Gerdt von Bassewitz

Gerdt Bernhard von Bassewitz-Hohenluckow (4 January 1878 in Allewind, Kingdom of Württemberg – 6 February 1923 in Berlin) was a German lieutenant in the Prussian militia, a writer, a playwright, and an actor. He had his only great success with Little Peter'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.

It became one of the best-loved German children's books and has been a bestseller in Germany to this day. After his success, von Bassewitz became assistant stage director in Cologne. Eventually, he moved to Berlin, where he made a living as a freelance writer.

On 6 February 1923, after a public reading at the Villa Siemens, he committed suicide at the age of 45.

Life and career

He belonged to the Hohenluckow branch of the Mecklenburg line of the ancient noble family of Bassewitz. His father, Eberhard von Bassewitz, an active dragoon officer, had leased the Allewind estate. His mother was born a Thedens from Husum; his parents met during a visit of Johann Christoph Blumhardt in Bad Boll.

Shortly after their marriage, his father took over the family estate of Liebenow in the Neumark, which he sold two years later. To support the family, he accepted a position as forestry cashier in neighbouring Hohenwalde. The couple had four daughters, in addition to Gerdt.

From the age of nine, Bassewitz attended the boarding school (Alumnat) of the Moravian Church in Niesky near Görlitz. Two years later he moved to Putbus on Rügen, where he received a place at the Princely Pädagogium until 1898. He then joined the Prussian Army in Cottbus as an Avantageur (officer candidate). After attending the war school in Metz, he was commissioned as a lieutenant on 17 October 1899. A heart condition led to his transfer in 1901 to prison guard duty at Sonnenburg in the Neumark, then in 1902 to District Command II in Berlin. He was granted leave until 1903 and subsequently retired on health grounds.