Jakob Frey
Encyclopedia
Jakob Frey was a Swiss writer of short stories about peasant life. He used the pseudonyms J. Reif, F. Kuhn, F. Imhoof, and J. A.
. He studied philology
and philosophy
in Tübingen
, Munich
and Zürich
. From 1851 he lived in Aarau
where he edited Der Schweizerbote. He was elevated to the Grand Council of Aargau
where he was elected secretary. However this work was unappealing to him and in 1856 he moved to Bern, where he began editing the Berner Zeitung
. In 1861 he moved to Basel
, and in 1865 he went back to Bern before returning to Aarau in 1868. He died in Bern.
Frey was not a particularly prolific writer of short stories, but those he wrote are often considered to be among the best of Swiss literature. His son Adolf Frey
(1855–1920) published his remaining manuscripts and wrote a biography.
Life
Jakob Frey was born into a large farming family in GontenschwilGontenschwil
Gontenschwil is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Gontenschwil is first mentioned in 1173 as Gundoltswilre in a grant to the monastery at Beromünster. In 1236, ownership of part of village went to Engelberg Abbey, in 1266 it transferred to the...
. He studied philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
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...
in Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and 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...
. From 1851 he lived in Aarau
Aarau
Aarau is the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The city is also the capital of the district of Aarau. It is German-speaking and predominantly Protestant. Aarau is situated on the Swiss plateau, in the valley of the Aar, on the river's right bank, and at the southern foot of the Jura...
where he edited Der Schweizerbote. He was elevated to the Grand Council of Aargau
Grand Council of Aargau
The Grand Council of Aargau is the legislature of the canton of Aargau, in Switzerland. Aargau has a unicameral legislature. The Grand Council has 140 seats, with members elected every four years....
where he was elected secretary. However this work was unappealing to him and in 1856 he moved to Bern, where he began editing the Berner Zeitung
Berner Zeitung
Berner Zeitung is a regional newspaper in the canton of Berne, Switzerland. With a distribution of 165,700 , it is number four of the daily newspapers in Switzerland and the leading newspaper in the Canton of Berne...
. In 1861 he moved to Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, and in 1865 he went back to Bern before returning to Aarau in 1868. He died in Bern.
Frey was not a particularly prolific writer of short stories, but those he wrote are often considered to be among the best of Swiss literature. His son Adolf Frey
Adolf Frey
Adolf Frey was a Swiss writer and literary historian. The son of popular writer Jakob Frey , he studied at various universities, including from 1879 to 1881 literature and history at the University of Leipzig.In 1882 he became a German teacher at the high school in Aarau and in 1898 professor of...
(1855–1920) published his remaining manuscripts and wrote a biography.
Works
- Zwischen Jura und Alpen. Erzählungen und Lebensbilder. 2 vols. Weber, Leipzig 1858
- Die Waise von Holligen. Erzählung aus den Tagen des Untergangs der alten Eidgenossenschaft. Krüsi, Basel 1863
- Schweizerbilder. Erzählungen aus der Heimath. 2 vols. Sauerländer, Aarau 1864
- Neue Schweizerbilder. Erzählungen. Frobeen, Bern 1877
- Gesammelte Erzählungen. 5 vols. Sauerländer, Aarau 1897