Adolf Muschg
Encyclopedia
Adolf Muschg is a Swiss
writer
and professor of literature
. Muschg was a member of the Gruppe Olten
.
, English studies
and philosophy
at the universities of Zürich
and Cambridge
and earned his doctoral degree with a work about Ernst Barlach
.
Between 1959 and 1962 he worked as a teacher in Zürich. Different engagements as a teacher followed in Germany
(Göttingen
), Japan
and the U.S.
. From 1970 to 1999 Muschg was professor of German language and literature at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zürich.
He wrote the foreword to Fritz Zorn’s controversial memoirs Mars
. The book pointed out the supposedly “cancer-causing” lifestyle of Zurich’s wealthy gold coast and provoked a scandal in Switzerland; its author died of cancer before its release. Muschg was also provocative with works like Wenn Auschwitz in der Schweiz liegt ("If Auschwitz were in Switzerland"). His detractors suggest that Muschg was writing without direct experience. A theme of his newer works is often love in old age.
Since 1976 he has been a member of the Akademie der Künste
, Berlin; he is also a member of the Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz
and the Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung, Darmstadt
. In 2003 he was elected president of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin. He left the presidency in December 2005 because of disagreements with the Academy's senate about public relations.
He lives in Männedorf
near Zürich.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and professor of literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. Muschg was a member of the Gruppe Olten
Gruppe Olten
The Gruppe Olten was a club of Swiss writers who convened at Olten's "Bahnhofbuffet" located in the canton of Solothurn in the Swiss plateau...
.
His life
Adolf Muschg studied German studiesGerman studies
German studies is the field of humanities that researches, documents, and disseminates German language and literature in both its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies often include classes on German culture, German history, and German politics in addition to the...
, English studies
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the universities of Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and earned his doctoral degree with a work about Ernst Barlach
Ernst Barlach
Ernst Barlach was a German expressionist sculptor, printmaker and writer. Although he was a supporter of the war in the years leading to World War I, his participation in the war made him change his position, and he is mostly known for his sculptures protesting against the war...
.
Between 1959 and 1962 he worked as a teacher in Zürich. Different engagements as a teacher followed in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
), Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. From 1970 to 1999 Muschg was professor of German language and literature at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zürich.
He wrote the foreword to Fritz Zorn’s controversial memoirs Mars
Mars (Fritz Zorn)
Mars is an autobiographical essay written by Fritz Angst under the pseudonym Fritz Zorn. Adolf Muschg wrote its long and engaged foreword....
. The book pointed out the supposedly “cancer-causing” lifestyle of Zurich’s wealthy gold coast and provoked a scandal in Switzerland; its author died of cancer before its release. Muschg was also provocative with works like Wenn Auschwitz in der Schweiz liegt ("If Auschwitz were in Switzerland"). His detractors suggest that Muschg was writing without direct experience. A theme of his newer works is often love in old age.
Since 1976 he has been a member of the Akademie der Künste
Akademie der Künste
The Akademie der Künste, Berlin is an arts institution in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Prussian Academy of Arts, an academic institution where members could meet and discuss and share ideas...
, Berlin; he is also a member of the Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
and the Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung, Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
. In 2003 he was elected president of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin. He left the presidency in December 2005 because of disagreements with the Academy's senate about public relations.
He lives in Männedorf
Männedorf
Männedorf is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Like in all other village along the lake of Zürich, archeological findings indicate settlements in the stone ages. The original settlement in the 7th or 8th century was called village of Manno...
near Zürich.
Awards
- 1968 Conrad-Ferdinand-Meyer-Price
- 1974 Hermann-Hesse-Price
- 1984 Zurich Literature Price
- 1990 Carl-Zuckmayer-Medal
- 1993 Ricarda-Huch-Price
- 1994 Georg-Büchner-Price
- 2001 Grimmelshausen-Price
Works
- Im Sommer des Hasen, 1965
- Gegenzauber, 1967
- Fremdkörper, 1968
- Rumpelstilz. Ein kleinbürgerliches Trauerspiel, 1968
- Mitgespielt, 1969
- Papierwände, 1970
- Die Aufgeregten von Goethe. Ein politisches Drama, 1971
- Liebesgeschichte, 1972
- Albissers Grund, crime novel, 1974
- Entfernte Bekannte, 1976
- Kellers Abend. Ein Stück aus dem 19. Jahrhundert, 1976
- Noch ein Wunsch, 1979
- Baiyun oder die Freundschaftsgesellschaft, 1980
- Leib und Leben, 1982
- Das Licht und der Schlüssel. Erziehungsroman eines Vampirs, novel, 1984
- Goethe als Emigrant, 1986
- Der Turmhahn und andere Lebensgeschichten, 1987
- Der Rote Ritter. Eine Geschichte von Parzival, 1993
- Herr, was fehlt euch? Zusprüche und Nachreden aus dem Sprechzimmer eines heiligen Grals, 1994
- Nur ausziehen wollte sie sich nicht, 1995
- Die Insel, die Kolumbus nicht gefunden hat. Sieben Gesichter Japans, 1995
- O mein Heimatland!, 1998
- Sutters Glück, 2001
- Das gefangene Lächeln. Eine Erzählung, 2002
- Gehen kann ich allein und andere Liebesgeschichten, 2003
- Der Schein trügt nicht. Ueber Goethe, 2004
- Eikan, du bist spät, 2005
Other Works
- Gottfried Keller, biography, 1977
- Wenn Auschwitz in der Schweiz liegt, 1997
Voice Recordings
- Baiyun oder die Freundschaftsgesellschaft; Läufer und Brücken - eine unveröffentlichte Erzählung. Ausschnitte aus der Lesung in Hoser's Buchhandlung am 4. Oktober 1979 (Hoser's Buchhandlung, Stuttgart, ohne Nummer) (1 LP) ISBN 3-921414-05-9
Literature
- Manfred Dierks (Hrsg.): Adolf Muschg. Suhrkamp-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1989, ISBN 3-518-38586-0.
- Judith Ricker-Abderhalden (Hrsg.): Über Adolf Muschg. Suhrkamp-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1979, ISBN 3-518-10686-4.
- Rüdiger Schaper: Wer im Glashaus schwitzt. Akademie-Präsident Adolf Muschg gibt auf. In: Der TagesspiegelDer TagesspiegelDer Tagesspiegel is a classical liberal German daily newspaper...
Nr. 19047, Berlin, 16. Dezember 2005; S. 25. - Renate Voris: Adolf Muschg. C.H. Beck Verlag, München 1984. ISBN 3-406-30165-7.
- Alexandre Mirlesse: En attendant l'Europe (Rencontre avec Adolf Muschg). La Contre Allée, Lille 2009, ISBN 978-2-917817-01-8.
External links
- Portrait of the author by Suhrkamp VerlagSuhrkamp VerlagSuhrkamp Verlag is a German publishing house, established in 1950 and generally acknowledged as one of the leading European publishers of fine literature.In January 2010 the headquarters of the company moved from Frankfurt to Berlin.-Early history:...
- Information by the ETH Zurich