Kleist Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 15 (1926) Winner
Alexander Lernet-Holenia
アレクサンダー・レルネ＝ホレニア
Alexander Lernet-Holenia
Pen Names:
Clemens Neydisser（Pen name used for some plays）,
G. T. Dampierre（Pen name used for late novel 'Die Beschwörung'）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1897-10-21 （Vienna, Austria-Hungary）
- Died
- 1976-07-03 （Vienna, Austria） age 78
- Nationality
- Austrian
- Languages
- German
- Religion
- Roman Catholic Baptized in 1923
- Residence History
- St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut (1926–1951) → Vienna (1952–1976; state apartments in the Hofburg Palace)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, novelist, playwright, screenwriter, historian
- Active Years
- 1917-1974
- Affiliations
- Editor/co-editor of the intellectual magazine 'Forum', International PEN (Austrian section), member and president (1969–1972)
- Memberships
- International PEN (Austrian section)
- Influenced By
- Rainer Maria Rilke
- Influenced
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Vienna | — | Faculty of Law (Law studies) | — | 1915–1916（第一次世界大戦への志願出征により学業中断） | Austria |
University of Vienna
Faculty of Law (Law studies)
Period:
1915–1916（第一次世界大戦への志願出征により学業中断）
Country:
Austria
Began law studies in 1915 but volunteered for military service; may not have completed a degree.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Kleist Prize | — | — | Kleist Prize committee | 受賞 |
| 1927 | Goethe Prize of the City of Bremen | — | — | City of Bremen | 受賞 |
| 1951 | City of Vienna Prize for Literature | — | — | City of Vienna | 受賞 |
| 1958 | Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany | — | — | Federal Republic of Germany | 受賞 |
| 1961 | Grand Austrian State Prize for Literature | — | — | Austrian federal government | 受賞 |
| 1967 | Gold Medal of the City of Vienna | — | — | City of Vienna | 受賞 |
| 1968 | Austrian Decoration for Science and Art | — | — | Austrian federal government | 受賞 |
Kleist Prize
1926
Organization:
Kleist Prize committee
Result:
受賞
Goethe Prize of the City of Bremen
1927
Organization:
City of Bremen
Result:
受賞
City of Vienna Prize for Literature
1951
Organization:
City of Vienna
Result:
受賞
Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
1958
Organization:
Federal Republic of Germany
Result:
受賞
Grand Austrian State Prize for Literature
1961
Organization:
Austrian federal government
Result:
受賞
Gold Medal of the City of Vienna
1967
Organization:
City of Vienna
Result:
受賞
Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
1968
Organization:
Austrian federal government
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Pastorale
1921 poetryEarly collection of poems reflecting interwar sensibilities and nature imagery.
naturepostwar consciousness
I Was Jack Mortimer
1933 novelA novel about crime and identity where the protagonist becomes entangled in assuming another person's identity; adapted for film several times.
identitycrimechance and fate
Adaptations
- [film] Adventure in Vienna / Emil-Edwin Reinert (1952)
- [film] Stolen Identity / Gunther von Fritsch (1953)
Translations
- I Was Jack Mortimer (English translation)
Der Baron Bagge
1936 novellaA shorter narrative featuring aristocratic characters told in a classical manner.
aristocracyfate
Mars in Aries (Die Blaue Stunde)
1941 novelA novel drawing on wartime experiences and moral conflict; the initial edition faced censorship and quarantine.
warresistance (implicit)moral conflict
Die Beschwörung (as G. T. Dampierre)
1974 novelA late-career novel published under the pen name G. T. Dampierre.
late-life themesmemory
Bibliography
- Pastorale (1921)
- Kanzonnair (1923)
- Ollapotrida (1926)
- Demetrius (1925)
- The Adventures of a Young Gentleman in Poland (1931)
- I Was Jack Mortimer (1933)
- The Standard (1934)
- Der Baron Bagge (1936)
- The Resurrection of Maltravers (1936)
- Mars in Aries (Die Blaue Stunde) (1941)
- Beide Sizilien (1942)
- Twentieth of July (1947)
- The Count of Saint Germain (1948)
- Count Luna (1955)
- Prince Eugene (1960)
- The Queen's Necklace (1962)
- The White Lady (1965)
- Pilate. A Complex (1967)
- The Witches (1969)
- Die Beschwörung (1974) (as G. T. Dampierre)
Adaptations
- Adventure in Vienna (film based on 'I Was Jack Mortimer', 1952)
- Stolen Identity (film based on 'I Was Jack Mortimer', 1953)
- The Standard (film based on the novel 'The Standard', 1977)
Translations of Works
- Several short stories, including 'Mona Lisa', have English translations
- 'I Was Jack Mortimer' is known in English through translations and film adaptations
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical, classically inflected narrationmix of psychological and uncanny elementsstyle incorporating historical and biographical studies
- Recurring Motifs
- intrusion of otherworldly or unreal experiences into realityaristocracy and social rankwar and memoryshifts/assumptions of identity
Health
-
lung cancer1974–1976（晩年）Health declined in his final years due to lung cancer; he died in 1976.
Legacy
Alexander Lernet-Holenia was a versatile writer across poetry, novels, plays, screenplays and historical studies; he significantly influenced Austrian cultural life from the interwar period through the postwar era. Several works were adapted to film and his work remains a subject for studies on Central European identity and aristocratic themes.
Academic Societies
- International Alexander Lernet-Holenia Society (founded 1998)
- Austrian PEN (associated)
Archives
- Papers and materials held in institutions such as the Austrian National Library
In Popular Culture
- Several film adaptations of works like 'I Was Jack Mortimer' influenced film culture
- Commemorated in Vienna by a park named after him (Hernals) and memorial plaques
Trivia
- Used pen names Clemens Neydisser and G. T. Dampierre.
- Lived in state apartments in the Hofburg Palace from 1952 until his death.
- Rumors circulated that his biological father was a Habsburg archduke; these claims were never substantiated.
- Elected president of the Austrian section of PEN in 1969 but resigned in 1972 in protest over the Nobel Prize awarded to Heinrich Böll.