Wilhelm Lobsien

Lobsien, Wilhelm (Foldingbro, Denmark, formerly in Prussia, 1872-1947, Niebüll), a schoolmaster, first in Hoyer (since 1919 Danish), then in Kiel, was a prolific writer of poems, stories, and novels, almost invariably associated with the North Sea coast of Schleswig, especially the great expanse of tidal flats known as ‘das Wattenmeer’. He is one of the few German writers to have made the unique off-shore world of the Halligen (see Hallig) the subject of several works. See also Biernatzki, J. Chr., and Zacchi, F.

Lobsien began with volumes of verse, Strandblumen (1894), Ich liebe dich (1902), Dünung (1904), and Blau blüht ein Blümelein (1905). He is the author of collections of Novellen, Wellen und Winde (1908), Friesenblut (1925), and Wind und Woge (1947), and also of collections of short narratives (Uthörn, 12 stories, 1940; Ekke Nekkepen, fairy-tales, 1918; Sterne überm Meer, Christmas tales, 1938; and Koog und Kogge, 21 short stories, posth., 1950). Separately published stories include Hinterm Seedeich (1907), Trutz, blanker Hans (1912), Heilige Not (1914), Letzte Fahrt (1923), Karsten Deichfahrer (1925), Klaus Störtebeker (1926) and Jürgen Wullenweber (1930, both historical), Gesa Früddens Weg (1932, one of his best for atmosphere and character), and Halligleute (1935).

Lobsien's best novel is Der Halligpastor (1914). Others include Pidder Lyng (1910), Wattenstürme (1910), Ebba Enevolds Liebe (1919), Landunter (1921), Der Pilger im Nebel (1922), Der Heimkehrer (1941), and Segnende Erde (1942).

As a practitioner of Heimatkunst, Lobsien follows closely in the wake of G. Frenssen; though less well known than the latter, he had a considerable reading public in Schleswig-Holstein.