Huppert Hugo

Huppert Hugo (1902-1982), Rustrian poet and translator. He was born in Biala-Bielitz (currently – Bielsko-Biala Poland). He studied at the Sorbonne University. In 1949 – 54 H. Huppert periodically lived in Tbilisi. On his first arrival, he started to prepare for translating The Man in Panther’s Skin. In 1954 he completed the transllation. His German rendition of the epic poem accompanied with his inroduction ‘Rustaveli and His Poem’ (with the illustrations by S. Kobuladze) was first published in 1955, and then in 1970; the third edition was out of print in 1980; the fourth publication in 1982. From 1956 H. Huppert lived in Vienna. In the German magazine Weltbunne he published articles, dedicated to Georgia:   Rustaveli from Reporter’s Viewpoint (1956) and Most Respectable Tbilisi (1959), which later were included in his collection of letters Minutes and Moments (1978, Germany). He toured different cities with the cycle of lectures under the joint title ‘Georgia – California at the Black Sea Coast’. For the last time H. Huppert arrived in Georgia in1966 to attend the celebration of Rustaveli jubilee. Georgia occupied significant place in his works. He wrote: ‘If it were not for Tbilisi, we would be praying in Vienna at the mosques instead of churches because Tbilisi was the citadel that fended off various Jalal-ed-Dins, Gengis Khans and other Oriental sultans and Shahs’. His collection of lyrical poems Alien’s Georgian Chants (1954) comprises poems: Narikala Fortress, Mountain of Davit, Entering Tbilisi, On Rustaveli Avenue, and others. H. Huppert’s last lyrical collection Signs or Made-to-Order Full Moon (1981) includes the poem, written in 1979 - In the Caucasus. In Tune for Irakli Abashidze’s Poetry.

H. Huppert died in Vienna, Austria.