Friedrich Märker

Friedrich Märker (March 7, 1893 in Augsburg, Bavaria – 27 April 1985, in Feldafing, Bavaria) was a German writer, essayist, theatre critic and publicist. His work focused on the physiognomy of the Nordic race (during the time of the Nazi regime), time and cultural criticism. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Alexander Stark, Nicholas Haug and Fyodor Ukrainow.

Biography

After studying philosophy, literature and art history in Berlin, Kiel and Munich (1913 to 1916) he worked as a playwright and theater director in Falck (near Munich), Düsseldorf and Leipzig. From 1926 he was a theater critic and arts and community college professor in Berlin. As a theatre critic he also published pieces in the Münchner Zeitung.^[1] In 1934, he published his main book on the theory of the Nordic race ("Charakterbilder der Rassen") where he tries to prove by the physiognomy of faces that the Nordic race is superior especially to the "ostic" race (east Europeans).^[2] In 1938 his approach might have caused problems with the Nazi regime so that he perhaps was banned from lecturing by the Nazis.^[3]

He met novelist Margaret Willinsky in 1939 and they married. In 1944, at 50 years old, he was drafted into the army until he was released in 1945 after being captured by the Americans.

After the war he added to his literary career by founding numerous writing organizations and was President of the Protective Association of Writers, founding the literary copyright collecting society for that in 1956. In 1959 he was honored with the Great Cross of Merit. From 1952, he was a member of the German PEN club. The Friedrich-Marker-Preis, named in his honor, has awarded prizes for essays since 1986.

Works

• Lebensgefühl und Weltgefühl, 1920
• Typen. Grundlagen der Charakterkunde, 1930
• Lavaters Physiognomische Fragmente. Ausgewählt und kommentiert, 1949
• Symbolik der Gesichtsformen. Physiognomische und mimische Beobachtungen, 1933
• Charakterbilder der Rassen. Bd. 1: Rassenkunde auf physiognomischer und phrenologischer Grundlage, 1934
• Die Kunst, aus dem Gesicht zu lesen, 1971
• Der grosse Widerspruch, 1984, ISBN 3-9800315-6-X
• Hörspiele:

  Der Ackermann und der Tod, 1946

  Die heilige Allianz, 1953

  Abschied in Taganrog, 1953

References

1. Taplin, Oliver; Revermann, Martin; Wilson, Peter (15 October 2008). Performance, iconography, reception: studies in honour of Oliver Taplin. Oxford University Press. p. 495. ISBN 978-0-19-923221-5. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
2. He published these ideas in various articles see for instance "Die nordische Rasse",in: Preußag-Werkszeitung – Gruppe Harz und Dill; 2. Jahrgang, Nr. 18, 26. August 1934; S. 4
3. The only reference known so far is Munzinger|00000006630|Friedrich Märker||in: Internationales Biographisches Archiv 30/1985 vom 15. Juli 1985