Ernst Jandl

Language: german

Translations: french (vienne : place des héros)

wien : heldenplatz

der glanze heldenplatz zirka
versaggerte in maschenhaftem männchenmeere
drunter auch frauen die ans maskelknie
zu heften heftig sich versuchten, hoffensdick
und brüllzten wesentlich.

verwogener stirnscheitelunterschwang
nach nöten nördlich, kechelte
mit zu-nummernder aufs bluten feilzer stimme
hinsensend sämmertliche eigenwäscher.

pirsch!
döppelte der gottelbock von Sa-Atz zu Sa-Atz
mit hünig sprenkem stimmstummel.
balzerig würmelte es im männechensee
und den weibern ward so pfingstig ums heil
zumahn: wenn ein knie-ender sie hirschelte.

Ernst Jandl

photo © gezett.de

* 01.08.1925, Vienna, Austria
† 09.06.2000, Vienna, Austria

Ernst Jandl was born on August 1, 1925 in Vienna.

Upon finishing high school, he began his mandatory military service on the front in 1943 and was held captive in an American war prison, from which he was released in 1946.

In 1950 Jandl wrote his doctoral thesis on the short stories of Arthur Schnitzler. Back in Vienna, he studied Germanistics and Anglistics, completed his teaching certification in 1949, and subsequently worked as a teacher until 1979. Since 1952, he has been published regularly in journals, and since 1964 in book form.

He and Friederike Mayröcker had an intimate friendship that started the mid-50s and they collaborated many times on literary works.

In 1970-71 he was a guest of the DAAD in West-Berlin, and in the fall on 1971 a Visiting German Writer at the University of Texas in Austin. Along with Mayröcker, he went on a lecture tour through the United States in 1972. In 1977 he held six lectures about new poetry at the Technische Universität Wien. In 1984, he took the position of Foundation Lecturer of Poetics at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt on Main. He has also appeared several times with the musicians of the Vienna Orchestra, and from 1992 onward with the musician Erich Meixner. In 1995 he was honoured with a symposium at the Universität Udine.

Ernst Jandl died on June 9, 2000.

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