Swiss Literature

Catalog description

Many of Switzerland’s most well-known authors (Gottfried Keller, Robert Walser, Annemarie Schwarzenbach, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, etc.) have challenged its dominant political narratives: Switzerland’s neutrality, liberal tradition, natural beauty, and economic prosperity. What makes German-Swiss literature particularly fascinating is its status as a “minor literature,” its linguistic singularity and frequent use of words in dialect and other languages. Swiss literature in German will be the focus of the seminar, but Switzerland’s multilingualism always has been—and continues to be—reflected in its literature. In our seminar discussions we will follow a trajectory from Albrecht von Haller through Keller, Spyri, Zurich Dada, and Walser to postwar and post-millennial authors. Topics include realism, the avant-garde, pedagogy, economy, the politics of dystopia, climate change, and migration. No prior knowledge of Swiss literature is required. Readings and discussions will be in German. Recommended: GRMN0600 or equivalent.