The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21).
VOLUME XVIII. Later National Literature, Part III.
§ 15. German Translations of American Authors
Excellent translations of American authors were furnished by the poet Udo Brachvogel, who translated the works of Bret Harte and Aldrich; by Franz Siller, of Longfellow’s poems; by Eduard Leyh, of Joaquin Miller’s Arizonian. Some original dramas performed in German theatres of this country were: Udo Brachvogel’s Narciss; E. A. Zündt’s Jugurtha; Mathilde Giesler-Anneke’s Oithono; P. J. Reusz’s Tippo Saib, and others; K. Lorenz’s Das Schandmal (a tragedy based on Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter); V. Precht’s Jakob Leisler; A. Schafmeyer’s Ehrliche Menschen; Wilhelm Müller’s Festspiel, Im gelobten Lande Amerika, and Ein lateinischer Bauer.
Among writers of novels Reinhold Solger gave great promise in his Anton in Amerika, but an early death ended his career. L. A. Wollenweber, for a long time editor of the Philadelphia Demokrat, wrote sketches of Pennsylvania German life. Udo Brachvogel’s König Korn is a picture of Western farm life. Mediocre sketches such as those of Stürenburg (Klein Deutschland) or J. Rittig (Federzeichnungen aus dem amerikanischen Stadtleben) appeared in great numbers. Max Arlberg wrote a socialistic novel called Joseph Freifeld. R. Puchner’s Anna Ruland and H. Bertsch’s Die Geschwister, or Bob der Sonderling, are worthy of mention in a list that might be prolonged. Among very recent works Bernhard Kellermann’s Der Tunnel (1913), a fantastic dream of tunnelling the Atlantic, seems to indicate some experience or residence in the United States.