Erich Maria Remarque:Erich Maria Remarque:A BiographyA Biography

““I am opposed to I am opposed to anything auto-anything auto-biographical and biographical and biographical . . . What biographical . . . What I have learned in my I have learned in my life I have used in my life I have used in my works and the rest is works and the rest is private and does not private and does not influence the work and influence the work and this is how I would this is how I would keep it.”keep it.”

Birth and ChildhoodBirth and Childhood

Born Erich Paul Remark Born Erich Paul Remark

in Osnabruck, Germany, 1898 in Osnabruck, Germany, 1898 (Remarque—a French (Remarque—a French

ancestral surname)ancestral surname)

Parents were never wealthyParents were never wealthy After the 8After the 8thth grade, attended a grade, attended a

free Catholic training school free Catholic training school for teachers to extend his for teachers to extend his education. education.

Considered a handsome, Considered a handsome, artistic young manartistic young man

1915: Erich’s mother begins 1915: Erich’s mother begins two year battle with cancer. two year battle with cancer.

The WarThe War 1916: Drafted into the army1916: Drafted into the army July 31, 1917, the first day of July 31, 1917, the first day of

the battle of Flanders, Erich the battle of Flanders, Erich was wounded in the neck, the was wounded in the neck, the left leg above the knee, and the left leg above the knee, and the right forearmright forearm

Carries a friend out of battle Carries a friend out of battle Mother dies in SeptemberMother dies in September

Spent months recovering in Spent months recovering in the hospital, writing poetry the hospital, writing poetry and proseand prose

After release, never had to After release, never had to return to battlereturn to battle

When the war ended, he felt When the war ended, he felt a lot of patriotism, but as the a lot of patriotism, but as the years went by he reflected: years went by he reflected:

““After it was all over I saw all After it was all over I saw all its hideousness, but there was its hideousness, but there was one thing I could not accept: I one thing I could not accept: I saw my best friend lying in the saw my best friend lying in the mud, his abdomen torn open . . . mud, his abdomen torn open . . .

““It required many post-war It required many post-war years and much reflection for me years and much reflection for me to realize the full atrocity of to realize the full atrocity of these occurrences.” these occurrences.”

After the WarAfter the War

Remarque taught at Catholic Remarque taught at Catholic schools and wrote an schools and wrote an unsuccessful novel: unsuccessful novel: Die Die TraumbudeTraumbude

Quit teaching after one yearQuit teaching after one year Traveled, worked, wrote, and Traveled, worked, wrote, and

drank heavilydrank heavily

SuccessSuccessPublished Published Station at the Station at the Horizon Horizon (1927) in (1927) in Sport im Sport im BildBild, a German magazine and , a German magazine and begins using Remarque, the begins using Remarque, the French spelling of his last French spelling of his last name. name. The novel is a romance, The novel is a romance, described by a friend as described by a friend as “unpretentious with first-class “unpretentious with first-class radiators and beautiful radiators and beautiful women.” women.”

19281928 In spite of his success, In spite of his success,

becomes depressed and becomes depressed and begins writing begins writing All Quiet on All Quiet on the Western Frontthe Western Front as an as an attempt to discover the attempt to discover the reasons for his depressionreasons for his depression

““I sought out quite consciously and I sought out quite consciously and systematically the cause of my systematically the cause of my depressions. Through this depressions. Through this deliberate analysis I hit upon my deliberate analysis I hit upon my war experiences. I could detect war experiences. I could detect the same among many the same among many acquaintances and friends. The acquaintances and friends. The shadows of the war hung over us shadows of the war hung over us even when we did not think of it at even when we did not think of it at all.”all.”

All Quiet on the All Quiet on the Western FrontWestern Front is a is a novel, not a novel, not a memoir.memoir.

The reality is not The reality is not in biographical in biographical events, but in the events, but in the truth of the truth of the brutality of the brutality of the war. war.

The novel became The novel became an unprecedented an unprecedented success:success:

an international an international best-sellerbest-seller

translated into translated into approximately 40 approximately 40 languageslanguages

By the 1930’s the By the 1930’s the Nazi party Nazi party denounced and denounced and banned the book banned the book for its lack of for its lack of patriotism.patriotism.

Further SuccessFurther Success Published two more Published two more

novels compiling a novels compiling a trilogy, both of trilogy, both of which chronicle the which chronicle the struggles of struggles of soldiers returning soldiers returning to societyto society

The Road BackThe Road Back Three ComradesThree Comrades

By the 1940’s Remarque By the 1940’s Remarque traveled to America where he traveled to America where he wrote more novels and became wrote more novels and became a successful screen-writer. a successful screen-writer.

Spent the rest of his life Spent the rest of his life writing and moving between writing and moving between America and Europe.America and Europe.

Died in 1970 Died in 1970 with his wife with his wife Paulette Paulette Goddard by Goddard by his side.his side.