Thoma, Ludwig

Thoma, Ludwig (lt`vĭkh), 1867–1921, German novelist, dramatist, and poet. Thoma satirized Bavarian rural and small-town life. His serious peasant novels Andreas Vöst (1905), Der Wittiber (1911), and Der Ruepp (1922), as well as his humorous collections Assessor Karlchen (1900), Lausbubengeschichten [rascal stories] (1904), and Tante Frieda [Aunt Frieda] (1906), are characterized by authenticity of regional language and life. Thoma's dramas, including Die Medaille [the medal] (1901), Das Säuglingsheim [the orphanage] (1913), and especially Moral (1908), reflect elements of folk theater.