DER KREIDEKREIS: Spiel in 5 Akten nach dem Chinesischen [The Chalk Circle]

Klabund [Alfred Henschke]

Published by J. M. Spaeth Verlag, Berlin, Germany, 1925

About this Item

First impression of the first edition in German, translated from the Chinese. 1925 on the publisher's copyright page to the fore (as called for). Good in black cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to spine and gilt illustrative design and titles and gilt ruled self-black title and ruled block and white circular border to gilt buddha cartouche illustration to front board. Spine tied with raffia/bamboo (as called for), as part of the 'Chinese' design. Rust-red turtle and exotic flower oriental line-illustrated front and rear free endpapers and pastedowns. Attractive contemporaneous ex-Libris black and white steel-engraved bookplate to front pastedown showing a minstrel sitting on a rocky outcrop reading a book with a mandarin by his side above a meadow and track with the owner's name Jery? Kottow handwritten on the bookplate. Soft pencil name: 'Kottow' als written to top of title-page. Edges of boards and head and tail of spine slightly rubbed. Corners of boards rubbed and bumped. There are three punch-holes into which the raffia string passes through, and the bottom rear punch-hole is missing the fragile raffia/bamboo string so that the lower part of rear spine is loose. (A new bamboo/raffia string binding could be threaded through). No foxing. Pages clean. 112 pages. ***A Chinese play in five acts translated into German. [Acts translate as follow: Act.1.Tea house. Act 2. The Mandarin's garden and veranda. Act 3. The Courtroom. Act 4. Snowstorm landscape. Act 5. The Imperial Palace]. ***Alfred Henschke (4 November 1890 ¿ 14 August 1928), better known by his pseudonym Klabund, was a German writer. Klabund, born Alfred Henschke in 1890 in Crossen, was the son of an apothecary. At the age of 16 he came down with tuberculosis, which the doctors initially misdiagnosed as pneumonia. The illness stayed with him for the rest of his short life. In 1912 he quit his studies and took on the pseudonym Klabund, styling himself after Peter Hille as a vagabond poet. A first volume of poetry was published under the title Morgenrot! Klabund! Die Tage dämmern! (Dawn! Klabund! The Days Break!) The name Klabund goes back to a north and northeast German name and was devised by him and others as a combination of Klabautermann (a devious hobgoblin of German folklore) and Vagabund (vagabond).in 1925, his play Der Kreidekreis (The Chalk Circle), based on a Chinese story, was first produced in Meissen. The Berlin performances of the play later that year achieved great success; (Bertolt Brecht later adapted the play in his Kaukasischer Kreidekreis (The Caucasian Chalk Circle)). In the years that followed, Klabund wrote regularly for cabarets, including Schall und Rauch. His folksy poems and songs achieved great popularity. Klabund completed 25 plays and 14 novels¿several of which were published only after his death¿numerous short stories, many adaptations, and several works on the history of literature. Between 1998 and 2003, a collection of his works appeared in eight volumes. ***First impression of the first edition in German translated from the Chinese. Uncommon. Of interest to collectors of first editions by Alfred Henschke [Klabund] and early twentieth century German books in the German language. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. Seller Inventory # 3907

Bibliographic Details

Title: DER KREIDEKREIS: Spiel in 5 Akten nach dem ...

Publisher: J. M. Spaeth Verlag, Berlin, Germany

Publication Date: 1925

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Good

Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket, as Issued

Edition: First Edition in German