Ulrich Becher


Ulrich Becher was a German author and playwright.

Overview

Becher was born in Berlin, where, after attending the Wickersdorf Free School Community, he studied law. During his school years he had already made the acquaintance of George Grosz, who had taken on the talented youth as his only pupil.
In 1932, his novella series Männer machen Fehler was published by Rowohlt Verlag. In the same year Becher became a member of PEN. On the assumption of power by the Nazi Party in 1933, his work was condemned as "degenerate" literature, and he was the youngest writer to have his works thrown into a book-burning fire. On 11 November 1933, he married Dana, daughter of the Austrian author Alexander Roda Roda and consequently took Austrian citizenship. As the son of the Swiss pianist Elisabeth Ulrich, he hoped he would be able to live in Switzerland as an author, however in the eyes of the Swiss authorities his anti-fascist stance went against Switzerland's neutrality policy. He was consequently denied a work permit and was driven to emigrate. At the last minute, Becher and his wife succeeded in escaping to Brazil via Portugal in 1941. Efforts to obtain a visa to enter the United States were to last three years. At last, Becher was granted permission to enter the country and settled in New York City near his parents and parents-in-law.
In 1948, he returned to Europe with Der Bockerer, a completed theatre play that he had created with Peter Preses, which went on to have great success in Vienna. In 1954 he settled in Basel, and in 1976 he won the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Swiss Schiller Foundation. He died in Basel, aged 80.

Selected works

  • Männer machen Fehler. Narratives, Berlin, 1932.
  • Niemand. Modern mystery play, Ostrava, 1934.
  • Die Eroberer. Stories from Europe, Zürich, 1936.
  • Der Bockerer. Tragic farce, co-written with Peter Preses, Vienna 1946.
  • Reise zum blauen Tag. Verses, St. Gallen, 1946.
  • Nachtigall will zum Vater fliegen. A cycle of New York novellas in four nights, Vienna, 1950.
  • Brasilianischer Romanzero. Vienna ; Zürich, 1950.
  • Kurz nach 4. Novel, Hamburg, 1957.
  • Spiele der Zeit - Samba; Feuerwasser ; Die Kleinen und die Großen. Hamburg, 1957.
  • Das Herz des Hais. Novel, Reinbek, 1960.
  • Spiele der Zeit, Bd. 2 - Niemand ; Makumba; Mademoiselle Löwenzom. Berlin. 1968.
  • Murmeljagd. Novel, Reinbek, 1969.
  • Das Profil. Novel, Reinbek, 1973.
  • William's Ex-Casino. Novel, Zürich; Cologne, 1973.
  • SIFF. Selektive Identifizierung von Freund und Feind. Essays, Zürich; Köln, 1978.
  • Franz Patenkindt. Epic of François Villon's German Godson in Fifteen Bench-Songs, Berlin, 1979.
  • Vom Unzulänglichen der Wirklichkeit. 10 not so nice stories, Basel, 1983.
  • Abseits vom Rodeo. Novella, Basel, 1991.
Bibliography
  • Giorgia Sogos, Deutschland gestern und heute. Die Darstellung der Fremde in der Exil- und Migrationsliteratur im deutschsprachigen Kontext. Eine vergleichende Analyse, Free Pen Verlag, Bonn 2020, ISBN 978-3-945177-74-7.