Eckart von Naso

Naso, Eckart von (Darmstadt, 1888-1976, Frankfurt/Main), a general's son, studied law. He served in the 1914-18 War and was wounded. He devoted himself to the theatre as producer (Regisseur) and adviser (Dramaturg) in the Berlin Staatliches Schauspielhaus 1918-45. From 1954 to 1957 he was at the Staatstheater in Stuttgart. Naso wrote few plays (Die Insel, 1918; Die Frau im Garten, 1921), preferring narrative fiction. He was mainly known for the nationalistic historical novels Seydlitz (1932) and Moltke (1937), and for the Novelle Die Begegnung (1936), which deals with the attempt by Queen Luise of Prussia to intercede with Napoleon at Tilsit, as well as Preußische Legende (1939) and Der Rittmeister (1942). Other titles include the novels Menschen unter Glas (1930), Scharffenberg (1935), Der Halbgott (1949, with Alcibiades as principal figure), Die große Liebende (1950, of which the heroine is Ninon de l'Enclos, the French courtesan, 1620-1705), and Eine charmante Frau (1950). His biographies include Heinrich Schlusnus. Mensch und Sänger (1957, with A. Schlusnus) and Caroline Schlegel (1969). Ich liebe das Leben (1953) and Glückes genug (2 vols., 1963) are autobiographical.