Wilhelm Stepper-Tristis

Wilhelm Stepper-Tristis (born Wilhelm Stepper; his given name is also rendered as "Vily", "Vilmos" or "William"; September 3, 1899-?) was an Austro-Hungarian, Hungarian and Romanian novelist, journalist, and literary critic. He wrote his works in German, Hungarian and French. A communist militant during his youth, he actively supported the Hungarian Soviet Republic, and, during the interwar period, was a prominent figure in the cultural life of Timişoara city. His first novel, "Brom-Delirium", was a critically-acclaimed portrayal of Bohemian lifestyles.

An anti-fascist, Stepper-Tristis traveled extensively throughout Europe, preaching pacifism and drawing support for the League of Nations. He lived for a while in France, but was mostly reduced to homelessness and vagabondage. He joined the French Resistance following the occupation of France by Nazi Germany, was captured, and probably died in a concentration camp.

Biography

Born in Timişoara (known then as "Temeschwar" or "Temesvár"), Wilhelm Stepper-Tristis belonged to an old family of Jewish merchants.fr icon Adriana Babeţi, [http://www.circe.paris4.sorbonne.fr/rubriques/5publications/cec4_babeti.html "Provincia inter confinia: Un paradis aux confins, le Banat"] , in "Cultures d'Europe centrale", No 4, at the , [http://www.circe.paris4.sorbonne.fr/ Centre interdisciplinaire de recherches centre-européennes] ; retrieved August 2, 2007] Babeţi, biographical note to "Spaţiul meu vital", p.324] Soon after receiving his "matura" at age 18, he enrolled in the Austro-Hungarian Army and took part in World War I, being sent to the Italian Front. He fought in the Battles of the Isonzo, and specifically in the Battle of Gorizia.

In 1919, in the wake of the Aster Revolution, Stepper-Tristis was in Budapest, where he became a supporter of the Hungarian Communist Party. As the Romanian Army ended the communist experiment later in the year, he moved out of the city and embarked on a lengthy and perilous voyage through regions of Central Europe. Eventually, he regained his native Timişoara, which was by then part of Greater Romania. Stepper-Tristis started work for local German- and Hungarian-language newspapers, and became known inside the community of writers and artists. He was a popular figure in the society of Timişoara, and a celebrated raconteur.

Fascinated with France, he frequently traveled there and was fully integrated into the Bohemian society of Paris. This period was the subject of "Brom-Delirium" (1926), which was published in Timişoara and won the praise of modernist writers in Budapest. By 1928, he was the head of a literary society (the "Artists' Club"), which grouped together intellectuals from all backgrounds—members of the German, Hungarian, Jewish and Serb communities alike.

In 1930, Stepper-Tristis decided to permanently leave Romania and move to France. Beginning in 1933, at signs that a war was under preparation, he became an activist in support for the League of Nations and initiated campaigns to raise awareness. Trying to return to Romania, [Stepper-Tristis, "Spaţiul meu vital", p.325] Stepper spent time in Fascist Italy, passing through Verona and Milan—he was arrested there after being found sleeping on the streets, lacking any income. [Stepper-Tristis, "Spaţiul meu vital", p.330-335] Released soon after, he later claimed to have unsuccessfully asked the Italian authorities to escort him to the Yugoslavian border. [Stepper-Tristis, "Spaţiul meu vital", p.335-336]

Shortly before World War II erupted, he was again imprisoned in Nice for a duration of 30 days—it was then that he authored his second novel, "Mon espace vital".Susan M. Dolamore, "French Autobiographical Writing 1900-1950: an Annotated Bibliography", Tamesis Books, London, 1997, p.349. ISBN 0729303969] The volume was an account of his years as a drifter, and was published soon after in Paris. After the fall of France, Stepper-Tristis joined the Resistance. As the novel shows, he was romantically involved with a Frenchwoman named Clémence, who had promised to wait for him to be set free.

Little is known about his life after that point, but it is clear that, in autumn 1941, he was captured by the Gestapo at a train station in Lyon. He was soon after sent to a concentration camp. No definitive proof of his death was ever found.

Stepper's work was ignored in post-war Romania, although texts by him were first translated and republished in 1986 Bucharest-based magazine "Secolul 20". Additional interest for his literature was raised by literary critic and West University professor Adriana Babeţi. [ro icon Cornel Ungureanu, [http://www.revista22.ro/html/index.php?art=729&nr=2003-12-23 "De la o enciclopedie la alta"] , in "Revista 22", Nr. 719, December 2003]

Notes

References

*Wilhelm Stepper-Tristis, "Spaţiul meu vital" (Romanian translation of "Mon espace vital"), fragment published in Adriana Babeţi, Cornel Ungureanu, "Europa Centrală. Memorie, paradis, apocalipsă", Polirom, Iaşi, 1998, p.324-336. ISBN 973-683-131-0