Hermann Claudius

Claudius, Hermann (Altona, 1878-1980, Grönwohld nr. Trittau), a great-grandson of the 18th c. poet M. Claudius, was an elementary school teacher in Hamburg. Deafness caused him to retire in 1934, after which he lived in the near-by village of Hummelsbüttel. Claudius was primarily a dialect poet, dealing with aspects of the lives of working people and the moods of both the city and the rural scene. His principal collections are Mank Muern (1912), Hörst du nicht den Eisenschritt (patriotic, 1914), Lieder der Unruh (1920), Heimkehr (1925), Daß dein Herz fest sei (1935), Zuhause (1940), and Das Wolkenbüchlein (1948). He also wrote novels (Das Silberschiff, 1923; Bertram von Mynden, 1927) and stories, mostly connected with his own experiences. Among the collections of Novellen are Wie ich den lieben Gott suchte (1935) and Mein Vetter Emil (1938). In 1933 he was elected to the National Socialist Dichterakademie (see Akademien).