1912 Nobel Prize in Literature

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The 1912 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Gerhart Hauptmann, a German dramatist and novelist (1862–1949), recognized mainly for his varied and outstanding work in drama. The prize was announced on 13 November 1912 and awarded at a ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December, presented by the Swedish Academy. Hauptmann helped pioneer German Naturalism, with notable works such as Vor Sonnenaufgang (Before Sunrise, 1889), Die Weber (The Weaver, 1892), Hanneles Himmelfahrt (The Assumption of Hannele, 1893), and Die versunkene Glocke (The Sunken Bell, 1896). He also published his first prose book, Der Narr in Christo Emanuel Quint, in 1910.

Hauptmann had been nominated five times (three in 1902 and one in 1906). His 1912 nomination came from Erich Schmidt, a literary historian. The Swedish Academy received 40 nominations for 30 writers that year, with Benito Pérez Galdós receiving the most (five). Other notable nominees included Henry James, Thomas Hardy, and George Bernard Shaw (who would win the prize in 1925), Verner von Heidenstam (won in 1916), and Juhani Aho. Ten nominees were first-time candidates, including Henri Bergson (won in 1927). No women were nominated in 1912. Some well-known authors who died in 1912 without being nominated included Pencho Slaveykov, among others.