Image Courtesy: Google Doodle
Joachim Ringelnatz (7 August 1883  – 17 November 1934). The sobriquet “Ringelnatz” is commonly believed to derive from a vernacular expression for a creature, perhaps a variation of “Ringelnatter,” the German term for a grass snake, or more intriguingly, the seahorse, which gracefully “ringeln” (wind) its tail around objects. Mariners, to whom he felt a connection, affectionately call the seahorse “Ringelnass” (wet). In his younger years, Ringelnatz served as a sailor and navigated the waters during the First World War aboard a minesweeper. In the vibrant 1920s and 1930s, he adorned the stage as a Kabarettist, a satirical stand-up comedian of sorts.
He shall forever be celebrated for his ingenious poems, filled with clever wordplay and occasionally toying with nonsense poetry. While some bear resemblance to Christian Morgenstern’s works, Ringelnatz’s verses exude a more satirical and, at times, subversive tone. Among his cherished creations, the anarchic sailor Kuddel Daddeldu stands tall, with his intoxicated antics and disdain for authority.
In his latter thirteen years, Ringelnatz also expressed his artistic flair as a prolific visual artist. Unfortunately, much of his artwork fell victim to the ravages of World War II, yet a fortunate collection of over 200 paintings and drawings survived. During the 1920s, some of his pieces adorned the walls of the esteemed Akademie der Künste, sharing exhibition space with the works of contemporaries Otto Dix and George Grosz.
An apt example of his artistic prowess emerges in his illustrated novel titled “…liner Roma…” (1923), a skillful abbreviation of “Berliner Roman” (Berlin novel), for “Berlin novels usually have no decent beginning and no proper ending” (“Berliner Romane haben meist keinen ordentlichen Anfang und kein rechtes Ende”.
In the regrettable year of 1933, the Nazi government branded him a “degenerate artist,” imposing a ban on his creative expression.
Following Ringelnatz’s demise, his widow, Leonharda Pieper, found love once more in the arms of Julius Gescher. Their son Norbert undertook the noble task of preserving Ringelnatz’s legacy and meticulously curated a remarkable collection. In an act of benevolence, Norbert generously bestowed the collection upon the Joachim Ringelnatz Museum in Cuxhaven in 2019.
On August 7, 2008 a Google Doodle was created to Joachim Ringelnatz’s Birthday
