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'''Wolfgang Krege''' ([[February 1]], [[1939]]- [[April 13]], [[2005]]) was a german author and translator. In the sixties, he studied philosophy at the university in Berlin. Since [[1970]] he works as an editor and subeditor, but as a translator, too. The first work, he translated, written by [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]], was [[The Silmarillion]] (as ''Das Silmarillion'' [[1978]]), this translation was a great success for him. His next "project" was the new translation of [[The Hobbit]], which was first translated years before by [[Walter Scherf]] (as ''Kleiner Hobbit und der große Zauberer'' [[1957]] later as ''Der kleine Hobbit'' [[1971]]). The modernized translation was published [[1997]]. With his knowledge about J.R.R. Tolkien and his works, he writes the encyclopaedia ''Handbuch der Weisen von Mittelerde'' (Guide of the wise men of Middle-earth) in [[1996]] and an elvish-dictionary in [[2003]]. Beside his translations of Tolkien's works, he was the translator of books by authors like Anthony Burgess, E. Annie Proulx, Amélie Nothomb, Joseph Conrad, William Goldman and many others.  
{{author infobox
| image=[[File:W. Krege.jpg]]
| name=Wolfgang Krege
| born=[[1 February]] [[1939]]
| died=[[13 April]] [[2005]]
| education=
| occupation=Translator, author
| location=
| website=
|}}
'''Wolfgang Krege''' ([[1 February]] [[1939]] [[13 April]] [[2005]])<ref name="LK">Kuppler, Lisa: ''Wolfgang Krege. 1.2.1939-13.4.2005. Ein Nachruf'', in: ''Der Flammifer von Westernis'' No. 24 (1/2005).</ref> was a German author and translator. He translated several of [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s works to German.  


In [[2000]] his most discussed translation was published, a new german rendering of [[The Lord of the Rings]]. Krege tries there to render the original language style into german equivalents. Actually he accomplish, that the translated text seems more vivid. But a mistake of him was, that he used, to render the everday language of, for example the [[Hobbits]], the too modern german language style of the early nineties. Because of this, the archaic narrative style of the original otftenly get lost. A popular example for one of this mistranslations is Krege's rendering of [[Samwise Gamgee]]'s title he gives to [[Frodo Baggins]], in the english version this title is "master", for this, the old translation has "Herr" (lord/master), but the new translation has "Chef" (boss/head). The word "Chef", seems not the perfect choice for the relationship of a rural gardner to his lordship. Most of the fans prefer the first translation by [[Margaret Carroux]], but there are a lot of others, who like Wolfgang Krege's modern rendering.
Wolfgang Krege grew up in Berlin, where he began his philosophy studies at the [[wikipedia:Free University of Berlin|Free University of Berlin]] during the early 1960s. He worked as a lexicon editor, copywriter and reader. Since [[1970]] he worked as a translator for numerous publishing groups, too.<ref name="LK"/>


===Translations and Works===
The first of Tolkien’s books Krege translated, was ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' (''Das Silmarillion'' [[1978]]). His new translation of ''[[The Hobbit]]'' was published [[1997]] (''Der Hobbit oder Hin und zurück''). With his knowledge of J.R.R. Tolkien and his works, he wrote the encyclopaedia ''Handbuch der Weisen von Mittelerde'' in [[1996]] and an [[Elvish]] dictionary, called ''Elbisches Wörterbuch'', in [[2003]].


* [[The Silmarillion]] (as ''Das Silmarillion'' [[1978]])
Beside his translations of Tolkien’s works, he was the translator of books by authors like [[wikipedia:Anthony Burgess|Anthony Burgess]], [[wikipedia:E.Annie Proulx|E. Annie Proulx]], [[wikipedia:Amélie Nothomb|Amélie Nothomb]], [[wikipedia:Joseph Conrad|Joseph Conrad]], [[wikipedia:William Goldman|William Goldman]] and many others.<ref>''Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek'' (http://www.dnb.de/DE/Home/home_node.html).</ref>
* [[Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]] (as ''J.R.R. Tolkien: Briefe'' [[1991]])
* ''Handbuch der Weisen von Mittelerde'' (Middle-earth guide) (author) [[1996]]
* [[The Hobbit]] (as ''Der Hobbit'' [[1997]])
* [[The Lord of the Rings]] (as ''Der Herr der Ringe'' with completed [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|Appendices]] [[2000]])
* [[J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century]] (as ''J.R.R.Tolkien: Autor des Jahrhunderts'' [[2002]])
* ''Elbisches Wörterbuch'' (elvish-dictionary) (author) [[2003]]


==Links==
In [[2000]] his most discussed translation was published, a new German rendering of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' (''Der Herr der Ringe''), to replace [[Margaret Carroux]]’ earlier translation. Krege tried to render the original language styles into German equivalents and to make the translated text, in his view, more vivid and easier to understand for younger readers. This worked mostly, but major points of critism of his translation were that he used the different language styles in a too inconsistent way and that he chose the German of the early 1990s, including various slang words of this time.<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/literatur/0,1518,100975,00.html ''Dalli Dalli in Mittelerde''], critical article about the new translation by Rüdiger Sturm, published 3 November, 2000.</ref><ref>[[Rainer Nagel|Nagel, Rainer]]: ''Verschiedene Interpretationen eines Textes als Grundlage von Übersetzungsstrategie. Die »alte« und die »neue« deutsche HdR-Übersetzung'', in: ''[[Hither Shore]]'' 1 (2004), p. 85–117.</ref>


* [http://ardapedia.herr-der-ringe-film.de/index.php/Wolfgang_Krege Ardapedia] (German)
Wolfgang Krege was married to the German editor and translator Roswith Krege-Mayer.<ref name="LK"/>
 
== Bibliography ==
 
=== Translations ===
*[[1978]]: ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' (''Das Silmarillion'')
*[[1979]]: ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]'' (''J. R. R. Tolkien: Eine Biographie'')
*[[1982]]: ''[[On Fairy-Stories]]'' (''Über Märchen'', published in the anthology ''Baum und Blatt'')
*[[1984]]: ''[[A Secret Vice]]'' (''Ein heimliches Laster'', published in the anthology ''Gute Drachen sind rar'')
*[[1984]]: ''[[Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics]]'' (''Beowulf: Die Ungeheuer und ihre Kritiker'', published in the anthology ''Gute Drachen sind rar'')
*[[1987]]: ''[[Sir Gawain and the Green Knight]]'' (''Sir Gawain und der Grüne Ritter'', published in the anthology ''Die Ungeheuer und ihre Kritiker'')
*[[1991]]: ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'' (''J.R.R. Tolkien: Briefe'')
*[[1997]]: ''[[The Hobbit]]'' (''Der Hobbit oder Hin und zurück'')
*[[2000]]: ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' (''Der Herr der Ringe'')
*[[2002]]: ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century]]'' (''J. R. R. Tolkien: Autor des Jahrhunderts'')
 
=== Original works ===
*[[1996]]: ''[[Handbuch der Weisen von Mittelerde]]'' (Middle-earth guide)
*[[2003]]: ''[[Elbisches Wörterbuch]]'' (Elvish/German dictionary)
 
== References ==
<references/>
 
== External Links ==
* [http://www.tolkiengesellschaft.de/v4/alleszutolkien/uebersetzung/docs/dtg.pdf  List of translation errors made by Krege in ''The Lord of the Rings''] (German)
* [http://www.aslanidis.de/lotr/chapter%201.01.html Comparing the translations of Margaret Carroux and Wolfgang Krege]


[[Category:Authors|Krege, Wolfgang]]
[[Category:Authors|Krege, Wolfgang]]
[[Category:Translators|Krege, Wolfgang]]
[[Category:Translators|Krege, Wolfgang]]
[[Category:German people|Krege, Wolfgang]]
[[Category:People by name|Krege, Wolfgang]]
[[de:Wolfgang Krege]]
[[de:Wolfgang Krege]]

Latest revision as of 20:56, 19 June 2014

W. Krege.jpg
Wolfgang Krege
Biographical information
Born1 February 1939
Died13 April 2005
OccupationTranslator, author

Wolfgang Krege (1 February 193913 April 2005)[1] was a German author and translator. He translated several of Tolkien's works to German.

Wolfgang Krege grew up in Berlin, where he began his philosophy studies at the Free University of Berlin during the early 1960s. He worked as a lexicon editor, copywriter and reader. Since 1970 he worked as a translator for numerous publishing groups, too.[1]

The first of Tolkien’s books Krege translated, was The Silmarillion (Das Silmarillion 1978). His new translation of The Hobbit was published 1997 (Der Hobbit oder Hin und zurück). With his knowledge of J.R.R. Tolkien and his works, he wrote the encyclopaedia Handbuch der Weisen von Mittelerde in 1996 and an Elvish dictionary, called Elbisches Wörterbuch, in 2003.

Beside his translations of Tolkien’s works, he was the translator of books by authors like Anthony Burgess, E. Annie Proulx, Amélie Nothomb, Joseph Conrad, William Goldman and many others.[2]

In 2000 his most discussed translation was published, a new German rendering of The Lord of the Rings (Der Herr der Ringe), to replace Margaret Carroux’ earlier translation. Krege tried to render the original language styles into German equivalents and to make the translated text, in his view, more vivid and easier to understand for younger readers. This worked mostly, but major points of critism of his translation were that he used the different language styles in a too inconsistent way and that he chose the German of the early 1990s, including various slang words of this time.[3][4]

Wolfgang Krege was married to the German editor and translator Roswith Krege-Mayer.[1]

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

Translations[edit | edit source]

Original works[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kuppler, Lisa: Wolfgang Krege. 1.2.1939-13.4.2005. Ein Nachruf, in: Der Flammifer von Westernis No. 24 (1/2005).
  2. Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek (http://www.dnb.de/DE/Home/home_node.html).
  3. Dalli Dalli in Mittelerde, critical article about the new translation by Rüdiger Sturm, published 3 November, 2000.
  4. Nagel, Rainer: Verschiedene Interpretationen eines Textes als Grundlage von Übersetzungsstrategie. Die »alte« und die »neue« deutsche HdR-Übersetzung, in: Hither Shore 1 (2004), p. 85–117.

External Links[edit | edit source]