Von Bassewitz, Gerdt

Gerdt Bernhard von Bassewitz (1878 1923), having been a lieutenant in the Prussian militia, a playwright, and an actor, had his only great success with "Peter and Anneli s Journey to the Moon" ("Peterchens Mondfahrt"), which began as a successful stage play in 1912 in Leipzig and was issued as a book in 1915. It quickly became one of the best-loved German children s books and has been a bestseller in Germany to this day. After his success, von Bassewitz went on to become an assistant stage director in Cologne. Eventually he moved to Berlin, where he lived as a freelance writer.