Markus Werner
Encyclopedia
Markus Werner is a German-speaking Swiss writer
, the author of Zündels Abgang
(Zündel’s Departure).
(canton of Schaffhausen
) where Werner finished school and passed the general qualification for university entrance in 1965. At the University of Zürich
he studied
German
, Philosophy
and Psychology
. In 1974 he completed a doctorate on Max Frisch
, whose writing has an important influence on Werner. From 1975 to 1985, he worked as a main teacher, and from 1985 to 1990 as an assistant professor at the Kantonsschule (= preparatory high school) in Schaffhausen. He has dedicated himself exclusively to writing since 1990. Werner today lives in Schaffhausen.
The results are a lot of strictly calculated scenes and episodes, in which the course of the world appears in too sharp and sometimes laughable details, that Werner’s protagonists cannot deal with. Just this seemingly harmless everyday perfidies let them break down: the deaf ears of their fellow men, their cold, headstrong souls. Human deficiencies are described in a tragicomical way. Werner sees the self-evident as something strange, is astonished and wonders like a child. His protagonists want the right to make mistakes and have deficiencies
(“self-assuredness is the sign of the yokel”, in: Die kalte Schulter, a Chinese saying).
They crave for love, but at the same time curse the world, their fellow men and themselves.
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....
, the author of Zündels Abgang
Zündels Abgang
Zündels Abgang is the first novel of Swiss writer Markus Werner , that was published in 1984 and became a bestseller and enjoys the status of cult novel for a lot of readers.-Plot summary:...
(Zündel’s Departure).
Life
Markus Werner was born in Eschlikon (canton of Thurgau). In 1948 the family moved to ThayngenThayngen
Thayngen is a village and a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland. On 1 January 2009 Altdorf, SH, Bibern, SH, Hofen, SH, Opfertshofen merged into Thayngen.-Geography:...
(canton of Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 34,587 ....
) where Werner finished school and passed the general qualification for university entrance in 1965. At the University 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...
he studied
German
German 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...
, 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...
and Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. In 1974 he completed a doctorate on Max Frisch
Max Frisch
Max Rudolf Frisch was a Swiss playwright and novelist, regarded as highly representative of German-language literature after World War II. In his creative works Frisch paid particular attention to issues relating to problems of human identity, individuality, responsibility, morality and political...
, whose writing has an important influence on Werner. From 1975 to 1985, he worked as a main teacher, and from 1985 to 1990 as an assistant professor at the Kantonsschule (= preparatory high school) in Schaffhausen. He has dedicated himself exclusively to writing since 1990. Werner today lives in Schaffhausen.
Performances
The protagonists of Werner’s novels, have quit their jobs. Out of their eyes' view, Werner laconically describes everyday life astonished, with distress and with humour.The results are a lot of strictly calculated scenes and episodes, in which the course of the world appears in too sharp and sometimes laughable details, that Werner’s protagonists cannot deal with. Just this seemingly harmless everyday perfidies let them break down: the deaf ears of their fellow men, their cold, headstrong souls. Human deficiencies are described in a tragicomical way. Werner sees the self-evident as something strange, is astonished and wonders like a child. His protagonists want the right to make mistakes and have deficiencies
(“self-assuredness is the sign of the yokel”, in: Die kalte Schulter, a Chinese saying).
They crave for love, but at the same time curse the world, their fellow men and themselves.
Awards
- 1984 Prize of the Jürgen PontoJürgen PontoJürgen Ponto, was a German banker and chairman of the Dresdner Bank board of directors. Previously, he had worked as a lawyer...
-foundation - 1984 and 1993 singular work prize of the Swiss Schiller foundation
- 1986 Georg-Fischer-Prize of the city Schaffhausen
- 1990 Alemannic Literaturpreis
- 1993 Thomas Valentin-Literature price
- 1995 Prix littéraire Lipp; International Bodensee-Literature price
- 1997 Prize of the SWR-best-of-list
- 1999 Hermann HesseHermann HesseHermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature...
-price - 2000 Joseph Breitbach-price (jointly with Ilse Aichinger and W.G.Sebald)
- 2002 Johann Peter HebelJohann Peter HebelJohann Peter Hebel was a German short story writer and dialectal poet, most famous for his collection of alemannic tales Schatzkästlein des rheinischen Hausfreundes .-Life:...
-price of Baden-WürttembergBaden-WürttembergBaden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants... - 2005 complete work prize of the Swiss Schiller foundation
- 2006 Bodensee-Literature prize of the city ÜberlingenÜberlingenÜberlingen is a city on the northern shore of Lake Constance . After the city of Friedrichshafen, it is the second largest city in the Bodenseekreis , and a central point for the outlying communities...
Works
- Bilder des Endgültigen, Entwürfe des Möglichen. Zum Werk Max Frischs, Univ. Diss. 1974 (literally: “Pictures of the definitive. Drafts of the possible. About Max Frisch’s work”)
- Zündels AbgangZündels AbgangZündels Abgang is the first novel of Swiss writer Markus Werner , that was published in 1984 and became a bestseller and enjoys the status of cult novel for a lot of readers.-Plot summary:...
, novel, 1984, ISBN 3-7017-1385-5 (Zündel’s Departure) - Froschnacht, novel, 1985, ISBN 3-7017-0424-4, ISBN 3-423-11250-6 (literally: „Frog night“)
- Die kalte Schulter, novel, 1989, ISBN 3-423-11672-2 (literally: „The cold shoulder“)
- Bis bald, novel, 1992, ISBN 3-7017-0758-8, ISBN 3-423-12112-2 (2005/2006 in the book seriesBook seriesA book series is a sequence of books having certain characteristics in common that are formally identified together as a group. Book series can be organized in different ways, such as written by the same author, or marketed as a group by their publisher....
Schweizer BibliothekSchweizer BibliothekSchweizer Bibliothek is a twenty-volume compilation of Swiss books, published in 2005/2006. The wide assortment of writers from all around the country is intended to represent 20th century Swiss literature by showcasing twenty of the most important Swiss writers.The collection was compiled by Das...
) (literally: „Good bye“) - Festland, novel, 1996, ISBN 3-7017-0969-6, ISBN 3-423-12529-2 (literally: „Mainland“)
- Der ägyptische Heinrich, novel, 1999, ISBN 3-7017-1174-7, ISBN 3-423-12901-8 (literally: „The Egyptian Heinrich“)
- Am Hang, novel, 2004, ISBN 3-10-091066-4 (literally: „Near the cliff“)
Literature
- «Allein das Zögern ist human.» About Markus Werner’s works. Editor: Martin Ebel. Frankfurt am Main, 2006 (Fischer Taschenbuch 16908), ISBN 978-3-596-16908-5. contains unpublished texts of Markus Werner.