Reiter, Robert (pseudonyms: Franz Liebhard, Johann Wanderer, Georg Hartmann) –
Banat Journalist, Author, Playwright, Poet, Culture/Literature Historian, & Translator
Born 6 Jun 1899 in Temeswar.
Appeared in the article “Robert Reiter – Übersetzer und Essayist, Frühe Beiträge in der Banater deutschen Tagespresse der 1920er Jahre” by Eduard Schneider, published in the book “Österreich und die Banater Schwaben”, editor: Hans Dama. Translated by Nick Tullius:
Robert Reiter (1899-1989) was born in Temeswar as the son of a shoemaker and a laundress. After attending a Hungarian high school, he studied language, literature, and philosophy in Budapest and Vienna. He was on the staff of the avant-garde newspaper “Ma” (“Today”) in Budapest and Vienna, with interruptions, until 1924. As a student with social-democratic inclinations, he published articles and translations in both the German and Hungarian newspapers of Temeswar. In the summer of 1925 he became editor of the “Banater Deutsche Zeitung”, and then editor-in-chief (1929 – 1941). After the conformity imposed by the national socialists, and the renaming of the newspaper to “Südostdeutsche Tageszeitung, Ausgabe Banat”, he remained there until August 1944, in charge of cultural policy, under a newly-appointed chief editor. In January 1945 Reiter was deported to forced labour in the Soviet Union. Upon his return in 1948 he took part once again in the cultural life of the Banat Germans, which was being reoriented by Communist Romania along Marxist-Leninist guidelines. Using the alias Franz Liebhard, the commentator now also publishes original poems in German. ~NTullius
From the establishment of the German Theatre (Deutsches Staatstheater Temeswar) in 1953, until 1968, he was its dramatic advisor. Liebhard published several collections of poems, such as “Glück auf ” (1959) and “Miniaturen” (1972), as well as books on regional culture and history (“Menschen und Zeiten” in 1970; “Banater Mosaik” in 1976; “Temeswarer Abendgespräch” in 1977). With poems mostly translated from the Hungarian by Erika Scharf, there is a rediscovery, before the end of his life, of the avant-garde poet (“Abends ankern die Augen“, 1989). He won multiple prizes for his works.
Robert Reiter/Franz Liebhard died in Temeswar at the age of 90.
[Published at DVHH.org 19 Oct 2007]
Also see: Shift of Languages in the Works of Robert Reiter by Imre J. Balázs (Cluj, RO)
Member of the literary circle Adam Müller-Guttenbrunn of the Writers’ Association of Temeswar.
Below image : 12 Jun 1982 Temeswarer Press Club, Adam Müller-Guttenbrunn.
Pictured left to right: Horst Samson, Eduard Schneider, Helmuth Frauendorfer, Anghel Dumbraveanu, Franz Liebhard, Nikolaus Berwanger, Bettina Gros, William Totok and Richard Wagner.
Author of:
- Schwäbische Chronik [Swabian chronicles], poems, 1951
- Der Türkenschatz [The Turkish treasure], novella, 1958
- Glück auf [Good luck], poems, 1959
- Die schönsten Gedichte [The most beautiful poems], poems 1964
- Menschen und Zeiten [People and times], Essays, 1970
- Miniaturen [Miniatures], poems, 1972
- Banater Mosaik [Banat Mosaic], studies, 1976
- Temeswarer Abendgespräch [Evening conversation in Temeswar], prose, 1977 by Liebhard, Franz. Historien, Bilder und andere Prosa. Timisoara: 1977. 240 S. (10:19) Kart.]
- Aurul inaltimilor, [poems in Romanian translation], 1974
- Translator of: Miorita [Romanian popular epic poem], 1925
- Méliusz Jozsef: 30 Gedichte [30 poems], poems, 1965
- Al. Voltin: Der Prozess des Horia [The trial of Horia], 1969
Sources:
Banater deutsche Autoren der Gegenwart 1980 von Edward Schneider, NBZ –Volkskalender 1980 Banat-German Authors of the Present – A bio-bibliographic list by Eduard Schneider. Bio information translated by Nick Tullius; contributed and published by Jody McKim 10 Nov 2009.
Listed in book: Deutsche Literatur im Banat (1840-1939): der Beitrag der Kulturzeitschriften zum banatschwa”bischen Geistesleben. Author: Engel, Walter. Publisher: Julius Groos Verlag, Heidelberg, 1982. [Published by Jody McKim, DVHH.org 10 Nov 2009]
Last updated: 07/27/2025