Josef Burg (writer)
Encyclopedia
Josef Burg was an award-winning Jewish Soviet Yiddish writer
, author
, publisher and journalist
.
Burg was born on May 30, 1912, in the town of Vyzhnytsia
, in the region of Bukovina
, Austria–Hungary. In the years before World War I, the city of Chernivtsi
, also called Czernowitz in both German
and Yiddish, was the capital of the Bukovina region and a center of Yiddish language and culture. The region became part of Romania
following World War I.
Burg published his first professional writing in the Chernovitser Bleter, a Yiddish newspaper
, in 1934. The Romanian government closed and banned the Chernovitser Bleter in 1938.
Burg survived the Holocaust during World War II
, but lost his entire family. He survived by escaping into the Soviet Union
.
Burg continued to write and publish his works well into his 90s. In 1990, Burg revived the once banned Chernovitser Bleter newspaper as a monthly publication.
Josef Burg died on August 10, 2009, in Chernivtsi
, Ukraine
, at the age of 97.
for Yiddish writings.
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....
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, publisher and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Burg was born on May 30, 1912, in the town of Vyzhnytsia
Vyzhnytsia
Vyzhnytsia is a town located on the Cheremosh River in the Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Vyzhnytsia Raion.-Notable People from Vyzhnytsia:* Gerard Ciołek, architect* Menachem Mendel Hager, first Vizhnitser Rebbe...
, in the region of Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
, Austria–Hungary. In the years before World War I, the city of Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine...
, also called Czernowitz in both German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Yiddish, was the capital of the Bukovina region and a center of Yiddish language and culture. The region became part of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
following World War I.
Burg published his first professional writing in the Chernovitser Bleter, a Yiddish newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, in 1934. The Romanian government closed and banned the Chernovitser Bleter in 1938.
Burg survived the Holocaust during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but lost his entire family. He survived by escaping into the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Burg continued to write and publish his works well into his 90s. In 1990, Burg revived the once banned Chernovitser Bleter newspaper as a monthly publication.
Josef Burg died on August 10, 2009, in Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, at the age of 97.
Awards
His awards included the Segal Prize from IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
for Yiddish writings.
- Austrian Decoration for Science and Art - 2007
- Theodor KramerTheodor KramerTheodor Kramer was an Austrian poet of Jewish origin. He was persecuted during the Second World War and fled to the United Kingdom. After his death his significant poetic output fell into obscurity, but has been rediscovered in recent decades. Several of his poems have been set to music.-...
Society of Austria's literary awardLiterary awardA literary award is an award presented to an author who has written a particularly lauded piece or body of work. There are awards for forms of writing ranging from poetry to novels. Many awards are also dedicated to a certain genre of fiction or non-fiction writing . There are also awards...
- 2009
Works
- 1934: Oifn splaw.
- 1939: Oifn tschermusch. (dt. Auf dem Czeremosz. Erzählungen. Boldt, 2005, ISBN 3-928788-50-7)
- 1940: Ssam (dt. Gift. Zwei Erzählungen. Boldt, 2005, ISBN 3-928788-51-5)
- 1980: Dos leben geit waiter. Derzeilungen, Nowelen, Skizen – Das Leben geht weiter. Erzählungen, Novellen, Skizzen. Sowetski Pissatel.
- 1983: Iberuk fun tsajtn. Sowetski Pissatel.
- 1988: Ein Gesang über allen Gesängen. Erzählungen und Skizzen.
- 1990: A farschpetikter echo. (dt. Ein verspätetes Echo, teils zweisprachig, 1999, ISBN 3-87410-075-8)
- 1997: Zwej weltn.
- 1997: Zewikelte stetschkes. (ukrainische Originalausgabe)
- 2000: Irrfahrten. Boldt, ISBN 3-928788-35-3.
- 2004: Sterne altern nicht. Ausgewählte Erzählungen. Boldt, ISBN 3-928788-45-0.
- 2005: Dämmerung. Erzählungen. Boldt, ISBN 3-928788-54-0.
- 2006: Mein Czernowitz. Boldt, ISBN 3-928788-55-8.
- 2006: Begegnungen - eine Karpatenreise. Boldt, ISBN 3-928788-57-4.
- 2007: Über jiddische Dichter. Erinnerungen. Boldt, ISBN 3-928788-60-4.
- 2008: Ein Stück trockenes Brot. Ausgewählte Erzählungen. Boldt, ISBN 3-3928788-65-5.