Kurt Von Löwenstern
19.08.1882 – 05.11.1930
Kurt von Löwenstern (also von Loewenstern, 1882–1930) is a Baltic German writer. Over a period of less than ten years (1924–1931), 13 stories, sketches, and miniatures in the Baltic German press are published. Kurt von Löwenstern gains recognition as a prominent representative of German modernism. The Baltic German press highlights Löwenstern as a writer with extraordinary talent, but he is forgotten soon after his death and has largely remains unnoticed in the history of the Baltic German literature.In the early 20th century, technological innovations—trams, trains, and airplanes—transform human relationships with time. Movement becomes a symbol of life's rhythm, while stopping is likened to death. In Löwenstern’s prose, train and tram journeys often evolve into journeys through memory. Traditional notions of human willpower and morality are gradually undermined by Freud's psychoanalysis, along with the analysis of dreams and subconscious impulses. Nothing remains immutable, fixed, or predictable. Fate plays a significant role. Instead of the Latin term fatum familiar to symbolists, Löwenstern uses the Turkish word kismet. Modernist elements can also be detected in Löwenstern’s prose narrative and plot development. In his short prose—particularly in his sketches and miniatures—the narrative while depicting the flow of emotions often resembles poetic prose: it becomes lyrical and takes on a rhythmic quality with figures of repetition, interruptions and frequent ellipses. At the heart of Löwenstern's short stories is the human being, his emotions, suffering, and memories of a tragic past. These themes may echo the writer’s own experiences during the days of revolution, war and the land reforms. The narrative range is broad, spanning from Siberia, Irkutsk, and Manchuria to Western Europe—Germany and his native Baltics—where place names and personal names often carry witty semantic nuances. In his depictions of Russian nobility, there is a lightly veiled arrogance, coupled with good-natured humor and irony, with a possible influence from Anton Chekhov. The stories often unfold against the backdrop of vivid natural scenery. Nature—whether night, frost, desert, or blazing sun—directly mirrors human emotions and relationships, whether between individuals or society. The grandeur of nature and the insignificance of man, his fleeting passions and suffering, and the harsh touch of fate, culminate in death and are ultimately overshadowed by destruction.
Birth time/place
19.08.1882
Ruskulova
Dzimis Ruskolovas muižā, kas 1897. gadā pāriet cara Nikolaja II mātes īpašumā.
Place/time of death
05.11.1930
Rīga
Personal information
Kurt von Löwenstern (1882–1930) was born as the eldest son in a family of five children to Otto Nikolaus von Löwenstern (1854–1914) and his wife, Rosa Elisabeth von Löwenstern, née Herzberg (1860–1929). The love story of his parents served as the basis for the Baltic German writer Eduard von Keyserling’s (1855–1918) novel Rosa Herz (1886), see: E. von Keyserling, Kostbarkeiten des Lebens. Gesammelte Feuilletons und Prosa. München: Manesse Verlag, p. 511. Kurt von Löwenstern had four sisters: Irmgard, married von Rohr (1884–1936), Elisabeth (1887–1899), Sophie, married von Bruemmer (1890–1951), and Maria, married von Gruenewaldt (1894–1964). On June 28, 1923, Kurt von Löwenstern married Wanda Gertrude Caroline Felicitas Maria Baroness von Bönninghausen-Budberg (1896–1970), a Baltic German, at St. Jacob's Church in Riga. Wanda was the author of the novel Wenn Frauen lieben… ("When Women Love," 1930) and several other works published in the Baltic German press. The couple had four children: journalist Otto von Löwenstern (1924–1975), Anne-Rosa von Löwenstern, married von Schön (1925–2005), Bundeswehr officer Winno von Löwenstern (1927–2017), and journalist Enno von Löwenstern (1928–1993). In the fall of 1939, Kurt von Löwenstern’s wife and children emigrated from their apartment on Elisabeth Street in Riga to Poland and later to Germany.
Professional activity
LITERARY CONTRIBUTION
1924: Im Tode erwacht!
Eine Erzählung aus Sibirien. / Sibirische Jagdskizze [Awakened in Death! A Story from Siberia/Siberian Hunting Sketch], unter Ps. Modest
Ruskulowsky. Rigasche Rundschau, Nr.94-100.
1924: Die Miniature,
Studie [The Miniature. Studie], unter Ps. Modest Ruskulowsky. Rigasche Rundschau, Nr. 254-255.
1925: Der
Serbelloni-Arkebusier [The Serbelloni Arquebusier]. Rigasche
Rundschau, Nr.138-145.
1926: Kismet. Eine Skizze [Kismet. A Sketch]. Rigasche Rundschau,
Nr.18.
1926: Opfer. Eine
Erzählung aus baltischer Vergangenheit [A Victim. A Tale from the Baltic Past]. Rigasche Rundschau, Nr. 108-129.
1927: Eine Erinnerung [A Memory]. Rigasche
Rundschau, Nr.75.
1928: Eine Minute lang...[For a Minute].
Rigasche Rundschau, Nr.250.
1928: Vom Auto überfahren
wurde. Skizze [Was run over by a Car. A Sketch]. Riga am Sonntag, Nr.52.
1928: Von niemandem
beachtet. Auch eine Weihnachtsgeschichte [Not noticed by Anyone. Also, a Christmas Story]. Rigasche Rundschau, Nr.292.
1929: Die Puppe [The Doll]. Riga
am Sonntag, Nr. 70.
1930: Nerven… Skizze [Nerves... A Sketch]. Rigasche Rundschau,
Nr.177.
1930: Grand'maman [Grand'maman] .
Rigasche Rundschau
Nr.195.
1931: Glücksritter [Knight of Fortune]. Rigasche Rundschau, Nr.3.
1931: Die Serbe
Sforytsch [The Serb Sforytch]. Rigasche Rundschau, Nr. 135.
Quotes
Das Wetter war himmlisch. Ein wunderschöner Maientag. Kokenhusen mit der Ruine und den wunderbaren, stillen, sanften Anhöhen lag so friedlich und einsam da, von rotem Abendsonnengold beschienen, als wäre hier immer Glück und Sonnenschein zu Hause und als hätte hier nie der Krieg in seiner ganzen Härte gewütet. Ich dachte an Löwenstern, dem dieses sonnenbeschienene Stück Erde gehört, der nun von Haus und Hof verjagt ein unstetes Wanderleben führen muß, der von seinem märchenhaften Schloß nichts mehr wiederfindet als einen Trümmerhaufen. Wie oft hatte er mir an schönen Sommerabenden mit traurigen Augen von diesem Fleckchen Erde gesprochen, wohin sein ganzes Herz ihn zog, und wie sehr habe ich ihm so schmerzlich die große Sehnsucht nach diesem Märchenland nachempfunden können. [The weather was heavenly. A beautiful day in May. Kokenhusen / Koknese with its ruins and the wonderful, quiet, gentle hills, lay there so peacefully and solitarily, bathed in the red evening sunlight, as if happiness and sunshine had always dwelled here, and as if the harshness of war had never ravaged this place. I thought of Löwenstern, to whom this sunlit piece of land belongs, now driven from his home and estate to lead a restless wandering life, finding nothing of his fairytale-like castle but a pile of rubble. How often he had spoken to me on beautiful summer evenings, with sorrowful eyes, of this little patch of earth that drew his whole heart, and how deeply I could empathize with his painful longing for this fairytale-like land.]
From: Baronesse Angelika von Korff. Riga 1919. Ein Tagebuch. Hannover-Dühren: H.von Hirschheydt, 1991, [Eintrag 11.05.1919]. S. 115-116.
Kurt von Löwenstern war durch und durch eine hochbegabte und tiefangelegte Künstlernatur. Als treuer Sohn unserer Heimat hat es das Schwere, das sie betroffen, besonders schmerzlich empfunden und auch persönlich den Kelch der Entbehrungen und Enttäuschungen bis zur Neige leeren müssen. Aber die Hingabe an seine Kunst ließ ihn auch das tragen und Lebensfreudigkeit und Lebensmut nicht verlieren. [Kurt von Löwenstern was, through and through, a highly talented and profoundly sensitive artistic soul. As a loyal son of our homeland, he felt the hardships that befell it with particular pain and had to drink a cup of deprivation and disappointment to its very dregs. Yet his devotion to his art enabled him to endure it all, without losing his zest for life or his courage to live.]
No: Eine Trauerfeier. Riga am Sonntag, nr. 170 (9.11.1930).
Mitten in rüstigem Schaffen hat der Tod Löwenstern hinweggerissen (..). Mit ihm, dem Sprossen eines alten Geschlechts, das nicht nur in der Geschichte unserer Heimat eine bedeutsame Rolle gespielt hat, scheidet ein vielseitig begabter Mann, das stärkste belletristische Talent unseres Landes und unserer Tage von uns. Wir bedauern seinen Heimgang um so aufrichtiger und um so tiefer, als Löwensterns überschäumendes Talent sich noch im Stadium der Klärung befand und er uns noch viel gegeben hätte. Die näheren Freunde dieses äußerlich herben Mannes, dessen warmes Herz sich nicht vielen erschloss, beklagen der Tod nicht nur eines außerordentlich talentvollen, genialisch verlangten Schriftstellers, sondern auch eines liebenswerten Menschen, dessen Gedenken, bei denen nicht erlöschen wird, die den Vorzug gehabt haben, ihn näher gekannt zu haben. [In the midst of vigorous creative work, death snatched Löwenstern away [..]. With him, a descendant of an old family that played a significant role not only in the history of our homeland, we lose a man of many talents, the greatest literary talent of our land and our time. We mourn his passing all the more sincerely and deeply because Löwensterns overflowing talent was still in the processs of maturing, and he could have given us so much more. The closer friends of this outwardly stern man, whose warm heart was revealed to only a few, grieve not only the loss of an extraodinarily talented and brilliantly gifted writer but also a lovable person whose memory will remain alive among those who had the privilege of knowing him more intimately].
O.G-g. [Oskar Grosberg]. Kurt von Löwenstern†. Rigasche Rundschau, 1930, nr. 252.
Occupations
Name at birth
Kurt von Löwenstern
Pseudonym
Modest Ruskulowsky
Additional names
Modest Karl Otto
Residence
1888–1912
Kokneses pils
1888. gadā Kokneses pils nonāk rakstnieka tēva īpašumā un gadsimtu mijā tiek ievērojami pārbūvēta. 1905. gada revolūcijas pili pārņem revolucionāri, pēc tam - soda ekspedīcija un dragūni. Pirmā pasaules kara laikā pils apšaudes rezultātā tiek ievērojami izpostīta un līdzekļu trūkuma dēļ nekad vairs atjaunota netiek. Zemes reformas laikā Lēvenšterni šo īpašumu zaudē. No bijušās godības mūdienās palikušas tikai drupas.
1905
Minhene
1905. gada revolūcijas laikā rakstnieks iekļaujas Baltijas vācu - izceļotāju kopienā Minhenē, sal.: Winno von Loewenstern. Kurt von Loewenstern. Auszüge. 2024.
1914–1920
Valmiermuiža
In 1914. gadā Valmiermuiža kā majorāts pēc tēva nāves nonāk Kurta fon Lēvenšterna īpašumā, taču ziņu, ka viņš tur būtu dzīvojis nav. Muiža tiek atsavināta zemes reformas laikā.
1917–1918
Stambula
Kopā ar māti Pirmā pasaules kara beigās bieži maina dzīves vietas no Murnavas (Murnau) uz Konstantinopoli (Stambulu), uz Tramnicu (Tramnitz) un Lignicu (Lignitz) pie radiem, sal.: Winno von Loewenstern. Kurt von Loewenstern. Auszüge. 2024.
1918–1920
Hamburga - Vandsbeka
Dzīvo kopā ar māti, vasaras pavadot Kaizera pansijā Siltā (Pension Kaiser, Sylt, Westerland), sal. Winno von Loewenstern. Kurt von Loewenstern. Auszüge. 2024.
1921–1922
Potsdama
Dzīvo kopā ar māti, uzturēšanās ilgums nav precizēts, iespējams jau 1921. atgriežas Rīgā.
1922–1930
Rīga
Zaudējot visus īpašumus, Lēvenšterns pārnāk uz Rīgu strādā kā žurnālists. Dokumentos norādītas vairākas adreses: ap 1922: Vidus iela 3 dz. 7; ap 1924: Brīvības iela 19.dz.5 un ap 1928: Elizabetes iela 3 dz. 10.
Education
1890–1896
Kokneses pils
Pirmā izglītība mājās kopā ar māsu pie mājskolotāja Švānfelta (Schwanfeldt). Laiks un ilgums nav precizēts, sal.: Winno von Loewenstern. Kurt von Loewenstern. Auszüge. 2024.
1896–1902
Kaļiņingrada
Mācības Kēnigsbergā (Königsberg), iestāde, laiks nav precizēts. Vēlāk Drēzdenē pie kāda Mr. Virgin apgūst angļu valodu, sal.: Winno von Loewenstern. Kurt von Loewenstern. Auszüge. 2024.
Working place
1912–1914
Saratovas apgabals
Māceklis lauksaimniecībā kāda krievu firsta muižā pie muižkunga Volgas vācieša Rozentretera (Rosentreter), lai kļūtu par lauksaimnieku vai mežsaimnieku, slimības dēļ atgriežas Baltijā, slimo visu kara laiku, sal.: Winno von Loewenstern. Kurt von Loewenstern. Auszüge. 2024.
1922–1930
Newspaper "Rigasche Rundschau"
Doma laukums 1, Rīga
Laikraksta līdzstrādnieks
1927–1930
Newspaper "Riga am Sonntag"
Rīga
Laikraksta līdzstrādnieks
Travelled
1926–1927
Berlīne
Izceļo, domājams - ar vēlmi integrēties Vācijas literārajā sabiedrībā. Uzturēšanās un atgriešanās laiks nav precizēts, sal.: Winno von Loewenstern. Kurt von Loewenstern. Auszüge. 2024.
Buried
10.11.1930
Kokneses Baznīcas kapi
Izvadīts no Jēkaba kapu kapelas Rīgā, 9.1.1930, bet nākošajā dienā apglabāts Koknesē.