Strindbergiana - Strindberg in Berlin


Stettiner Bahnhof
On Oktober 1^st 1892 August Strindberg arrives at the Stettiner Bahnhof in Berlin. He is met by his friend Ola Hansson und the writers Stanislav Przybyszewski and Adolf Paul. Hansson who has collected his travel money has also been busy for some time contacting publishers and theatre directors in order to make Strindberg known in Germany.

Friedrichshagen, Lindenallee 2
Strindberg's first home in Berlin is the neighbouring flat of Ola Hansson's house in Friedrichshagen which Strindberg ironically calls "Friedrichsruh" or "Friedrichshölle". Ola Hansson and his wife Laura Marholm introduce Strindberg to a circle of artists and intellectuals in Friedrichshagen.


Friedrichshagen, Müggelschloss
Already before the notorious Schwarzes Ferkel is founded the group of artists in Friedrichshagen meets for evenings of convivial drinking. To his new intimate, the Finnish writer Adolf Paul, Strindberg writes on Oktober 7^th 1892: „When Strindberg gets money, Paul och Przybyszewski will get money, too, and Priapus will dance the dead Russian to the piano at the Müggelschloss.“

Neue Wilhelmstraße 2
Strindberg believes himself taken advantage of  by Ola Hansson and his wife. In the middle of november he leaves the flat in Friedrichshagen not informing them of his plans and moves to a boarding house in Neue Wilhelmstraße in the center of Berlin.

Potsdamerstraße
In december after a short journey to Weimar Strindberg moves to Potsdamerstraße, where he stays until the beginning of february 1893.

Zum Schwarzen Ferkel
At the Corner of Unter den Linden/Neue Wilhelmstraße

„The ‚Schwarzes Ferkel’“ writes the journalist Theodor Wolff, who is a guest there sometimes, „was at that time a tiny wine bar in Wilhelmstraße, near the ‚Linden'. It was on the ground floor and consisted of two rooms. On the left from the entrance was the shop furnished with wine caskets, on the right a small room with a single table. Strindberg and Munch had noticed the skin of a black piglet hanging above the door, they had entered, had become permanent guests, had given the pub its name and felt even more like priviledged rulers there, because the landlord had a warm heart for literature and art. He didn't underestimate the honour they payed him with their visits, didn't press them to pay their debts and from time to time as a compensation for the unpayed bills for wine and cognac he took one of Strindberg's pictures which was painted in thick layers of paint and visualized either the sea or a meadow.“

Equitablepalast
At the Corner of Friedrichstraße/Leipziger Straße

On Dezember 23rd 1892 Edvard Munch opened his own exhibition at  the Equitablepalast, a newly build office block and business centre at the Corner of Friedrichstraße/Leipziger Straße. At a strategical point in the exhibition he placed a portrait of Strindberg, and thus presented himself and the Swedish writer as members of a Scandinavian avantgarde. Strindberg writes about the exhibition in a letter to Tavastjerna: „I dag öppnar Munch sin utställning ånyo för at slo nya slag för den Skandinaviska Renässansen.“

Lindenhotel
Kleine Kirchgasse 2-3

In early february Strindberg moves to the Lindenhotel where Adolf Paul and other Scandinavians live. While staying in Berlin Strindberg is busy painting and carrying out scientifical experiments, which he describes in his book Antibarbarus.


Lessing Theater
In 1890, before Strindberg arrives in Berlin, the Lessing theatre plans to produce his play The father as the first Strindberg play on a German stage. Yet the play is banned and can therefore only be produced by the „Freie Bühne“.

Residenztheater
In Oktober 1890 The father  is produced for the „Freie Bühne“ in the Residenztheatre. The Critic Karl Frenzel calls the play „one of those pathologically strange, embarassing and eccentric nordic plays which undoubtedly result from certain phenomena of the people's live and the literary movement in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, but which have no influence for us and our laws, habits and customs.“

In 1893, whileStrindberg is staying in Berlin, Siegmund Lautenburg produces Strindberg's plays Fordringsägare, Första varningen and Inför döden at the Residenztheatre.

Schlosscafé
Pankow

After his marriage to Frieda Uhl Strindberg spends a few weeks in Helgoland and London, then travels to Rügen and Mondsee in Austria where his wife's family lives. Having returned to Berlin he temporarily lives, as he writes, „under the roof of heaven“ in the Schlosskafé in Pankow, where he hopes to meet „the wilde man“ Richard Dehmel. On August 13th 1893 he writes to Adolf Paul: „Invandrat i Pankow som är mycket bättre än ryktet. [...] Pankow är finare än Friedrichshagen och 15 minuters resa.“

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Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Nordeuropa-Institut
Unter den Linden 6
D - 10099 Berlin

Tel: +49-30-2093 9-625 Fax: +49-30-2093 9-626

Pensionat Müller v. d. Werra
Albrechtstrasse 9a

On August 15th Strindberg und Frida Uhl move to Adolf Pauls room in a hotel in Albrechtstr. 9a, where some of their acquaintances live. They have planned only a short stay which then lasts til October.