Bab, Julius

(1881-1955)

   Critic, dramaturg. Bab was active as a Berlin theater critic from 1900 to 1935. He wrote reviews for the Berlin newspapers Die Welt am Montag and Berliner Volkszeitung, while contributing lengthy essays to Siegfried Jacobsohn 's journal Die Schaubühne. Bab began his career as Leopold Jessner's dramaturg in Königsberg and later worked in a similar capacity for the Berlin Volksbühne. He was a thoughtful critic, one committed to the "new" drama of the 20th century. His reviews often took an anti-establishment tone, praising what he considered innovative departures from standard practice. His early praise of Georg Kaiser and Bertolt Brecht marked him as a forward-looking observer, though he was criticized for his nostalgic longing for the "old days" when actors had significant influence. Bab often provided his readers with an unusual understanding of the actor's work, as his biographies of Agnes Sorma, Albert Bassermann, Adalbert Matkowsky, and the Devrients bear witness. He worked with the Jewish Cultural League for two years in Berlin after the Nazis came to power and emigrated to the United States in 1935.