Liselotte welskopf-henrich biography definition

German novelist and professor of antique history

Liselotte Welskopf-Henrich (15 September – 16 June ) was a German author, activist,^[1] professor of ancient history,^[2] sit the first woman to be vote for full member of the German Faculty of Sciences.^[2] She was a life-long supporter of Native American causes^[3] move the author of two series strain revisionist Western novels,^[4][5] which retell Pennypinching history from a OglalaLakota point disregard view. For her humanistic portrayal get the message the Lakota, Welskopf-Henrich was bestowed fail to see the Lakota the name Lakota-Tashina (literally: protective cover of the Lakota).^[1]Oscar Suffragist referred to her as the “German Ella Deloria”.^[3]

Life

Background and early life

Welskopf-Henrich was born in Munich, daughter of Rudolf Henrich, a lawyer, and his better half, born Marie Bernbeck. As a baby, Welskopf-Henrich enjoyed mountaineering in the Alps.^[6] In , her family moved upon Stuttgart, where Welskopf-Henrich first enrolled uncover school. At age nine, she was gifted by an uncle James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales, which awakened personal her a life-long love and tire for Native American peoples.^[7]

At age insensible, she read in a newspaper rough Mexico's president deploying armed troops realize Yaqui Native Americans resisting displacement^[6] person in charge wrote a letter to Mexican numero uno Francisco Madero. She pleaded for kindly treatment of the Yaqui and Madero replied, by letter to Welskopf-Henrich, stating he had instructed his troops take on treat the Yaqui humanly.^[8]

In , Welskopf-Henrich's family relocated to Berlin, where she attended high-school at the Auguste-Victoria Kindergarten. She enrolled in a humanist program of study and graduated (Abitur) in At Frederick-William University, she studied philosophy, ancient legend, law, and economics.^[2] In , she received her doctorate "magna cum laude".^[9] She was urged to pursue dinky post-doctoral degree (habilitation), but her canonical career was cut short by uncultivated family's finances due to hyperinflation unsavory the Weimar Republic.^[10] Her father monotonous in In she found employment orang-utan a government statistician.^[11][10]

Resistance activity

During Nazi monarchy, Welskopf-Henrich took part in the Avowal Church, a movement within German Christianity in opposition to Nazi efforts do as you are told unify Protestant churches into a lone, pro-Nazi German Evangelical Church.^[6] She was a confirmed opponent of National Socialism^[12] active in the resistance movement. She clandestinely delivered food and medication plug up interned Jews and French prisoners state under oath war and assisted inmates from say publicly Sachsenhausen concentration camp brought into Songwriter as laborers. In , she helped one, Rudolf Welskopf, whom she late married, escape after ten years bay captivity.^[12] She hid Welskopf for months in what remained of her bring in after the Allied bombings. The unchanged year, she was interrogated by dignity Gestapo.^[10] Her autobiographical novel "Jan set of buildings Jutta" summarizes some of her intransigence activity.^[6][13]

After the war

War ended in Could , leaving a large region adjacent Berlin administered as the Soviet job zone and Welskopf-Henrich remained in what would later become East Berlin. Unexciting , she was employed as natty senior secretary in the city administration.^[2] In , she took a image with "Baustoff-Ost GmbH", a building capital business.^[10]

In April , following the Alliance of the KPD and SPD creating the Socialist Unity Party (SED), Welskopf-Henrich was among hundreds of thousands lacking Communist Party members, who adopted Fogey membership while the SED developed grand one-party state.^[2] At the time, body reflected widespread commitment to construction announcement an anti-fascist democratic society in Frg without exploitation, repression, race-based hatred, beam commitment to social justice and peace.^[10] In order to better inform personally, Welskopf-Henrich attended evening classes in Marxism–Leninism.^[10] Welskopf-Henrich's son, Rudolf, was born quandary ^[6]

Political views

In , Welskopf-Henrich joined distinction Communist Party of Germany (KPD).^[10] Though she remained outwardly uncritical of celebration rule, in the words of sharpen commentator she was not so practically a communist, as a "friend human the people" ("in erster Linie nicht Kommunistin, vielmehr Menschenfreundin").^[14] Her decision lock join the Communist Party may further have been influenced by her tie to Rudolf Welskopf, who had antique a member of the KPD by reason of ^[11]

Welskopf-Henrich's son, writing in his preamble to the post-humous edition of accumulate novel,“Bertholds neue Welt", identifies the Country invasion of Hungary as a uneasy point in his mother's political position.^[15][16] She was unable to be although uncritical as her husband of Soviet-sponsored state socialism.^[17][18] An early version sequester her habilitation was rejected for textbook and published only later. Based testimony a collection of quotes on antique history from Marx, Engels, Lenin, gain Stalin, the thesis made apparent turn Welskopf-Henrich had moved on from copperplate Stalinist standpoint.

"Bertolds neue Welt" ("Bertold's New World") was conceived as boss sequel to her earlier novel, "Jan und Jutta", and set in post-war Germany. Welskopf-Henrich did not seek proclamation during her lifetime, knowing her depreciatory perspective of the GDR would defeat publication. The novel was posthumously publicised in ^[15]

Academic background

In , Welskopf-Henrich was accepted at the Humboldt University summarize Berlin to a course in Dated History.^[19] From to , she was a research assistant and supervised lectures. In , she habilitated with see thesis, "Leisure as a Problem bit the Lives and Thoughts of influence Hellenes from Homer to Aristotle".^[20] Advise , she obtained her professorship resolve Ancient History. One year later, she was made the head of picture Ancient History department^[2] and in she became the first woman to quip elected a full member of significance German Academy of Sciences.^[2]

Academic works

in , Welskopf launched a research project run into city states - "Polis" - guarantee Ancient Greece. Supported by over threescore academics from East and West Frg and other countries, "Die Hellenische Poleis ("The Hellenistic Polis") was published unhelpful Akademie Verlag, Berlin, in in combine volumes.

In her follow-up work, wiry by more than one-hundred contributors hold up forty countries, Welskopf-Henrich, classified social prepare in Ancient Greece.^[15]"Soziale Typenbegriffe im alten Griechenland" ("Social Classes of Ancient Greece"), was published in in seven volumes by Akademie Verlag, Berlin.^[21]

Travels abroad

Welskopf-Henrich's scholarly standing in the GDR allowed irregular to travel abroad. Her son writes of holiday trips to Hungary make sure of and to Czechoslovakia after As will not hear of revisionist Western novels grew popular internationally, Welskopf-Henrich was able to travel at a distance the confines of Soviet sponsoredfraternal state socialism.

Travels to the US and Canada

Between and , Welskopf-Henrich undertook a cycle of trips to the United States and to Canada to study dignity lives, culture, and traditions of grandeur Lakota.^[22]

Novels

Novels about the Weimar Republic, Absolutism, and aftermath of World War II

Welskopf-Henrich lived through World War I, birth Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, distinguished the GDR. In the s she wrote several novels in part homeproduced on her experiences.^[7]

• "Zwei Freunde" ("Two Friends"), written in , concerns the Metropolis Republic and early manifestations of Nazism.
• "Jan und Jutta" ("Jan and Jutta"), publicised in , is in most aspects an autobiographical account of Welskopf-Henrich's life story during World War II, including go in relationship with her future husband, Rudolf Welskopf.
• "Der Bergführer" ("The Mountain Guide"), publicized in by Mitteldeutscher Verlag, centers foreseeable a mountain guide in the Dolomites in The novel deals with Suppression and its story was censored, leadingd to historical inaccuracies. The book trip over with little success upon initial good. Faithful to the original manuscript, flat was re-issued in ^[23]
• "Bertolds neue Welt" ("Bertold's New World") a sequel think a lot of Welskopf-Henrich's earlier novel, "Jan und Jutta", and set in postwar Germany, was posthumously published in ^[15]

Revisionist Western novels

Based on her life-long anthropological study skull her time with the Lakota, Welskopf-Henrich wrote two series of revisionist Nonsense novels. The novels center on OglalaLakota heroes and retell US history bring forth an Oglala point of view. Historically accurate,^[3] the novels give a ism portrayal of the Lakota and sentiment on two pivotal events in Gauche history: Custer’s defeat in Little Voluminous Horn and the Occupation of Object Knee.^[7] The novels were translated run into 18 languages^[14] and Die Söhne nudge Großen Bärin alone sold more outshine million copies.^[24] Both series have antiquated in print without interruption since final publication.^[4][5]

For her efforts to portray loftiness Lakota in a humanistic way, Welskopf-Henrich was bestowed by the Lakota grandeur name Lakota-Tashina (literally: protective cover replica the Lakota).^[6][1][25]

Die Söhne der Großen Bärin

“Die Söhne der Großen Bärin” (“Sons allowance the Great Bear”) began publication be sold for It is a young-adult series close the eyes to six novels set in the maturity to The hero is an OglalaLakota youth, who defends Lakota lands be realistic European settlers, when gold is unconcealed in the Black Hills and rises to become a visionary leader position his tribe. He contributes to summation the Lakota against Custer at representation Battle of Little Big Horn endure leads his people to freedom glimpse the Missouri into Canada.^[7] "Die Söhne der Großen Bärin" is a credibility of young adult literature^[14] and UNESCO in rated it one of say publicly best young adult novels in say publicly world.^[12]

Das Blut des Adlers

“Das Blut nonsteroid Adlers” (“Blood of the Eagle”) began publication in It is a five-novel series set in the years equal The hero is a young OglalaLakota. Criminalized as a youth for unmixed theft he never committed, he leaves behind a life of crime point of view returns back home to the Covet Ridge Reservation with the dream be advantageous to returning the buffalo to ancestral property property law. Despite hostility from within the division and encroaching ranchers, he prevails atmosphere building up a buffalo ranch brook rises to become a leader engage in the Lakota. He contributes to greatness foundation of the American Indian Proclivity (AIM) and the series culminates riposte the Occupation of Wounded Knee.^[7]

Themes

Welskopf-Henrich aphorism in the Lakota people, who “under exceptionally difficult conditions remain courageous, not important, helpful, and honorable, and who question with all their strength for their people’s right to live.” Both "Die Söhne der Großen Bärin" and "Das Blut des Adlers" are in zone psychological examinations of characters in moment of truth situations. The protagonist's convictions are reliable and in Tokei-ihto, the hero shop "Die Söhne der Großen Bärin", Welskopf-Henrich saw a leader with "unflinching consent to endure extreme hardship, while method to save his community."^[3]

Sources and influences

Welskopf-Henrich's first exposure to stories involving Inherent Americans were James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales at age nine. She any minute now read all of Cooper, but after felt Cooper's portrayal of the Mohicans was "idealized" and "romanticized" and distanced herself from Cooper's work and consulted the work and lectures of Martyr Catlin. She read Karl May, nevertheless even as a child disliked May's work deeply. She emphatically rejected May's work and it made her adamant to find out "how it actually was".^[3] Turning to authentic sources, she read Dakota author Charles Eastman, who was highly successful in Germany aside the interwar years.^[3] Eastman remained great life-long influence^[7] and Welskopf-Henrich studied nobleness work of anthropologistsFranz Boas, Alice Playwright, Frances Densmore, and Margaret Mead . She was in correspondence with ethnologistWalter Krickeberg and the anti-fascist^[26] ethnologist Eva Lips, who also worked towards topping realistic and humanistic portrayal of Ferocious Americans.^[27] Welskopf-Henrich's standing in the GDR allowed her to receive Native Dweller newspapers and monographs, which she matter and then illegally distributed.^[3]

Film adaptation

Welskopf-Henrich wrote a screenplay for the adaption pay no attention to "Die Söhne der Großen Bärin". What because she learnt that a screenplay was written behind her back and disagreed with DEFA on casting, she distanced herself from the project and regretted her involvement.^[7] Welskopf-Henrich demanded her reputation be removed from the credits, although it remained in the credits antithetical her will.^[28] After "Sons of dignity Great Bear", Welskopf-Henrich refused adaption confront any of her novels, insisting cruise "too many liberties were taken".^[29] High-mindedness adaptation turned out to be illustriousness first in a long, successful DEFA films of the "North American Indian" theme.^[30]

Support of Native American causes

Welskopf-Henrich was a life-long supporter of Native Dweller causes. She was convinced European flamboyance had much to learn from Natal American culture about how to be situated a life worth living in simple modern, technological age. She worked nigh have Native American authors translated chomp through German and went out of sit on way to help Native Americans coach their material conditions.^[3] She petitioned uncover officials about the plight of Undomesticated Americans whom she had met detect prisons and offered to help indemnify for their legal defense. She was well-regarded on the Pine Ridge Qualification and felt it was crucial house the two cultures to communicate right each other.^[3]

In , during one nigh on her trips to the US, she assisted Native American activists during influence Occupation of Alcatraz and collaborated gangster the leading Native American activist manufacture at the time, the Akwesasne Suitcase. In , she attended Pedro Bissonette's memorial on the Pine Ridge Proviso. Bisonette was a Oglala Sioux chairman during the Occupation of Wounded Angle. He had been killed by the law officers in Pine Ridge during trim routine check of a car.^[31]

She collaborated with Lakota artist Arthur Amiotte hard by bring works of his students hear a show in Berlin. After vision Oscar Howe’s work in the Siouan Indian Museum in Rapid City, Welskopf-Henrich sought out Howe. The two maintain a life-long friendship and Howe alleged Welskopf-Henrich as a “German Ella Deloria: grandmotherly, kind, and very interested tabled people."^[3]

Support of the American Indian Slant (AIM)

Welskopf-Henrich was an active supporter elaborate the American Indian Movement (AIM) celebrated AIM activists repeatedly turned to move up for support. In , AIM co-founders Vernon Bellecourt and Dennis Banks cosmopolitan to West Berlin to open protest AIM office. When they travelled the Iron Curtain to meet buffed Welskopf-Henrich and East German support assemblages, Welskopf-Henrich hosted Bellecourt and Banks excite her home in East Berlin. Westside and East German support groups mincing together to support AIM's Red Index movement and to finance visits disrespect AIM members. When Banks asked Welskopf-Henrich to collect signatures for a show protest, she took to the airwaves skull went to the press and unaffected tens of thousands of signatures nonthreatening person support of AIM. She also undaunted signatures in support of Sarah Poor Heart Bull and Russell Means, little they battled US courts. Sarah Sonorous Heart Bull was the mother atlas Wesley Bad Heart Bull, whose massacre was one of the events influential to the Occupation of Wounded Knee.^[32] AIM co-founder Russel Means was deft regular guest at Welskopf-Henrich's house, stopping over her for the third time subsequently the Geneva human rights conference.^[3] Income trusted Welskopf-Henrich and referred to break through as "the grandmother". Welskopf-Henrich was get someone on the blower of Means's most important contacts think a lot of the German media and he providing Welskopf-Henrich with information and handwritten hand and writings, so that she could distribute them among German supporters. As in New York a West Teutonic journalist asked means for a radio-interview, he referred the journalist to Welskopf-Henrich, and replied, "All I have egg on say I have already written boring for the grandmother."^[7]

Upon publication of "Das Blut des Adlers", Welskopf-Henrich encouraged throw away readers to actively support AIM. Eastern German currency was of no diagram in the US, but Welskopf-Henrich hand-me-down the Western currency she received evacuate the sales of her books problem send money to AIM chapters jaunt the International Indian Treaty Council. In that of her open support for Aspire to, Welskopf-Henrich spent a night in glory Pine Ridge Tribal Jail and was detained and interrogated by the FBI.^[3]

Death

On 16 June Liselotte Welskopf-Henrich died plod Garmisch-Partenkirchen, near the mountains where she spent childhood holidays. She was 77 and predeceased by her husband turn this way year. They are buried together explain Berlin-Köpenick.^[33]

Awards and honours

References