Stephan Zweig
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Stefan Zweig (; ; 28 November 1881 – 22 February 1942) was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist, and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most widely translated and popular writers in the world. Zweig was raised in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
,
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. He wrote historical studies of famous literary figures, such as
Honoré de Balzac Honoré de Balzac ( , more commonly , ; born Honoré Balzac;Jean-Louis Dega, La vie prodigieuse de Bernard-François Balssa, père d'Honoré de Balzac : Aux sources historiques de La Comédie humaine, Rodez, Subervie, 1998, 665 p. 20 May 179 ...
,
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
, and Fyodor Dostoevsky in ''Drei Meister'' (1920; ''Three Masters''), and decisive historical events in '' Sternstunden der Menschheit'' (1928; published in English in 1940 as ''The Tide of Fortune: Twelve Historical Miniatures''). He wrote biographies of Joseph Fouché (1929), Mary Stuart (1935) and Marie Antoinette ('' Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman'', 1932), among others. Zweig's best-known fiction includes '' Letter from an Unknown Woman'' (1922), '' Amok'' (1922), ''
Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
'' (1925), '' Confusion of Feelings'' (1927), ''
Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman ''Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman'' (german: Vierundzwanzig Stunden aus dem Leben einer Frau) is a 1927 novella by the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig. It was filmed in 1931, 1944, 1952, 1968, and 2002. A television movie was telecast in 19 ...
'' (1927), the
psychological novel In literature, psychological fiction (also psychological realism) is a narrative genre that emphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the spiritual, emotional, and mental lives of the characters. The mode of narration exami ...
''Ungeduld des Herzens'' (''
Beware of Pity ''Beware of Pity'' is a 1946 British romantic drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Lilli Palmer, Albert Lieven and Cedric Hardwicke. It is based on the novel of the same name by Stefan Zweig. A paraplegic young baroness mistakes co ...
'', 1939), and ''
The Royal Game ''The Royal Game'' (also known as Chess Story; in the original German ''Schachnovelle'', "Chess Novella") is a novella by the Austrian author Stefan Zweig written in 1941, the year before the author's death by suicide. In some editions, the title ...
'' (1941). In 1934, as a result of the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
's rise in Germany, Zweig emigrated to England and then, in 1940, moved briefly to New York and then to Brazil, where he settled. In his final years, he would declare himself in love with the country, writing about it in the book ''Brazil, Land of the Future''. Nonetheless, as the years passed Zweig became increasingly disillusioned and despairing at the future of Europe, and he and his wife Lotte were found dead of a
barbiturate overdose Barbiturate overdose is poisoning due to excessive doses of barbiturates. Symptoms typically include difficulty thinking, poor coordination, decreased level of consciousness, and a decreased effort to breathe (respiratory depression). Complicati ...
in their house in
Petrópolis Petrópolis (; ), also known as The Imperial City, is a municipality in the Southeast Region of Brazil. It is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, northeast of the city of Rio de Janeiro. According to the 2010 National Brazilian Census, Petr ...
on 23 February 1942; they had died the previous day. His work has been the basis for several film adaptations. Zweig's memoir, ''Die Welt von Gestern'' ('' The World of Yesterday,'' 1942), is noted for its description of life during the waning years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire under
Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
and has been called the most famous book on the
Habsburg Empire The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
.Giorgio Manacorda (2010
''Nota bibliografica''
in
Joseph Roth Moses Joseph Roth (2 September 1894 – 27 May 1939) was an Austrian journalist and novelist, best known for his family saga '' Radetzky March'' (1932), about the decline and fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, his novel of Jewish life '' Job'' ...
, '' La Marcia di Radetzky'', Newton Classici quotation: "Stefan Zweig, l'autore del più famoso libro sull'Impero asburgico, ''Die Welt von Gestern''


Biography

Zweig was born in Vienna, the son of Ida Brettauer (1854–1938), a daughter of a Jewish banking family, and Moritz Zweig (1845–1926), a wealthy
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
textile manufacturer.Prof.Dr. Klaus Lohrmann ''"Jüdisches Wien. Kultur-Karte"'' (2003), Mosse-Berlin Mitte gGmbH (Verlag Jüdische Presse) He was related to the Czech writer Egon Hostovský, who described him as "a very distant relative"; some sources describe them as cousins. Zweig studied philosophy at the
University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich hist ...
and in 1904 earned a doctoral degree with a thesis on "The Philosophy of
Hippolyte Taine Hippolyte Adolphe Taine (, 21 April 1828 – 5 March 1893) was a French historian, critic and philosopher. He was the chief theoretical influence on French naturalism, a major proponent of sociological positivism and one of the first practition ...
". Religion did not play a central role in his education. "My mother and father were Jewish only through accident of birth", Zweig said in an interview. Yet he did not renounce his Jewish faith and wrote repeatedly on Jews and Jewish themes, as in his story '' Buchmendel''. Zweig had a warm relationship with
Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl; hu, Herzl Tivadar; Hebrew name given at his brit milah: Binyamin Ze'ev (2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904) was an Austro-Hungarian Jewish lawyer, journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was the father of modern po ...
, the founder of
Zionism Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...
, whom he met when Herzl was still literary editor of the ''
Neue Freie Presse ''Neue Freie Presse'' ("New Free Press") was a Viennese newspaper founded by Adolf Werthner together with the journalists Max Friedländer and Michael Etienne on 1 September 1864 after the staff had split from the newspaper ''Die Presse''. It ...
'', then Vienna's main newspaper; Herzl accepted for publication some of Zweig's early essays. Zweig, a committed cosmopolitan, believed in
internationalism Internationalism may refer to: * Cosmopolitanism, the view that all human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality as opposed to communitarianism, patriotism and nationalism * International Style, a major architectur ...
and in
Europeanism European values are the norms and values that Europeans are said to have in common, and which transcend national or state identity. In addition to helping promote European integration, this doctrine also provides the basis for analyses that charac ...
, as '' The World of Yesterday'', his autobiography, makes clear: "I was sure in my heart from the first of my identity as a citizen of the world." According to Amos Elon, Zweig called Herzl's book ''
Der Judenstaat ''Der Judenstaat'' (German, literally ''The State of the Jews'', commonly rendered as ''The Jewish State'') is a pamphlet written by Theodor Herzl and published in February 1896 in Leipzig and Vienna by M. Breitenstein's Verlags-Buchhandlung. It ...
'' an "obtuse text, piece of nonsense". Zweig served in the Archives of the Ministry of War and adopted a pacifist stance like his friend
Romain Rolland Romain Rolland (; 29 January 1866 – 30 December 1944) was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915 "as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production a ...
, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature 1915. Zweig married Friderike Maria von Winternitz (born Burger) in 1920; they divorced in 1938. As Friderike Zweig she published a book on her former husband after his death. She later also published a picture book on Zweig. In the late summer of 1939, Zweig married his secretary Elisabet Charlotte "Lotte" Altmann in Bath,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Zweig's secretary in Salzburg from November 1919 to March 1938 was Anna Meingast (13 May 1881, Vienna – 17 November 1953, Salzburg). As a Jew, Zweig's high profile did not shield him from the threat of persecution. In 1934, following
Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's rise to power in Germany, Zweig left Austria for England, living first in London, then from 1939 in Bath. Because of the swift advance of Hitler's troops westwards, and the threat of arrest or worse – as part of the preparations for
Operation Seelöwe Operation Sea Lion, also written as Operation Sealion (german: Unternehmen Seelöwe), was Nazi Germany's code name for the plan for an invasion of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. Following the Battle ...
a list of persons to be detained immediately after conquest of the British Isles, the so-called '' Black Book'', had been assembled and Zweig was on page 231, with his London address fully mentioned – Zweig and his second wife crossed the Atlantic to the United States, settling in 1940 in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
; they lived for two months as guests of
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
in
New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...
, then they rented a house in Ossining, New York. On 22 August 1940, they moved again to
Petrópolis Petrópolis (; ), also known as The Imperial City, is a municipality in the Southeast Region of Brazil. It is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, northeast of the city of Rio de Janeiro. According to the 2010 National Brazilian Census, Petr ...
, a German-colonized mountain town 68 kilometres north of
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
. Zweig, feeling increasingly depressed about the situation in Europe and the future for humanity, wrote in a letter to author
Jules Romains Jules Romains (born Louis Henri Jean Farigoule; 26 August 1885 – 14 August 1972) was a French poet and writer and the founder of the Unanimism literary movement. His works include the play '' Knock ou le Triomphe de la médecine'', and a cycle ...
, "My inner crisis consists in that I am not able to identify myself with the me of passport, the self of exile". On 23 February 1942, the Zweigs were found dead of a
barbiturate overdose Barbiturate overdose is poisoning due to excessive doses of barbiturates. Symptoms typically include difficulty thinking, poor coordination, decreased level of consciousness, and a decreased effort to breathe (respiratory depression). Complicati ...
in their house in the city of Petrópolis, holding hands. He had been despairing at the future of Europe and its culture. "I think it better to conclude in good time and in erect bearing a life in which intellectual labour meant the purest joy and personal freedom the highest good on Earth", he wrote. The Zweigs' house in Brazil was later turned into a cultural centre and is now known as
Casa Stefan Zweig The Casa Stefan Zweig is legally regarded as a private charitable organisation, which was founded in 2006 by a group of interested private donors, to establish a writer's house museum, that is dedicated to the author, in the last residence of St ...
.


Work

Zweig was a prominent writer in the 1920s and 1930s, befriending
Arthur Schnitzler Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist. Biography Arthur Schnitzler was born at Praterstrasse 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire (as of 1867, part of the dual monarchy ...
and
Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts ...
. He was extremely popular in the United States, South America and Europe, and remains so in continental Europe; however, he was largely ignored by the British public. His fame in America had diminished until the 1990s, when there began an effort on the part of several publishers (notably Pushkin Press, Hesperus Press, and ''
The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of i ...
'') to get Zweig back into print in English. Plunkett Lake Press has reissued electronic versions of his non-fiction works. Since that time there has been a marked resurgence and a number of Zweig's books are back in print. Critical opinion of his oeuvre is strongly divided between those who praise his humanism, simplicity and effective style, and those who criticize his literary style as poor, lightweight and superficial.
Michael Hofmann Michael Hofmann (born 25 August 1957) is a German-born poet who writes in English and is a translator of texts from German. Biography Hofmann was born in Freiburg into a family with a literary tradition. His father was the German novelist Ger ...
scathingly attacks Zweig's work. Hofmann uses the term "vermicular dither” to refer to a passage attributed to Zweig and quoted in 1972, though the passage does not occur in Zweig's published work. Hofmann adds that in his opinion "Zweig just tastes fake. He's the
Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi wa ...
of Austrian writing." Even the author's suicide note, Hofmann suggests, causes one to feel "the irritable rise of boredom halfway through it, and the sense that ''he doesn't mean it'', his heart isn't in it (not even in his suicide)". Zweig is best known for his novellas (notably ''
The Royal Game ''The Royal Game'' (also known as Chess Story; in the original German ''Schachnovelle'', "Chess Novella") is a novella by the Austrian author Stefan Zweig written in 1941, the year before the author's death by suicide. In some editions, the title ...
'', '' Amok'', and '' Letter from an Unknown Woman'' – which was filmed in 1948 by
Max Ophüls Maximillian Oppenheimer (; 6 May 1902 – 26 March 1957), known as Max Ophüls (; ), was a German-French film director who worked in Germany (1931–1933), France (1933–1940 and 1950–1957), and the United States (1947–1950). He made near ...
), novels (''
Beware of Pity ''Beware of Pity'' is a 1946 British romantic drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Lilli Palmer, Albert Lieven and Cedric Hardwicke. It is based on the novel of the same name by Stefan Zweig. A paraplegic young baroness mistakes co ...
'', '' Confusion of Feelings'', and the posthumously published ''The Post Office Girl'') and biographies (notably of
Erasmus of Rotterdam Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' w ...
,
Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the Eas ...
, and
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...
, and also the posthumously published one on Balzac). At one time his works were published without his consent in English under the pseudonym "Stephen Branch" (a translation of his real name) when anti-German sentiment was running high. His 1932 biography of Queen Marie Antoinette was adapted by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...
as a 1938 film starring
Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'N ...
. Zweig's
memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiog ...
, '' The World of Yesterday'', was completed in 1942 one day before he died by suicide. It has been widely discussed as a record of "what it meant to be alive between 1881 and 1942" in central Europe; the book has attracted both critical praise and hostile dismissal. Zweig acknowledged his debt to psychoanalysis. In a letter dated 8 September 1926, he wrote to Freud, "Psychology is the great business of my life". He went on explaining that Freud had considerable influence on writers such as Marcel Proust,
D.H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...
and
James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...
, giving them a lesson in "courage" and helping them to overcome their inhibitions. "Thanks to you, we ''see'' many things. – Thanks to you we ''say'' many things which otherwise we would not have seen nor said." Autobiography, in particular, had become "more clear-sighted and audacious". Zweig enjoyed a close association with Richard Strauss and provided the libretto for '' Die schweigsame Frau'' (''The Silent Woman''). Strauss famously defied the Nazi regime by refusing to sanction the removal of Zweig's name from the programme''Richard Strauss/Stefan Zweig: BriefWechsel'', 1957, translated as ''A Confidential Matter'', 1977 for the work's première on 24 June 1935 in
Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
. As a result, Goebbels refused to attend as planned, and the opera was banned after three performances. Zweig later collaborated with
Joseph Gregor Joseph Gregor (* 26 October 1888 Czernowitz – 12 October 1960 Vienna) was an Austrian writer, theater historian and librettist. He served as director of the Austrian National Library. Life and career Joseph Gregor was born in Czernowitz. He stud ...
to provide Strauss with the libretto for one other opera, ''
Daphne Daphne (; ; el, Δάφνη, , ), a minor figure in Greek mythology, is a naiad, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. There are several versions of the myth in whi ...
'', in 1937. At least one other work by Zweig received a musical setting: the pianist and composer Henry Jolles, who like Zweig had fled to Brazil to escape the Nazis, composed a song, "Último poema de Stefan Zweig", based on "Letztes Gedicht", which Zweig wrote on the occasion of his 60th birthday in November 1941.Biographical sketch of Stefan Zweig at Casa Stefan Zweig
accessed 28 September 2008
During his stay in Brazil, Zweig wrote ''Brasilien, Ein Land der Zukunft'' (''Brazil, A Land of the Future'') which consisted in a collection of essays on the history and culture of his newly adopted country. Zweig was a passionate collector of manuscripts. He corresponded at length with Hungarian musicologist Gisela Selden-Goth, often discussing their mutual interest in collecting original music scores. There are important Zweig collections at the
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
, at the
State University of New York at Fredonia The State University of New York at Fredonia (SUNY Fredonia) is a public university in Fredonia, New York, United States. It is the westernmost member of the State University of New York. Founded in 1826, it is the sixty-sixth-oldest institute of ...
and at the
National Library of Israel The National Library of Israel (NLI; he, הספרייה הלאומית, translit=HaSifria HaLeumit; ar, المكتبة الوطنية في إسرائيل), formerly Jewish National and University Library (JNUL; he, בית הספרים הלא ...
. The British Library's Stefan Zweig Collection was donated to the library by his heirs in May 1986. It specialises in autograph music manuscripts, including works by
Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...
,
Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
,
Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
, and
Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
. It has been described as "one of the world's greatest collections of autograph manuscripts". One particularly precious item is Mozart's "Verzeichnüß aller meiner Werke"Mozart's "Verzeichnüß aller meiner Werke"
at the British Library Online Gallery accessed 14 October 2009
– that is, the composer's own handwritten thematic catalogue of his works. The 1993–1994 academic year at the
College of Europe The College of Europe (french: Collège d'Europe) is a post-graduate institute of European studies with its main campus in Bruges, Belgium and a second campus in Warsaw, Poland. The College of Europe in Bruges was founded in 1949 by leading ...
was named in his honour. Zweig has been credited with being one of the novelists who contributed to the emergence of what would later be called the Habsburg Myth.


Bibliography

The dates mentioned below are the dates of first publication in German.


Fiction

* ''Forgotten Dreams'', 1900 (Original title: ''Vergessene Träume'') * ''Spring in the Prater'', 1900 (Original title: ''Praterfrühling'') * ''A Loser'', 1901 (Original title: ''Ein Verbummelter'') * ''In the Snow'', 1901 (Original title: ''Im Schnee'') * ''Two Lonely Souls'', 1901 (Original title: ''Zwei Einsame'') * ''The Miracles of Life'', 1903 (Original title: ''Die Wunder des Lebens'') * ''The Love of Erika Ewald'', 1904 (Original title: ''Die Liebe der Erika Ewald'') * ''The Star Over the Forest'', 1904 (Original title: ''Der Stern über dem Walde'') * ''The Fowler Snared'', 1906 (Original title: ''Sommernovellette'') * ''The Governess'', 1907 (Original title: ''Die Governante'') * ''Scarlet Fever'', 1908 (Original title: ''Scharlach'') * ''Twilight'', 1910 (Original title: ''Geschichte eines Unterganges'') * ''A Story Told In Twilight'', 1911, short story (Original title: ''Geschichte in der Dämmerung'') * ''Burning Secret'', 1913 (Original title: ') * ''
Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
'', 1920 (Original title: ''Angst'') * ''Compulsion'', 1920 (Original title: ''Der Zwang'') * ''Fantastic Night'', 1922 (Original title: ''Phantastische Nacht'') * '' Letter from an Unknown Woman'', 1922 (Original title: ''Brief einer Unbekannten'') * ''
Moonbeam Alley "Moonbeam Alley" (german: Die Mondscheingasse) is a short story by Austrian author Stefan Zweig, first published in 1922. In the short story, as in ''Amok (novella), Amok'', Zweig brings the altruistic concerns of the protagonist into the forefro ...
'', 1922 (Original title: ''Die Mondscheingasse'') * '' Amok'', 1922 (Original title: ''Amok'') – novella, initially published with several others in ''Amok. Novellen einer Leidenschaft'' * ''The Invisible Collection'', 1925 (Original title: ''Die unsichtbare Sammlung'') * ''Downfall of the Heart'', 1927 (Original title: ''Untergang eines Herzens'') * ''The Invisible Collection'' see ''Collected Stories'' below, (Original title: ''Die Unsichtbare Sammlung'', first published in book form in 'Insel-Almanach auf das Jahr 1927') * ''The Refugee'', 1927 (Original title: ''Der Flüchtling. Episode vom Genfer See''). * '' Confusion of Feelings'' or ''Confusion: The Private Papers of Privy Councillor R Von D'', 1927 (Original title: ''Verwirrung der Gefühle'') – novella initially published in the volume ''Verwirrung der Gefühle: Drei Novellen'' * ''
Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman ''Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman'' (german: Vierundzwanzig Stunden aus dem Leben einer Frau) is a 1927 novella by the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig. It was filmed in 1931, 1944, 1952, 1968, and 2002. A television movie was telecast in 19 ...
'', 1927 (Original title: ''Vierundzwanzig Stunden aus dem Leben einer Frau'') – novella initially published in the volume ''Verwirrung der Gefühle: Drei Novellen'' * ''Widerstand der Wirklichkeit'', 1929 (in English as ''Journey into the Past'' (1976)) * '' Buchmendel'', 1929 (Original title: ''Buchmendel'')'')'' * ''Short stories'', 1930 (Original title: ''Kleine Chronik. Vier Erzählungen'') – includes ''Buchmendel'' * ''Did He Do It?'', published between 1935 and 1940 (Original title: ''War er es?'') * ''Leporella'', 1935 (Original title: ''Leporella'') * ''Collected Stories'', 1936 (Original title: ''Gesammelte Erzählungen'') – two volumes of short stories:
1. ''The Chains'' (Original title: ''Die Kette'')
2. ''Kaleidoscope'' (Original title: ''Kaleidoskop''). Includes: ''Casual Knowledge of a Craft'', ''Leporella'', ''Fear'', ''Burning Secret'', ''Summer Novella'', ''The Governess'', ''Buchmendel'', ''The Refugee'', ''The Invisible Collection'', ''Fantastic Night'', and ''Moonbeam Alley''. ''Kaleidoscope: thirteen stories and novelettes'', published by The Viking Press in 1934, includes some of those just listed — some with differently translated titles — plus others. * ''Incident on Lake Geneva'', 1936 (Original title: ''Episode am Genfer See'' Revised version of "Der Flüchtung. Episode vom Genfer See", published in 1927) * ''The Old-Book Peddler and Other Tales for Bibliophiles'', 1937, four pieces (two "clothed in the form of fiction," according to the preface by translator Theodore W. Koch), published by Northwestern University, The Charles Deering Library, Evanston, Illinois: *# "Books are the Gateway to the World" *# "The Old-Book Peddler; A Viennese Tale for Bibliophiles" (Original title: ''Buchmendel'') *# "The Invisible Collection; An Episode from the Post-War Inflation Period" (Original title: ''Die unsichtbare Sammlung'') *# "Thanks to Books" * ''
Beware of Pity ''Beware of Pity'' is a 1946 British romantic drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Lilli Palmer, Albert Lieven and Cedric Hardwicke. It is based on the novel of the same name by Stefan Zweig. A paraplegic young baroness mistakes co ...
'', 1939 (Original title: ''Ungeduld des Herzens'') novel * ''Legends'', a collection of five short stories published in 1945 (Original title: ''Legenden'' – published also as ''Jewish Legends'' with "Buchmendel" instead of "The Dissimilar Doubles": *# "Rachel Arraigns with God", 1930 (Original title: "Rahel rechtet mit Gott" *# "The Eyes of My Brother, Forever", 1922 (Original title: "Die Augen des ewigen Bruders") *# "The Buried Candelabrum", 1936 (Original title: "Der begrabene Leuchter") *# "The Legend of The Third Dove", 1945 (Original title: "Die Legende der dritten Taube") *# "The Dissimilar Doubles", 1927 (Original title: "Kleine Legende von den gleich-ungleichen Schwestern") * ''
The Royal Game ''The Royal Game'' (also known as Chess Story; in the original German ''Schachnovelle'', "Chess Novella") is a novella by the Austrian author Stefan Zweig written in 1941, the year before the author's death by suicide. In some editions, the title ...
'' or ''Chess Story'' or ''Chess'' (Original title: ''Schachnovelle''; Buenos Aires, 1942) – novella written in 1938–41, * ''Clarissa'', 1981 unfinished novel * ''The Debt Paid Late'', 1982 (Original title: ''Die spät bezahlte Schuld'') * '' The Post Office Girl'', 1982 (Original title: ''Rausch der Verwandlung. Roman aus dem Nachlaß''; ''The Intoxication of Metamorphosis'') * ''Schneewinter: 50 zeitlose Gedichte'', 2016, editor
Martin Werhand Martin Werhand (born May 13, 1968, in Neuwied, Rhineland-Palatinate) is a German publisher, editor and writer. 1997 he founded the publishing house Martin Werhand Verlag in Melsbach with focus on Fiction. Life and work Martin Peter Werhand wa ...
. Melsbach,
Martin Werhand Verlag The Martin Werhand Verlag is a German publishing house with a focus on contemporary literature and poetry. More than 25% of the 150 published authors have an immigrant background with parents who were born outside of Germany and have their roots ...
2016


Biographies and historical texts

* ''Émile Verhaeren'' (the Belgian poet), 1910 * ''Three Masters: Balzac,
Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...
, Dostoevsky'', 1920 (Original title: ''Drei Meister. Balzac – Dickens – Dostojewski''. Translated into English by Eden and Cedar Paul and published in 1930 as ''Three Masters'') * ''Romain Rolland: The Man and His Work'', 1921 (Original title: ''
Romain Rolland Romain Rolland (; 29 January 1866 – 30 December 1944) was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915 "as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production a ...
. Der Mann und das Werk'') * ''Nietzsche'', 1925 (Originally published in the volume titled: ''Der Kampf mit dem Dämon. Hölderlin – Kleist –
Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his car ...
'') * '' Decisive Moments in History'', 1927 (Original title: ''Sternstunden der Menschheit''). Translated into English and published in 1940 as ''The Tide of Fortune: Twelve Historical Miniatures''; retranslated in 2013 by Anthea Bell as ''Shooting Stars: Ten Historical Miniatures'' * ''Adepts in Self-Portraiture:
Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...
, Stendhal,
Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
'', 1928 (Original title: ''Drei Dichter ihres Lebens. Casanova – Stendhal – Tolstoi'') * ''Joseph Fouché'', 1929 (Original title: Joseph Fouché. ''Bildnis eines politischen Menschen'') * ''Mental Healers: Franz Mesmer,
Mary Baker Eddy Mary Baker Eddy (July 16, 1821 – December 3, 1910) was an American religious leader and author who founded The Church of Christ, Scientist, in New England in 1879. She also founded ''The Christian Science Monitor'', a Pulitzer Prize-winning se ...
,
Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts ...
'', 1932 (Original title: ''Die Heilung durch den Geist. Mesmer, Mary Baker-Eddy, Freud'') * '' Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman'', 1932 (Original title: ''Marie Antoinette. Bildnis eines mittleren Charakters'') * ''Erasmus of Rotterdam'', 1934 (Original title: ''Triumph und Tragik des
Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' w ...
von Rotterdam'') * '' Maria Stuart'', 1935 (also published as: ''The Queen of Scots'' or ''Mary Queen of Scots'') * ''The Right to Heresy: Castellio against
Calvin Calvin may refer to: Names * Calvin (given name) ** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States * Calvin (surname) ** Particularly John Calvin, theologian Places In the United States * Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet * Calvi ...
'', 1936 (Original title: ''Castellio gegen Calvin oder Ein Gewissen gegen die Gewalt'') * ''Conqueror of the Seas: The Story of
Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the East ...
'', 1938 (Original title: ''Magellan. Der Mann und seine Tat'') * ''Montaigne'', 1941 * ''Amerigo'', 1942 (Original title: ''Amerigo. Geschichte eines historischen Irrtums'') – written in 1942, published the day before he died * ''Balzac'', 1946 – written, as describes in a postscript, by Zweig in the Brazilian summer capital of
Petrópolis Petrópolis (; ), also known as The Imperial City, is a municipality in the Southeast Region of Brazil. It is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, northeast of the city of Rio de Janeiro. According to the 2010 National Brazilian Census, Petr ...
, without access to the files, notebooks, lists, tables, editions and monographs that Zweig accumulated for many years and that he took with him to Bath, but that he left behind when he went to America. Friedenthal wrote that ''Balzac'' "was to be his ''magnum opus'', and he had been working at it for ten years. It was to be a summing up of his own experience as an author and of what life had taught him." Friedenthal claimed that "The book had been finished", though not every chapter was complete; he used a working copy of the manuscript Zweig left behind him to apply "the finishing touches", and Friedenthal rewrote the final chapters (''Balzac'', translated by William and Dorothy Rose ew York: Viking, 1946 pp. 399, 402). * ''Paul Verlaine'', Copyright 1913, By L.E. Basset Boston, Mass., USA. authorized English translation by O.F. Theis. Luce and Company Boston. Maunsel and Co. Ltd Dublin and London.


Plays

* ''Tersites'', 1907 * ''Das Haus am Meer'', 1912 * ''
Jeremiah Jeremiah, Modern:   , Tiberian: ; el, Ἰερεμίας, Ieremíās; meaning " Yah shall raise" (c. 650 – c. 570 BC), also called Jeremias or the "weeping prophet", was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewi ...
'', 1917 * ''Ben Jonson's
Volpone ''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perfor ...
. A Loveless Comedy in 3 Acts, freely adapted'', 1928


Other

* '' The World of Yesterday'' (Original title: ''Die Welt von Gestern''; Stockholm, 1942) – autobiography * ''Brazil, Land of the Future'' (Original title: ''Brasilien. Ein Land der Zukunft''; Bermann-Fischer, Stockholm 1941) * ''Journeys'' (Original title: ''Auf Reisen''; Zurich, 1976); collection of essays * ''Encounters and Destinies: A Farewell to Europe'' (2020); collection of essays


Letters

* *


Adaptations

'' Letter from an Unknown Woman'' was filmed in 1948 by Max Ophüls. ''
Beware of Pity ''Beware of Pity'' is a 1946 British romantic drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Lilli Palmer, Albert Lieven and Cedric Hardwicke. It is based on the novel of the same name by Stefan Zweig. A paraplegic young baroness mistakes co ...
'' was adapted into a 1946 film with the same title, directed by
Maurice Elvey Maurice Elvey (11 November 1887 – 28 August 1967) was one of the most prolific film directors in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year. He a ...
. An adaptation by
Stephen Wyatt Stephen Wyatt, born 4 February 1948 in Beckenham, Kent (now Greater London), is a British writer for theatre, radio and television. Early life and education Wyatt was raised in Ealing, West London. He was educated at Latymer Upper School and ...
of ''Beware of Pity'' was broadcast by BBC Radio 4 in 2011. The 2012 Brazilian film ''
The Invisible Collection ''The Invisible Collection'' ( pt, A Coleção Invisível) is a 2012 Brazilian drama film, directed by Bernard Attal and starring Vladimir Brichta, Walmor Chagas and Ludmila Rosa. It was shot in Salvador and Itajuípe, Bahia. Plot Beto's fam ...
'', directed by Bernard Attal, is based on Zweig's short story of the same title. The 2013 French film '' A Promise'' (') is based on Zweig's novella ''Journey into the Past'' ('). The 2013 Swiss film ''Mary Queen of Scots'' directed by Thomas Imbach is based on Zweig's ''Maria Stuart''. The end-credits for
Wes Anderson Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American filmmaker. His films are known for their eccentricity and unique visual and narrative styles. They often contain themes of grief, loss of innocence, and dysfunctional families. Cited by ...
's 2014 film ''
The Grand Budapest Hotel ''The Grand Budapest Hotel'' is a 2014 comedy-drama film written and directed by Wes Anderson. Ralph Fiennes leads a seventeen-actor ensemble cast as Monsieur Gustave H., famed concierge of a twentieth-century mountainside resort in the fiction ...
'' say that the film was inspired in part by Zweig's novels. Anderson said that he had "stolen" from Zweig's novels ''
Beware of Pity ''Beware of Pity'' is a 1946 British romantic drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Lilli Palmer, Albert Lieven and Cedric Hardwicke. It is based on the novel of the same name by Stefan Zweig. A paraplegic young baroness mistakes co ...
'' and '' The Post-Office Girl'' in writing the film, and it features actors
Tom Wilkinson Thomas Geoffrey Wilkinson (born 5 February 1948)Born January–March 1948, according to the ''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com is an English actor of film, television, and stage. He has rece ...
as The Author, a character based loosely on Zweig, and Jude Law as his younger, idealised self seen in flashbacks. Anderson also said that the film's protagonist, the concierge Gustave H., played by
Ralph Fiennes Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes ( ; born 22 December 1962) is an English actor, film producer, and director. A Shakespeare interpreter, he excelled onstage at the Royal National Theatre before having further success at the Royal Shak ...
, was based on Zweig. In the film's opening sequence, a teenage girl visits a shrine for The Author, which includes a bust of him wearing Zweig-like spectacles and celebrated as his country's "National Treasure". The 2017 Austrian-German-French film ''Vor der Morgenröte'' ('' Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe'') chronicles Stefan Zweig's travels in the North and South Americas, trying to come to terms with his exile from home. The 2018 American short film ''Crepúsculo'' by Clemy Clarke is based on Zweig's short story "A Story Told in Twilight" and relocated to a quinceañera in 1980s New York. TV film ''La Ruelle au clair de lune'' (1988) by
Édouard Molinaro Édouard Molinaro (13 May 1928 – 7 December 2013) was a French film director and screenwriter. Biography He was born in Bordeaux, Gironde. He is best known for his comedies with Louis de Funès (''Oscar'', '' Hibernatus''), '' My Uncle B ...
is an adaptation of Zweig's short-story ''Moonbeam Alley''.


See also

* ''Le Monde''s 100 Books of the Century, a list which includes '' Confusion of Feelings''


References


Further reading

* Elizabeth Allday, ''Stefan Zweig: A Critical Biography'', J. Philip O'Hara, Inc., Chicago, 1972 * *
Alberto Dines Alberto Dines (February 19, 1932 – May 22, 2018) was a Brazilian journalist and writer. Biography With a career spanning over five decades, Dines directed and launched several magazines and newspapers in Brazil and Portugal. He has taught jo ...
, ''Morte no Paraíso, a Tragédia de Stefan Zweig'', Editora Nova Fronteira 1981, (rev. ed.) Editora Rocco 2004 * Alberto Dines, ''Tod im Paradies. Die Tragödie des Stefan Zweig'', Edition Büchergilde, 2006 * Randolph J. Klawiter, ''Stefan Zweig. An International Bibliography'', Ariadne Press, Riverside, 1991 * Martin Mauthner, ''German Writers in French Exile, 1933–1940'', Vallentine Mitchell, London 2007, * Oliver Matuschek, ''Three Lives: A Biography of Stefan Zweig'', translated by Allan Blunden, Pushkin Press, 2011 * Donald A. Prater, ''European of Yesterday: A Biography of Stefan Zweig'', Holes and Meier, (rev. ed.) 2003 * George Prochnik, ''The Impossible Exile: Stefan Zweig at the End of the World'',
Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
, 2014, * Giorgia Sogos, ''Le Biografie di Stefan Zweig tra Geschichte e Psychologie: Triumph und Tragik des Erasmus von Rotterdam, Marie Antoinette, Maria Stuart'', Firenze University Press, 2013 * Giorgia Sogos, ''Ein Europäer in Brasilien zwischen Vergangenheit und Zukunft. Utopische Projektionen des Exilanten Stefan Zweig'', in: Lydia Schmuck, Marina Corrêa (Hrsg.): Europa im Spiegel von Migration und Exil / Europa no contexto de migração e exílio. Projektionen – Imaginationen – Hybride Identitäten/Projecções – Imaginações – Identidades híbridas, Frank & Timme Verlag, Berlin, 2015 * Giorgia Sogos, ''Stefan Zweig, der Kosmopolit. Studiensammlung über seine Werke und andere Beiträge. Eine kritische Analyse'',
Free Pen Verlag, Bonn Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procure ...
, 2017 * Giorgia Sogos Wiquel, ''L’esilio impossibile. Stefan Zweig alla fine del mondo'', in: Toscana Ebraica. Bimestrale di notizie e cultura ebraica. Anno 34, n. 6. Firenze: Novembre-Dicembre 2021, Cheshwan – Kislew- Tevet 5782,
Firenze Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, 2022 * Marion Sonnenfeld (editor), ''The World of Yesterday's Humanist Today. Proceedings of the Stefan Zweig Symposium'', texts by Alberto Dines, Randolph J. Klawiter, Leo Spitzer and Harry Zohn, State University of New York Press, 1983 * * Friderike Zweig, ''Stefan Zweig'', Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1946 (account of his life by his first wife)


External links


StefanZweig.org

StefanZweig.de

Stefan Zweig Centre Salzburg

Home page
Casa Stefan Zweig The Casa Stefan Zweig is legally regarded as a private charitable organisation, which was founded in 2006 by a group of interested private donors, to establish a writer's house museum, that is dedicated to the author, in the last residence of St ...

"Stefan Zweig and Chess"
by Edward Winter
"No Exit"
article on Zweig at ''
Tablet Magazine ''Tablet'' is an online magazine focused on Jewish news and culture. The magazine was founded in 2009 and is supported by the Nextbook foundation. Its editor-in-chief is Alana Newhouse. History ''Tablet'' was founded in 2009 with the support ...
''
"To Friends in Foreign Land"
– Zweig's letter, which he published in the newspaper ''
Berliner Tageblatt The ''Berliner Tageblatt'' or ''BT'' was a German language newspaper published in Berlin from 1872 to 1939. Along with the ''Frankfurter Zeitung'', it became one of the most important liberal German newspapers of its time. History The ''Berline ...
'', on September 19, 1914
Zweig's foreword
to ''The World of Yesterday'' *
Guide to the Correspondence of Stefan Zweig and Siegmund Georg Warburg
at the
Leo Baeck Institute, New York The Leo Baeck Institute New York (LBI) is a research institute in New York City dedicated to the study of German-Jewish history and culture, founded in 1955. It is one of three independent research centers founded by a group of German-speaking J ...
*


Libraries


Zweig Music Collection at the British Library

Stefan Zweig Collection at the Daniel A. Reed Library, State University of New York at Fredonia, Fredonia, New York

Stefan Zweig Online Bibliography, a wiki hosted by Stefan Zweig Digital, in Salzburg, Austria

Stefan Zweig's suicide letter
on the
National Library of Israel The National Library of Israel (NLI; he, הספרייה הלאומית, translit=HaSifria HaLeumit; ar, المكتبة الوطنية في إسرائيل), formerly Jewish National and University Library (JNUL; he, בית הספרים הלא ...
's website


Electronic editions

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zweig, Stefan 1881 births 1942 suicides Austrian biographers Male biographers Austrian male dramatists and playwrights German male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century German dramatists and playwrights Austrian male novelists Austrian exiles Austrian expatriates in Brazil 20th-century Austrian novelists German male novelists Austrian refugees Austro-Hungarian Jews Austro-Hungarian writers Barbiturates-related deaths Drug-related suicides in Brazil Exilliteratur writers Jews who immigrated to the United Kingdom to escape Nazism Jewish novelists Jewish dramatists and playwrights Joint suicides People from Innere Stadt Writers from Vienna Anti-nationalism 20th-century biographers 20th-century Austrian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Austrian journalists Suicides by Jews during the Holocaust