Bermann, Moriz (Pseudonyms, Berthold Mormann, Moritz B. Zimmermann, Louis

Austrian author; born at Vienna March 16, 1823; died there June 12, 1895. Bermann, who came of a family of publishers, was educated for a musical career; but after the death of his father he devoted himself for a time to collecting autographs. He soon became known as the owner of one of the finest biographical libraries in Europe. Shortly after the Hungarian Revolution he began (1851) what was intended to be a twenty-volume work, "Oesterreichisches Biographisches Lexikon," etc.; but, owing to the condition of unrest in Austria, it proceeded no farther than the letter A.

On Jan. 1, 1856, Bermann became editor of the "Wiener Courier" and developed into a remarkably prolific writer of sketches, historical novels, plays, and even dance-music; writing under the pseudonyms mentioned above. Among his works are: "Dunkle Geschichten," 1868; "Maria Theresa und der Schwarze Papst," 1870; "Das Schwarze Kabinet"; "Schöne Sünderin"; "Die Kaisertöchter als Bräute," 1890; and the historical comedies "Ein Stündchen auf der Karlsschule" and "Die Entführung aus dem Auge Gottes."

Bibliography:

  * Das Geistige Wien, pp. 32, 33;
  * Wurzbach, Biogr. Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich, i. 322-323.



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