Melitta Breznik (born Kapfenberg 1961) is a senior doctor, specializing in psychiatry and a writer of novels and short stories. She was born in southern Austria, though most of her professional life has been spent in Switzerland. Melitta Breznik studied medicine in

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popu ...

and Innsbruck which is where she obtained her doctorate. She was a senior doctor at the

Psychiatric Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial psyc ...

Clinic in Cazis (south of

Chur , neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Churwalden, Tschiertschen-Praden, Domat/Ems, Felsberg, Malix, Trimmis, Untervaz, Pfäfers , twintowns = Bad Homburg (Germany), Cabourg (France), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-les-Bains (Lux ...

), at the Private Psychiatric Clinic at the

Zürichberg The Zürichberg is a wooded hill rising to 679 m (2,228 feet), overlooking Lake Zürich and located immediately to the east of the city of Zürich, Switzerland, between the valleys of the Limmat and the Glatt rivers. Its highest point is about ...

and at the Hohenegg Psychiatric Clinic in

Meilen Meilen is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Archaeological finds in Meilen date back more than 4,000 years. In January 1854 the level of lake Zürich was particularly low and the locals ...

. Between 2004 and 2009 she had her own medical business focused on

psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial p ...

and psychotherapy at

. Most recently she headed up the

Anthroposophic Anthroposophy is a Spiritualism, spiritualist movement founded in the early 20th century by the Western esotericism, esotericist Rudolf Steiner that postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spirituality, spiritual w ...

Psychosomatic A somatic symptom disorder, formerly known as a somatoform disorder,(2013) dsm5.org. Retrieved April 8, 2014. is any mental disorder that manifests as physical symptoms that suggest illness or injury, but cannot be explained fully by a general ...

Rehabilitation Clinic at

Badenweiler Badenweiler (High Alemannic: ''Badewiler'') is a health resort and spa in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, historically in the Markgräflerland. It is 28 kilometers by road and rail from Basel, 10 kilomet ...

on the south-western tip of Germany. Melitta Breznik in the author of novels and short stories, which are influenced by family and professional experience of psychiatry and which have been critically praised for their precise style.Hubert Spiegel:
Schnee im Oktober. Melitta Brezniks beeindruckender „Nachtdienst“
'. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine on-line, 4 November 1995. accessed 22 September 2014: „Aber neben der Präzision der Sprache, der Intensität der Darstellung und der Virtuosität, mit der Melitta Breznik ihre erzählerischen Mittel handhabt, ist es nicht zuletzt die souveräne Eigenständigkeit, die an diesem Debüt zu beeindrucken vermag.“

Recognition

* 1996 Kunstpreis der Stadt Innsbruck ''(Artistic prize from the City of Innsbruck)'' 3rd Prize for narrative poetry * 2001 Literaturpreis des Landes Steiermark ''(Literature Prize from the State of Styria)'' * 2002 Werkbeitrag of the

Pro Helvetia The foundation Pro Helvetia is a public foundation of Switzerland. Presidents *From 1939 to 1943, Heinrich Häberlin. *From 1944 to 1952, Paul Lachenal. *From 1952 to 1964, Jean-Rodolphe de Salis. *From 1965 to 1970, Michael Stettler. *From 19 ...

foundation

Published output

* ''Nachtdienst''. Luchterhand, Munich 1995, * ''Figuren''. Luchterhand, Munich 1999, * ''Das Umstellformat''. Luchterhand, Munich 2002, * ''Nordlicht''. Luchterhand, Munich 2009, * ''Der Sommer hat lange auf sich warten lassen''. Luchterhand, Munich 2013,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Breznik, Melitta Swiss psychiatrists 21st-century Swiss novelists 21st-century Austrian writers 1961 births Living people Swiss women novelists 21st-century Austrian women writers Swiss women psychiatrists Swiss women physicians Austrian psychiatrists 21st-century Austrian novelists Austrian women novelists Austrian women psychiatrists Austrian women physicians People from Kapfenberg Austrian emigrants to Switzerland