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
. 1915 Huch's character study of
Albrecht von Wallenstein Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein, Duke of Friedland (; 24 September 1583 – 25 February 1634), also von Waldstein (), was a Bohemian military leader and statesman who fought on the Catholic side during the Thirty Years' War (1618–16 ...
was published, ''Wallenstein - Eine Charakterstudie''. In it she chronicled Wallenstein's attempt to renew and unify Germany out of the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
, which she termed a “degenerate and decadent” Reich. After World War I Huch's interpretation of regenerating Germany through war and violent revolution resonated among nationalists in the defeated Germany. In 1916 she moved to
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, but returned to Munich in 1918 just before the
German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
collapsed. During the war she had also published ''Natur und Geist'' in 1914 and ''Luthers Glaube'' in 1916. Just after the war she published ''Der Sinn der heiligen Schrift'' in 1919. In her early autobiographical writings Huch had expressed a
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
faith combined with a
Goethean Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on literary, political, and philosophi ...
view of history and the community. In ''Luthers Glaube'' she established counter arguments to modern
scepticism Skepticism ( US) or scepticism ( UK) is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the pe ...
, emphasising that
Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...
was a great man of faith rather than the founder of a new church. While Huch emphasised the importance of the home country, and family values, she regarded change as inevitable and valued individuality above all else. Her books on religious and philosophical history conveyed a joined-up view of human beings, human life and history.


Publications during the Weimar Republic

In the early years of the Weimarer Republik Huch published ''Entpersönlichung'' in 1921. In 1924 she published a study on the
anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
Michael Bakunin Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin. Sometimes anglicized to Michael Bakunin. ( ; – 1 July 1876) was a Russian revolutionary anarchist. He is among the most influential figures of anarchism and a major figure in the revolutionary socialist, so ...
entitled ''Michael Bakunin und die Anarchie''. Her study of the Prussian reformer
Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein (25 October 1757 – 29 June 1831), commonly known as Baron vom Stein, was a Prussian statesman who introduced the Prussian reforms, which paved the way for the unification of Germany. He promoted the ...
entitled ''Stein'' was published 1925. In 1927 she published in three volumes geographical essays of German cities ''Im alten Reich. Lebensbilder deutscher Städte''. In these essays she describes the structure of old cities, their buildings and important historic events. Huch stressed the particularity of urban organisms and the communal spirit cities generated. Huch also examined the
Medieval commune Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense (both physical defense and of traditional freedoms) among the citizens of a town or city. These took many forms and varied widely in organization and makeup. C ...
and charted the development of self-governing communities based on personal involvement and solidarity. Huch had first examined the idea of self-reliant communities, which she contrasted to what she perceived as artificial modern societies, in her biography of Bakunin. In 1927 Huch, her daughter and her son-in-law
Franz Böhm Franz Böhm (16 February 1895 – 26 September 1977) was a German politician, lawyer, and economist. Early life Franz Böhm was born on 16 February 1895 in Konstanz. He moved along with his family in 1898 to Karlsruhe as his father was appoi ...
moved to Berlin. In 1931 Huch was awarded the
Goethe Prize The Goethe Prize of the City of Frankfurt () is an award for achievement "worthy of honour in memory of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe" made by the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was usually an annual award until 1955, and thereafter has been ...
. She was the first woman that was invited to join the Preußische Akademie der Künste (Prussian Academy of Arts). In 1930 her treatise on the
German revolutions of 1848–49 German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
was published under the title ''Alte und neue Götter (1848). Die Revolution des 19. Jahrhunderts in Deutschland''.


Publications during the Third Reich

When the
Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
seized power in 1933 and proclaimed the German Dritte Reich, she resigned in protest from the Prussian Academy of Arts. Huch and other members of the academy had in March 1933 received a letter from the president of the Prussian Academy of Arts,
Max von Schillings Max von Schillings (April 19, 1868 – July 24, 1933) was a German conductor, composer and theatre director. He was chief conductor at the Berlin State Opera from 1919 to 1925. Schillings' opera ''Mona Lisa'' (1915) was internationally successfu ...
, asking them to sign a declaration drafted by Gottfried Benn, declaring their loyalty to the new government. A public and infamous exchange of letters between Huch and Schillings followed. Huch refused to sign. Schillings responded, expressing the hope that the academy could count on her support and her continuous membership. Huch responded, saying that she will not forgo her right to
freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...
and asked Schillings whether her refusal to sign the declaration will inevitably lead to her exclusion from the academy. Schillings replied that the academy is merely asking its members to not publicly oppose the new government. Schillings also pointed out that if she resigned, she would be in the company of
Heinrich Mann Luiz Heinrich Mann (; March 27, 1871 – March 11, 1950), best known as simply Heinrich Mann, was a German writer known for his sociopolitical novels. From 1930 until 1933, he was president of the fine poetry division of the Prussian Academy ...
who had resigned from the academy to mount an unsuccessful attempt of mobilising a social democratic alliance against the
NSDAP The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor, the German Workers ...
during the March 1933 elections. Schillings argued that this could not be her wish, since she had in her writings clearly expressed nationalist views (although Huch’s nationalism was of the liberal variety). Huch responded, saying that it is natural for a German to feel German, but that she condemned the Nazis' strong-arm tactics, brutal centralization and intimidation of those with other opinions. Huch called the Nazis' tactics un-German, defended her right to freedom of expression and noted that she was not in agreement with the Nazi doctrine. Huch remained in Berlin and researched early German history, starting with
Charles the Great Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian Empire from 800, holding these titles until his death in 814. He united mo ...
. In 1934 she published the first volume of her trilogy on medieval Germany social history, focusing on various medieval political, social and religious institutions. ''Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation'' was followed by ''Das Zeitalter der Glaubensspaltung'' in 1937. Huch idealized medieval German culture, and passed comment on leadership, justice and Jews in Germany. Her views were an open challenge to the Nazi doctrine on
Germanic culture Germanic culture is a term referring to the culture of Germanic peoples, and can be used to refer to a range of time periods and nationalities, but is most commonly used in either a historical or contemporary context to denote groups that derive fro ...
and its
roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...
. Her son-in-law Böhm was forced out of the public service by the Nazis. In 1936 Huch together with her daughter, Böhm and their son, moved to
Jena Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 in ...
. Böhm was able to secure a teaching contract with
Jena University The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The university was established in 1558 and is c ...
, but in 1937 he and Huch were accused of
sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...
because the two had defended the intellectual capacities of Jews at a dinner party. While neither of the two were convicted, Böhm could not maintain his teaching position. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
Böhm moved to
Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...
and later to
Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
, while Huch and her daughter remained in Jena.


Publications and work in the post-war period

When Jena was to become part of the
Soviet zone of occupation The Soviet occupation zone in Germany ( or , ; ) was an area of Germany that was occupied by the Soviet Union as a communist area, established as a result of the Potsdam Agreement on 2 August 1945. On 7 October 1949 the German Democratic Republ ...
Huch fled to
West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
and settled in Frankfurt. She began work on a book celebrating members of the
German resistance to Nazism The German resistance to Nazism () included unarmed and armed opposition and disobedience to the Nazi Germany, Nazi regime by various movements, groups and individuals by various means, from assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler, attempts to ass ...
. In March 1946, 13 years after her resignation from the Prussian Academy of Arts she published a public appeal in Germany's daily newspapers asking for help in compiling biographical information on those who had sacrificed their lives to resist the Nazi terror. She reasoned that this ultimate sacrifice had helped all Germans to retain a grain of human dignity during a period of near boundless brutality. Huch argued that those who had resisted allowed all humans to rise from the swamp of everyday routine, light the spark for the fight against the bad and maintain the belief in the noble godliness of humanity. Huch was the honorary president of the 1947 German Writers' Congress in Frankfurt. She died at the age of 83 in November 1947, her book on the German resistance remained unfinished.


Legacy

Professor Frank Trommler,
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
, in his study of the German literature elite during the Third Reich argues that Huch, along with Ernst Wiechert, Werner Bergengruen, Reinhold Schneider,
Albrecht Haushofer Albrecht Georg Haushofer (7 January 1903 – 23 April 1945) was a German geographer, diplomat, author and member of the German Resistance to Nazism. Life Haushofer was born in Munich, the son of the retired World War I general and geographer K ...
and
Friedrich Reck-Malleczewen Friedrich Percyval Reck-Malleczewen (11 August 1884 – February 1945) was a German author. His best-known work is '' Diary of a Man in Despair'', a journal in which he expressed his passionate opposition to Adolf Hitler and Nazism. He was eve ...
, took a courageous stand on issues such as the suppression of freedom, the fight against tyranny, the longing for privacy and the simple life. Their reputation was grounded in their ability to articulate their opinions and in doing so authors like Huch shaped the political and cultural transformation in Germany after the demise of the Third Reich. These authors were closely observed by Nazi authorities because they were widely read by the German middle-class. Huch was in her 70s when the Nazi seized power, and unlike authors such as
Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novell ...
who first fled into "inner emigration" and then went into exile, she took a stand against the Nazi doctrine from the outset. Huch continued to live in Germany, made no attempt to conceal her convictions and published in Germany through Swiss publishers. In 1934 Mann wrote of his intellectual struggle against the powers that be "Getting through it and maintaining one's own personal dignity and liberty is everything." When
Alfred Andersch Alfred Hellmuth Andersch (; 4 February 1914 – 21 February 1980) was a German writer, publisher, and radio editor. The son of a conservative East Prussian army officer, he was born in Munich, Germany, and died in Berzona, Ticino, Switzerland. ...
assessed German literary output during the Nazi reign in 1947 he categorised Huch alongside
Gerhart Hauptmann Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann (; 15 November 1862 – 6 June 1946) was a German dramatist and novelist. He is counted among the most important promoters of Naturalism (literature), literary naturalism, though he integrated other styles into h ...
, Rudolf Alexander Schröder, Hans Carossa and
Gertrud von Le Fort Baroness Gertrud von Le Fort (born Gertrud Auguste Lina Elsbeth Mathilde Petrea Freiin von Le Fort; 11 October 1876 – 1 November 1971) was a German writer. Life Le Fort was born in Minden, in the former Province of Westphalia, then the Kin ...
as older and established poets who had stayed in Germany and upheld a tradition of "bourgeois classicism". Andersch counted the poets
Stefan Andres Stefan Paul Andres (26 June 1906 – 29 June 1970) was a German novelist. As the Nazi regime flexed its power, Andres moved away to Italy in 1937, returning to Germany 13 years later. He was a widely read German writer in the post-World War ...
, Horst Lange, Hans Leip, Martin Raschke and Eugen Gottlob Winkler among the younger generation who stayed in Germany and contributed to the resistance against Nazi authorities with their literary work. After World War II Thomas Mann honoured Huch as "the first lady of German letters". Ricarda Huch's collection ''Autumn Fire'', translated by Timothy Adès and with an introduction by Karen Leeder, was published in November 2024 by Poetry Salzburg. It is the first time that Huch's last poetry collection is available in English translation. Huch was nominated seven times - in 1928, 1935, 1937, and 1946 - for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Especially in 1937 Huch should have received the Nobel Prize. The nomination by Fritz Strich, Professor of German literature, literature historian, University of Bern, Switzerland, was supported by 27 professors from the universities of Bern, Basel, Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland, and Groningen, NL. In the same year she also received nominations by Heinrich Wölfflin, Art historian and a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, and Knut Hjalmar Leonard Hammarskjöld, a lawyer, politician, and member of the Swedish Academy.


Publications by Huch

* ''Gedichte'' Dresden 1891 * ''Evoe'' Berlin 1892 * ''Erinnerungen von Ludolf Ursleu dem Jüngeren'' Berlin 1893 * ''Gedichte'' Leipzig 1894 * ''Der Mondreigen von Schlaraffis'' Leipzig 1896 * ''Teufeleien, Lügenmärchen'' Leipzig 1897 * ''Haduvig im Kreuzgang'' Leipzig 1897 * ''Fra Celeste und andere Erzählungen'' Hermann Haessel Verlag, Leipzig 1899 * ''Blütezeit der Romantik'' Leipzig 1899 * ''Ausbreitung und Verfall der Romantik'' Leipzig 1902 * ''Dornröschen. Ein Märchenspiel'' Leipzig 1902 * ''Aus der Triumphgasse. Lebensskizzen'' Leipzig 1902 * ''Vita somnium breve'' Insel Verlag, Leipzig 1903 * ''Von den Königen und der Krone'' Stuttgart 1904 * ''Gottfried Keller'' Schuster & Loeffler, Berlin und Leipzig 1904 * ''Seifenblasen. Drei scherzhafte Erzählungen'' Stuttgart 1905 * ''Die Geschichten von Garibaldi'' (Volume 1: ‘’Die Verteidigung Roms’’; Volume 2: ‘’Der Kampf um Rom’’) Stuttgart/Leipzig 1906–1907 * ''Neue Gedichte'' Leipzig 1908 * ''Menschen und Schicksale aus dem Risorgimento'' Leipzig 1908 * ''Das Leben des Grafen Federigo Confalonieri'' Leipzig 1910 * ''Der Hahn von Quakenbrück und andere Novellen'' Berlin 1910 * ''Der letzte Sommer'' Stuttgart 1910 * ''Der große Krieg in Deutschland'' Leipzig 1912–1914 (later as: ''Der Dreißigjährige Krieg'' Leipzig 1929) * ''Natur und Geist als die Wurzeln des Lebens und der Kunst'' München 1914 (new edition: ''Vom Wesen des Menschen. Natur und Geist'' Prien 1922) * ''Wallenstein. Eine Charakterstudie'' Leipzig 1915 * ''Luthers Glaube. Briefe an einen Freund'' Leipzig 1916 * '' Der Fall Deruga'' Berlin 1917 * ''Der Sinn der Heiligen Schrift'' Leipzig 1919 * ''Alte und neue Gedichte'' Leipzig 1920 * ''Entpersönlichung'' Leipzig 1921 * ''Michael Bakunin und die Anarchie'' Leipzig 1923 * ''Stein'' Wien / Leipzig 1925 * ''Teufeleien und andere Erzählungen'' Haessel, Leipzig 1924 * ''Graf Mark und die Prinzessin von Nassau-Usingen’’'' Leipzig 1924 * ''Der wiederkehrende Christus. Eine groteske Erzählung'' Leipzig 1926 * ''Im alten Reich. Lebensbilder deutscher Städte'' (3 Volumes: ''Der Norden/Die Mitte des Reiches/Der Süden'') 1927 * ''Neue Städtebilder Im alten Reich’’'' Leipzig 1929 * ''Gesammelte Gedichte'' 1929 * ''Lebensbilder mecklenburgischer Städte'' 1930/1931 * ''Die Hugenottin'' Bern 1932 * ''Alte und neue Götter (1848) Die Revolution des 19. Jahrhunderts in Deutschland'' Berlin und Zürich 1930 (later as: ''1848 Die Revolution des 19. Jahrhunderts in Deutschland'' 1948) * ''Deutsche Geschichte'' 1934–49 * ''Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation'' Berlin 1934 * ''Das Zeitalter der Glaubensspaltung'' Zürich 1937 * ''Untergang des Römischen Reiches Deutscher Nation'' Zürich 1949 * ''Frühling in der Schweiz'' Zürich 1938 * ''Weiße Nächte'' Zürich 1943 * ''Herbstfeuer'' Insel, Leipzig 1944 (''Autumn Fire'', transl. Timothy Adès, introduction by Karen Leeder; Poetry Salzburg, 2024).''Autumn Fire'' (transl. Timothy Adès, introduction by Karen Leeder) Poetry Salzburg, 2024
/ref> * ''Mein Tagebuch'' Weimar 1946 * ''Urphänomene'' Zürich 1946 * ''Der falsche Großvater'' Insel, Wiesbaden 1947 * ''Der lautlose Aufstand. Bericht über die Widerstandsbewegung des deutschen Volkes 1933 - 1945'' Edited by Günther Weisenborn, Rowohlt Verlag, Hamburg 1953


References


External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Huch, Ricarda Writers from Braunschweig People from the Duchy of Brunswick 20th-century German historians German women poets 1864 births 1947 deaths 19th-century German novelists 20th-century German novelists 19th-century German women writers 20th-century German women writers University of Zurich alumni German women novelists Burials at Frankfurt Main Cemetery German women historians