Arnold Blumer

Arnold Blumer (1945-2004) Translator, critic and academic.

Biography
Born on 2nd December 1945 of Geman missionary parents in Tanganyika, now Tanzania. Died tragically and unexpectedly on 4th July 2004.

Youth
He finished school in Germany.

Training
He studied German and Drama at the University of Cape Town, *** Completed an M.A and D.Phil?* at ** in 19**.

Career
Became a lecturer (later senior lecturer) in the Department of German, University of Stellenbosch in 1976.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Best known perhaps for his prolific translations of German theatrical works (including Brecht, Botho Strauss and Heiner Müller) and cabaret material into Afrikaans. In this respect he worked closely with people like Hennie Aucamp, Johann van Heerden, Herman Pretorius, Marthinus Basson, et al. Co-edited a book of Brecht's cabaret "songs" (with **) which was published in 19**.

Arnold took early retirement in 199*, but continued translating German works into Afrikaans. He wrote numerous articles on German and South African theatre, for journals as well as encylopaedic books. These in entries for the annual Austrian **** and the forerunner of ESAT, called (A Companion to South African Theatre and Performance (COMSAT)) He was also on the original editorial board  for COMSAT, and on the board of consultants for the South African Theatre Journal.

He was an occasional theatre critic for Die Burger and a judge for the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards for a number of years.

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