Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Waldemar Bonsels

Waldemar Bonsels

Waldemar Bonsels

Waldemar Bonsels (21 February 1880 in Ahrensburg - 31 July 1952 in Ambach) was a German writer of children's books. Waldemar Bonsels wrote only one children's book in the strict sense, Die Biene Maja. "People in the sky" (Himmelsvolk) is not a proper children's book but has a much deeper mystical layer showing the unity of all creation and its relationship to God. There are a number of novels and shorter stories dealing with love as Eros and on the higher level of divine love in the spirit of romanticism (Eros und die Evangelien, Menschenwege, Narren und Helden, etc. ), with the relationship between man and nature in a simple life unchanged by modern civilization (Anjekind, etc. ) and also including a historical novel from the time of Jesus (Der Grieche Dositos). He travelled extensively in Europe and Asia. Voyage in India (Indienfahrt) is the fruit of one of these travels. His famous work Die Biene Maja also served the basis for a Croatian opera for children written by Bruno Bjelinski, making Bonsels work known to even a great audience. The Opera was recently staged in Villach, Austria at the Carinthian Summer Music Festival.



[Das Anjekind | Die Biene Maja | Eros Und Die Evangelien | Himmelsvolk | Indienfahrt | The Adventures Of Maya The Bee]


Tags: christopher hare  andrew preston peabody  prentice mulford  donald monro  emma guy cromwell  edward eggleston  sam merwin  american anti slavery society  

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