Gerdt von Bassewitz

Gerdt Bernhard von Bassewitz-Hohenluckow was a lieutenant in the Prussian militia, a playwright, and an actor. He achieved his only great success with "Peter and Anneli's Journey to the Moon" (Peterchens Mondfahrt), which began as a successful stage play in 1912 in Leipzig and was published as a book in 1915. This book has remained one of the best-loved German children's books and continues to be a bestseller in Germany.

After his success with Peterchens Mondfahrt, von Bassewitz became an assistant stage director in Cologne and eventually moved to Berlin, where he made a living as a freelance writer. Despite his accomplishments, his life was marked by tragedy. He struggled with tuberculosis, and in 1923, following a public reading at the Villa Siemens in Berlin, he committed suicide.

Von Bassewitz had three sisters, one of whom died young and two who committed suicide in 1945 when the Russians entered Berlin. His family history included a lack of offspring, with neither he nor his siblings having children. A significant portion of the Bassewitz family passed through life without producing any descendants.

There are no surviving photographs of von Bassewitz, and despite efforts, including inquiries to local historians, no images of him have been confirmed. An American translation of his book was published in 2007 but did not achieve success in the US, possibly due to its dark and unusual content for modern American children's literature.

Von Bassewitz also spent time in Königstein in the Taunus Mountains, known for its health benefits, which were hoped to alleviate his tuberculosis. His connection to Königstein remained unknown to later generations.

Information provided by:

Tom Appleton, Wellington, NZ