Hermann Lenz

A major part of his work is a series of nine semi-autobiographical novels centring on his alter ego "Eugen Rapp", a cycle that is also known as the Schwäbische Chronik ("Swabian Chronicle").

He first appeared in 1936, mediated by Georg von der Vring, with the poetry collection Gedichte, his first publication, which was followed before the war, with the repeatedly revised narrative Das stille Haus ("The Silent House").

From the start in opposition to Nazism, Lenz moved back into inner worlds – the Biedermeier or the Vienna Fin de siècle – the scene of many narrative texts and the object of reflections in countless character monologues.

In the midpoint of his work is a nine-volume autobiographical novel cycle about the alter-ego figure "Eugen Rapp", which began with Verlassene Zimmer [The Abandoned Room] (1966) and concluded with Freunde [Friends] (1997).

As the most prominent stylistic device he uses here the form of "internal dialogue", which makes the character perspective transparent and transferred to the reflections of the outside world directly into sensations.

"Ich bin eben ein schwäbischer Dickschädel" ("I'm just a Swabian mule-head"), said Hermann Lenz on his 85th birthday, 26 February 1998, shortly before his death in May of that year.