Ulrich Becher, German author. Recipient Drama prize, German Stage Club, Cologne Mademoiselle Lowenzorn, 1955, prize, Swiss Schiller Foundation, 1976.
Background
Becher was born in Berlin, where, after attending the Freie Schulgemeinde in Wickersdorf, he studied law. On 11 November 1933 he married Dana, daughter of the Austrian author Alexander Roda Roda and consequently took Austrian citizenship. As the son of the Swiss pianist Elisabeth Ulrich, he hoped he would be able to live in Switzerland as an author, however in the eyes of the Swiss authorities his anti-fascist stance went against Switzerland"s neutrality policy.
Education
1 son. Educated Werner-Siemens-Gymnasium, Berlin, Freie Schulgemeinde Wickersdorf, Universities Geneva, Berlin and Leipzig. Newspaper correspondent, Paris, Switzerland, Vienna, 1933-1938, Zurich,1938-1941, Rio de Janeiro, 1941-1943, Brazil, 1944, New York City, 1945-1948, Basle, Switzerland, since 1949.
Career
In 1932 his novella series Männer machen Fehler ("Men Make Mistakes") was published by Rowohlt Verlag. He was consequently denied a work permit and was driven to emigrate. Efforts to obtain a visa to enter the United States were to last three years.
In 1948 he returned to Europe with Der Bockerer ("Bockerer"), a completed theatre play that he had created with Peter Preses, which went on to have great success in Vienna (and which was turned into a film in 1981 by Franz Antel).
He died in Basel, aged 80.
Membership
In the same year Becher became a member of Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists and Novelists association.