Berlin Alexanderplatz
Reproduction of the 1st edition cover
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| Author | Alfred Döblin |
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| Cover artist | George Salter |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | S. Fischer Verlag, Berlin |
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Publication date
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1929 |
Berlin Alexanderplatz (German: [bɛɐˈliːn ˌalɛˈksandɐplats]) is a 1929 novel by Alfred Döblin and is considered one of the most important and innovative works of the Weimar Republic. The story concerns a murderer, Franz Biberkopf, fresh from prison, who is drawn into the underworld. When his criminal mentor murders the prostitute on whom Biberkopf has been relying as an anchor, he realizes that he will be unable to extricate himself from the underworld into which he has sunk. In a 2002 poll of 100 noted writers the book was named among the top 100 books of all time.
The novel relates the story of Franz Biberkopf, an ex-convict, who has to deal with misery, lack of opportunities, crime and the imminent Nazism lived in Germany during the 1920s. During his struggle to survive against all odds, life rewards him with an unsuspected surprise but his happiness will not last as the story continues.
The novel is set in the working-class neighborhoods near the Alexanderplatz in 1920s Berlin. Although its narrative style is sometimes compared to that of James Joyce, critics such as Walter Benjamin have drawn a distinction between Ulysses’ interior monologue and Berlin Alexanderplatz's use of montage. It is told from multiple points of view, and uses sound effects, newspaper articles, songs, speeches, and other books to propel the plot forward.
The novel was translated into English in 1931 by Eugene Jolas, a friend of James Joyce. It was not well received, in particular it was criticized for the way in which it rendered everyday working-class speech.
The novel has been adapted twice for film, the first time in 1931 in a movie directed by Piel Jutzi. Döblin worked on the adaptation, along with Karl Heinz Martin and Hans Wilhelm. Berlin Alexanderplatz starred Heinrich George, Maria Bard, Margarete Schlegel, Bernhard Minetti, Gerhard Bienert, Albert Florath and Paul Westermeier.
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