Эмиль Вельк: Жизнь и творчество немецкого писателя и журналиста

German writer and journalist

Emil "Ehm" Welk (August 29, 1884 – December 19, 1966) was a German journalist, writer, professor and founder of Volkshochschulen (adult education centres). He became known for his work Die Heiden von Kummerow (The Heathens of Kummerow) and used Thomas Trimm as a pseudonym.

Before World War II Welk was often compared with the "hunger priest" Wilhelm Raabe and with Gustav Freytag. In the GDR Die Heiden von Kummerow and Die Gerechten von Kummerow were his most popular works; they were seen as a German pendant to Guareschi's narrations about Don Camillo and Peppone. The film Die Heiden von Kummerow und ihre lustigen Streiche was, in 1967, one of the rare co productions of the GDR and West Germany. DEFA made another movie of the book in 1982. The rest of Welk's works were republished by the GDR after his death, but some of them were modified deeply. It is not clear whether Welk wanted to remove Nazi adopted text or censored himself because of being influenced by upcoming new dictatorship or GDR editors made modifications. Compared to the first edition of Die Heiden von Kummerow, for instance, later releases were anti military in nature. Several words ("König" instead of "General", "hottentotisch" instead of "polnisch") were changed, as were contents and motives. Christian and biblical elements were replaced by belief in revolution and class conflict. For instance, Krischan's humbleness when he is banished from the village is not Christian anymore, but self accusing he accuses himself of not having supported the revolt of the seamen.