Emmy Hennings
Emmy Hennings was a German poet and performing artist, and co-founder of the Dadaist Cabaret Voltaire with her second husband Hugo Ball.
Known as the "star of the show," Hennings has been the subject of numerous creative works, including a best-selling novel, a graphic novel, short films and various works of visual art. Family member Julian Schütt has commented on her eclipse and re-emergence as a central artistic figure of the early twentieth century: "Suddenly my great-grandmother is on YouTube – although for a long time she was only considered an ecstatic groupie"
Life and work
Hennings was born on 17 January 1885 in Flensburg, German Empire, describing herself later as "a seaman's child".After her first marriage ended in 1906, Hennings became an itinerant performer, traveling over much of the European continent. She was a performer at the Cabaret Simplizissimus in Munich, when she met Ball in 1913. At the time, Hennings was already a published poet, whose works had appeared in the left-wing publications Pan and Die Aktion. In 1913 she also published a short poetry collection titled Ether Poems. Later, Hennings was a contributor to the magazine Revolution, founded by Ball and Hans Leybold.
Hennings and Ball moved to Zürich in 1915, where they took part in the founding of the Cabaret Voltaire, which marked the beginning of the Dada movement.
Before they launched the Cabaret Voltaire, the two struggled to make a living in Zürich during the early days of WW1. They toured, performing mostly in hotels around Switzerland. Hennings sang, did puppetry, and danced to music composed by Ball. She also recited her own poetry. In 1916 Ball and Hennings created Arabella, their own ensemble troupe, where Hennings performed under the name Dagny.
On 5 February 1916, Hennings and Hugo founded the Cabaret Voltaire at Spiegelgasse 1, 8001 Zürich. Hennings was a regular performer at the Cabaret Voltaire. Her performances included a role in the German premiere of Das Leben des Menschen by playwright Leonid Andreev, in which she appeared with Ball. Hennings also performed in Krippenspiel, a piece written by Ball.
Hennings married Ball on 21 February 1920. They had no children together. However, Hennings had a daughter, Annemarie, from a previous relationship, who took fondly to Ball. Hennings, who outlived Ball by two decades, lived in Magliaso, Switzerland from 1942 to 1948. She died on 10 August 1948 at a clinic in Sorengo, Switzerland.
Dada star
In The Magic Bishop: Hugo Ball, Dada Poet, author Erdmute Wenzel White writes that Hennings “was admired by expressionists as the incarnation of the cabaret artist of her time... The shining star of the Voltaire, according to the Züricher Post, her role in Dada has not been adequately acknowledged.”.White also cites a poem by Johannes Becher, which he uses as evidence that Emmy served as a muse for other artists of the time:
"It was in Munich, at the Café Stefanie,
Where I recited for you, Emmy, poems
That I dared tell only you,"
Pop culture
The novel, "" tells the story of Emmy Hennings as she navigates the early days of World War 1. Driven to find purpose amidst the chaos, the novel transports readers to a turbulent era where art becomes a beacon of hope, defying the darkness of war and igniting a global artistic revolution named "Dada".The German emo band 125, Rue Montmartre featured Emmy Hennings on the cover of their split 7" with Maggat.