Maxime Alexandre

Maxime Alexandre (Wolfisheim, 1899 - Strasbourg, 1976) is a poet and dramatic author Alsatian.

Biographical course

Birth of Maxime Braces Alexandre the January 24th 1899 with Wolfisheim, only sons of a liberal and francophile but German-speaking Jewish family, whereas the Alsace is under German sovereignty (Deutsches Reich) since 1871. German is his native tongue, in which it composes his first poems at twelve years.

During the First World War, it leaves to Lausanne with its family where it learns French and meets Rene Schickelé which presents it to Romain Roland. With Zurich, it meets the precursors of the movement Dada of which Jean Arp. Of return to Strasbourg in 1918, it continues its studies and meets Louis Aragon which invites it to join it with Paris, which it does with the beginning of the year 1920. It decides to write then only in French. It meets in Paris André Breton, Robert Desnos, Benjamin Péret and groups it which will found the Surréalisme. It takes share with the activities of the Surréalistes of 1923 with 1932, when the conflict which opposes Aragon and Breton on the subject in particular of adhesion to the Communist party (of which Aragon, contrary to Breton, does not want to deviate) leads to the exclusion of Aragon. This one is followed by Maxime Alexandre who does not want to compromise on the requirement of social justice.

After 1932, Maxime Alexandre knows until 1939 one period of great very prolific loneliness but at the literary level. Its publications of poetry and prose are greeted by the literary world of the time.

In 1939, it is mobilized by France, and is indicated like PR (supposed revolutionary) in its quartering where it undergoes brimades and humiliations. Captive fact by the Germans in 1940, it miraculeusement manages to be made release and takes refuge in the South when it finds Aragon and côtoie also Jacques Prévert and André Gide. The Second world war causes him an irremediable traumatism to which he testifies in several texts published in 1945 and 1946.

This crisis is prolonged at the end of the Forties and reached its apogee in 1949, undoubtedly in bond with the death the same year of his/her mother. Paul Claudel then advises to him to turn to Catholicism and to take the baptism, which takes place finally the December 8th 1949. Claudel is its godfather. After some time of enthusiasm, it will return from this experiment with a certain bitterness. The return to the writing of several German texts with beginning of the year 50 testifies to a will of ressourcer.

The Fifties with 1972, it undertakes a great literary activity, but in 1972 it falls seriously sick and starting from 1974, the writing becoming too painful, it starts to draw.

He dies with Strasbourg the September 12th 1976 and rests, according to his wish, with the cemetery of Rosheim. During its life, it had changed 35 times of residence.

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