150. The Free Literary Society in Berlin 1898

Hans Olden and Ernst von Wolzogen gave the "Freie Literarische Gesellschaft" a wonderful evening on November 17. Olden read his one-act drama "Finale". My relations with Olden's capricious muse have rarely been as good as this time, when he is also a bit of a poet and not just a playwright. Luise, the wife of the highly respected Legation Councillor von Mellenthin, has a lover, Viktor von Bibrach. This Viktor is one of the many individuals of the male species that all men are indifferent to, with the exception of women, who "cannot live" without this "ideal of man". The drama takes place on the evening when this ideal has to shoot himself because people say he cheated at cards in the sports club. People used to say all sorts of things about him: that's why he took his leave as an officer. Luise von Mellenthin and her friend Lene von Hartmann - why does she take her with her? - to a "fat tree" in the spa facilities of a large seaside resort. She is sure that no one will come there except Viktor, whom she has summoned to give him an important message. For this "Viktor von Bibrach" - she reveals to her friend - "I love him and am loved by him again"; she has "given herself to him without reflection" and would be "ashamed" if she had "reflected". Good Luise has morals in her heart. Her husband cannot say that she "betrayed him". "I don't like him and I didn't hide it from him. I haven't been his wife since I met Viktor... No, I'm not that kind of woman." Now the beloved Viktor arrives, and Luise reveals to him - while her friend retreats to the side - that she had written a letter to him, but that it had been thrown into the street by the wind while the maid was beating out her clothes and found there by the disgusting Baron Fleischer. The stock exchange baron Fleischer is disgusting because he found the letter and then said to Legation Councillor Luise von Mellenthin: "Either - or". The "or" means that if it is not "either", he wants to send the letter to the Legation Councillor immediately. Mr. von Bibrach is now acting as a man of honour. He arranges for the Legation Councillor to summon Baron Fleischer to see him. There, the Bibrach makes another "either - or" clear to the butcher. Either you hand over the letter immediately or I'll shoot you. And at the same time, Mr. von Bibrach reveals that it won't be difficult for him to shoot someone else "tonight". After all, he wants to shoot himself afterwards. So why shouldn't he take another one with him into the uncertain afterlife? After the baron has made an attempt to save the life of the ruined Herr von Bibrach, and thus his own, with the banknotes he has captured on the stock exchange, he prefers to save himself alone by handing over the letter. But Mr. von Bibrach says to his lover: "We loved each other - so wild and hot. Tonight I have to die of it. And you will bravely tolerate it - without a word, without a countenance. A little lioness. Farewell."

Ernst von Wolzogen then delighted the company by reciting some of the poems he had published in "Jugend" and "Simplizissimus". The masterly satirical tone of these poems, which is so appealing in the poet's excellent rendition, rightly put the audience in a cheerful mood. And the story "Der seidene Jupon" was followed with pleasure, which Wolzogen read in an excellent manner and in which he proved himself to be a dramatist of storytelling like few others. It is amusing to see what life the simple fact gains in the story that the dear innocent Katherl sees a silk petticoat on her school friend, now sets such a petticoat as her ideal, puts every penny she has saved aside for it and finally degenerates morally through this inclination towards the better.