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Peter Handke (; born 6 December 1942) is an
Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
novelist, playwright, translator, poet, film director, and screenwriter. He was awarded the
2019 Nobel Prize in Literature The 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the Austrian writer Peter Handke (born 1942) "for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience." The prize was announced by t ...
"for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience." Handke is considered to be one of the most influential and original German-language writers in the second half of the 20th century. In the late 1960s, he earned his reputation as a member of the
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretica ...
with such plays as ''
Offending the Audience ''Offending the Audience'' is a play by Austrian writer Peter Handke. It is sometimes called an "anti-play" because of its renouncements of theatricality. It was originally published in German under the title ''Publikumsbeschimpfung'' (which bett ...
'' (1966) in which actors analyze the nature of theatre and alternately insult the audience and praise its "performance", and ''
Kaspar Kaspar is a given name and surname which may refer to: Given name: * Kaspar, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (1459 – c. 1527) * Kaspar Albrecht (1889–1970), Austrian architect and sculptor * Kaspar Amort (1612–1675), German painter * Casp ...
'' (1967). His novels, mostly ultraobjective,
deadpan Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant to be blun ...
accounts of characters in extreme states of mind, include ''
The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick ''The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick'' (german: Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter) is a 1970 short novel by the Austrian Nobel prize winning writer Peter Handke. It was adapted into a 1972 film with the same title, directed by Wim Wende ...
'' (1970) and ''
The Left-Handed Woman ''The Left-Handed Woman'' (german: Die linkshändige Frau) is a 1978 West German drama film directed by Peter Handke. It was based on Handke's own novel. It was entered into the 1978 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Edith Clever as Marianne * Bruno ...
'' (1976). Prompted by his mother's suicide in 1971, he reflected her life in the novella ''
A Sorrow Beyond Dreams ''A Sorrow Beyond Dreams'' (german: Wunschloses Unglück) is a 1972 semi-autobiographical novella by the Austrian writer Peter Handke. It describes the life of Handke's mother Maria, who committed suicide on 19th November 1971. Reception Thomas Cu ...
'' (1972). A dominant theme of his works is the deadening effects and underlying irrationality of ordinary language, everyday reality, and rational order. Handke was a member of the '' Grazer Gruppe'' (an association of authors) and the Grazer Autorenversammlung, and co-founded the Verlag der Autoren publishing house in Frankfurt. He collaborated with director
Wim Wenders Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker, playwright, author, and photographer. He is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among many honors, he has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Docu ...
, leading to screenplays such as ''
The Wrong Move ''The Wrong Move'' (german: Falsche Bewegung – "False Movement") is a 1975 German road movie directed by Wim Wenders. This was the second part of Wenders' " Road Movie trilogy" which included '' Alice in the Cities'' (1974) and '' Kings of the R ...
'' and ''
Wings of Desire ''Wings of Desire'' (, ; ) is a 1987 romantic fantasy film written by Wim Wenders, Peter Handke and Richard Reitinger, and directed by Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of it ...
''. In 1973, he won the Georg Büchner Prize, the most important literary prize for German-language literature, but in 1999, as a sign of protest against the
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
, Handke returned the prize money to the
German Academy for Language and Literature German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
.


Life


Early life and family

Handke was born in Griffen, then in the
German Reich German ''Reich'' (lit. German Realm, German Empire, from german: Deutsches Reich, ) was the constitutional name for the German nation state that existed from 1871 to 1945. The ''Reich'' became understood as deriving its authority and sovereignty ...
's province Gau Carinthia. His father, Erich Schönemann, was a bank clerk and German soldier whom Handke did not meet until adulthood. His mother Maria, a Carinthian Slovene, married Bruno Handke, a tram conductor and
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
soldier from Berlin, before Peter was born. The family lived in the Soviet-occupied Pankow district of Berlin from 1944 to 1948, where Maria Handke had two more children: Peter's half-sister and half-brother. Then the family moved to his mother's home town of Griffen. Peter experienced his stepfather as more and more violent due to
alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
. In 1954, Handke was sent to the
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
''Marianum'' boys'
boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of " room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exte ...
at Tanzenberg Castle in
Sankt Veit an der Glan Sankt Veit an der Glan (; sl, Šentvid ob Glini) is a town in the Austrian state of Carinthia, the administrative centre of the Sankt Veit an der Glan District. It was the historic Carinthian capital until 1518. The famous chef Wolfgang Puck was ...
. There, he published his first writing in the school newspaper, ''Fackel''. In 1959, he moved to
Klagenfurt Klagenfurt am WörtherseeLandesgesetzblatt 2008 vom 16. Jänner 2008, Stück 1, Nr. 1: ''Gesetz vom 25. Oktober 2007, mit dem die Kärntner Landesverfassung und das Klagenfurter Stadtrecht 1998 geändert werden.'/ref> (; ; sl, Celovec), usually ...
, where he went to high school, and commenced law studies at the University of Graz in 1961. Handke's mother took her own life in 1971, reflected in his novel '' Wunschloses Unglück'' (''A Sorrow Beyond Dreams''). After leaving Graz, Handke lived in
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in ...
, Berlin,
Kronberg Kronberg im Taunus is a town in the Hochtaunuskreis district, Hesse, Germany and part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area. Before 1866, it was in the Duchy of Nassau; in that year the whole Duchy was absorbed into Prussia. Kronberg lies a ...
, Paris, the U.S. (1978 to 1979) and
Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
(1979 to 1988). Since 1990, he has resided in Chaville near Paris. He is the subject of the documentary film '' Peter Handke: In the Woods, Might Be Late'' (2016), directed by . Sebastian Hammelehle wrote that Handke's view of the
Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and insurgencies that took place in the SFR Yugoslavia from 1991 to 2001. The conflicts both led up to and resulted from ...
, which has provoked numerous controversies, was probably romanticized, but that it represented the view of a writer, not a war reporter. The American translator Scott Abbott, who traveled with Handke through
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...
after which numerous essays were published, stated that Handke considered Yugoslavia as the "incredible, rich
multicultural The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...
state that lacked the kind of nationalisms that he saw in Germany and Austria". Abbott added that Handke viewed the disintegration of country as the disappearance of
utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island soc ...
. Reviewing ''
The Moravian Night ''The Moravian Night'' () is a 2008 novel by the Austrian writer Peter Handke. It tells the story of a retired writer who talks about a recent journey and the state of Europe in front of a small crowd on his houseboat, while anchored outside the vi ...
'', Joshua Cohen stated that Handke's Yugoslavia was not a country, but a symbol of himself, a symbol of literature or the "European Novel".
Volker Hage Volker Hage (born 9 September 1949 in Hamburg) is a retired German journalist, author and literary critic, who has reinvented himself as a novelist. Life Hage began his career as a journalist in 1975 as an editor for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zei ...
wrote that ''The Moravian Night'' is "extremely cosmopolitan" and connected to the present, while also that the book represents the autobiographical summary of Handke's life as a writer. Tanjil Rashid noted that "Handke’s novels, plays and memoirs demonstrate the evil of banality". After his play ''Voyage by Dugout'' was staged in 1999, Handke was condemned by other writers:
Susan Sontag Susan Sontag (; January 16, 1933 – December 28, 2004) was an American writer, philosopher, and political activist. She mostly wrote essays, but also published novels; she published her first major work, the essay " Notes on 'Camp'", in 1964. He ...
proclaimed Handke to be "finished" in New York.
Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie (; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British-American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and ...
declared him as a candidate for "International Moron of the Year" due to his "idiocies", while
Alain Finkielkraut Alain Finkielkraut (, ; ; born 30 June 1949) is a French philosopher and public intellectual. He has written books and essays on a wide range of topics, many on the ideas of tradition and identitary nonviolence, including Jewish identity and ant ...
said that he was an "ideological monster", and Slavoj Žižek stated that his "glorification of the Serbs is cynicism". When Handke was awarded the International Ibsen Award in 2014, it caused some calls for the jury to resign.Krever at juryen går av
''Klassekampen''
However, disputing such interpretations of his work as listed above as misinterpreted by the English press, Handke has described the Srebrenica massacre as an "infernal vengeance, eternal shame for the Bosnian Serbs responsible." This concern about the imprecision and political nature of language, carries through Handke's view. In a 2006 interview, Handke commented on concerns about the stereotyped language of the media that "knew everything", endlessly recycling words like "the butcher of Belgrade". Handke’s literary fame was overshadowed in 2006 by his politics. The writer’s public support of
Slobodan Milošević Slobodan Milošević (, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the president of Serbia within Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1997 (originally the Socialist Republic of Serbia, a constituent republic of ...
, the former president of Yugoslavia who died that year while on trial for genocide and war crimes, caused controversy after Handke spoke at his funeral. Because of this the administrator of the theater
Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...
,
Marcel Bozonnet Marcel-Louis Bozonnet (born 18 May 1944, in Semur-en-Auxois), is a French actor. Bozonnet entered the Comédie-Française in 1982, and became a " sociétaire" in 1986. He subsequently directed the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatiq ...
, removed Handke's play "Voyage au pays sonore ou L'art de la question" from the forthcoming 2007 schedule. This event once again drew both supportive and critical voices. Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, the French minister of culture, implicitly criticized Bozonnet's action in a letter addressed to him, and by deciding to invite Handke to the ministry. A petition against the censorship of his work was signed by
Emir Kusturica Emir Kusturica ( sr-cyrl, Емир Кустурица; born 24 November 1954) is a Serbian film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and musician. He also has French citizenship.http://www.serbia.com/emir-kusturica-artist-builder-and-anti-glo ...
, Patrick Modiano (winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2014),
Paul Nizon Paul Nizon (born 19 December 1929 in Bern) is a Swiss art historian and writer. Biography The son of a Russian chemist and a Swiss mother, after leaving school he studied history of art, classical archaeology and German language and literature ...
, Bulle Ogier, Luc Bondy and Handke’s compatriot
Elfriede Jelinek Elfriede Jelinek (; born 20 October 1946) is an Austrian playwright and novelist. She is one of the most decorated authors writing in German today and was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature for her "musical flow of voices and counter-vo ...
(winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2004). Handke was subsequently selected to receive that year’s
Heinrich Heine Prize Heinrich Heine Prize refers to three different awards named in honour of the 19th-century German poet Christian Johann Heinrich Heine: * ''Heinrich Heine prize of Düsseldorf'' * ''Heinrich Heine prize of the Ministry for Culture'' of the former ...
, though he refused it before it was to be revoked from him. In 2013,
Tomislav Nikolić Tomislav Nikolić ( sr-Cyrl, Томислав Николић, ; born 15 February 1952) is a Serbian retired politician who served as the president of Serbia from 2012 to 2017. A former member of the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS), he di ...
, as the then President of Serbia, expressed gratitude saying that some people still remember those who suffered for Christianity, implying that Handke was a victim of scorn for his views, to which Handke replied with explanation, "I was not anyone's victim, the Serbian people is victim." This was said during the ceremony at which Handke received the ''Gold Medal of Merit of the Republic of Serbia''. In 2014, Handke called for the
Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...
to be abolished and dubbed it a "circus". In February 2020, Sima Avramović, the president of the commission for decorations of the Republic of Serbia, explained that Handke, for "special merits in representing Serbia and its citizens" as he "wholeheartedly defended the Serbian truth", is being decorated with the '' Order of the Star of Karadjordje''. The current President of Serbia,
Aleksandar Vučić Aleksandar Vučić ( sr-Cyrl, Александар Вучић, ; born 5 March 1970) is a Serbian politician serving as the president of Serbia since 2017, and as the president of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since 2012. Vučić serve ...
, presented recipients on the occasion of the Serbian Statehood Day.


Reactions to the Nobel Prize


Awards

* 1973: Georg Büchner Prize * 1987: Vilenica International Literary Prize * 2000: * 2002: America Award * 2002:
Honorary Doctor An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
, University of Klagenfurt * 2003: Honorary Doctor,
University of Salzburg The University of Salzburg (german: Universität Salzburg), also known as the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (''Paris-Lodron-Universität Salzburg'', PLUS), is an Austrian public university in Salzburg, Salzburg municipality, Salzburg (state ...
*2008: Thomas-Mann-Preis *2009: Franz Kafka Prize * 2012: Mülheimer Dramatikerpreis * 2014: International Ibsen Award * 2018:
Nestroy Theatre Prize The Nestroy Theatre Prize is an Austrian theatre award named after the poet Johann Nestroy. In 2000, the city of Vienna decided to combine two less noticed theatre awards: the Kainz Medal and the Nestroy Ring for Viennese Satire. The prize honours ...
for Lifetime Achievement * 2019:
Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...
* 2020: Order of Karađorđe's Star *2021: Order of the Republika Srpska


Works

Handke has written novels, plays, screenplays, essays and poems, often published by Suhrkamp. Many works were translated to English. His works are held by the
German National Library The German National Library (DNB; german: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek) is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany. It is one of the largest libraries in the world. Its task is to colle ...
, including: * 1966 ' (''The Hornets''), novel * 1966 '' Publikumsbeschimpfung und andere Sprechstücke'' (''Offending the Audience and Other Spoken Plays''), play, English version as ''Offending the Audience and Self-accusation'' * 1967 ''
Kaspar Kaspar is a given name and surname which may refer to: Given name: * Kaspar, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (1459 – c. 1527) * Kaspar Albrecht (1889–1970), Austrian architect and sculptor * Kaspar Amort (1612–1675), German painter * Casp ...
'', play, English version also as ''Kaspar and Other Plays'' * 1970 '' Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter'' (''The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick''), novel and screenplay of the 1972 film ''
The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty ''The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty'' (german: Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter) is a 1972 German-language drama film directed by Wim Wenders. It is also known as ''The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick''. It was adapted from the novel ...
'' * 1972 '' Der kurze Brief zum langen Abschied'' (''Short Letter, Long Farewell''), novel * 1972 '' Wunschloses Unglück'' (''A Sorrow Beyond Dreams: A Life Story''), semi-autobiographical story * 1973 ', play * 1975 '' Die Stunde der wahren Empfindung'' (''A Moment of True Feeling''), novel * 1977 '' Die linkshändige Frau'' (''The Left-Handed Woman''), screenplay after his 1976 novel * 1979 ''Langsame Heimkehr'' (''Slow Homecoming''), start of a tetralogy of stories, including ''Die Lehre der Sainte-Victoire'' (1980), ''Über die Dörfer'' and ' (1981) * 1983 ' (''Across''), story * 1986 '' Die Wiederholung'' (''Repetition''), novel * 1987 '' Der Himmel über Berlin'' (''Wings of Desire''), screenplay with
Wim Wenders Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker, playwright, author, and photographer. He is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among many honors, he has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Docu ...
* 1990 '' Das Wintermärchen'', William Shakespeare, German translation by Peter Handke. Première Schaubühne Berlin (1990) * 1992 '' Die Stunde, da wir nichts voneinander wußten'' (''The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other'') * 1994 '' Mein Jahr in der Niemandsbucht. Ein Märchen aus den neuen Zeiten'' (''My Year in the No-Man's-Bay''), novel * 2002 '' Der Bildverlust oder Durch die Sierra de Gredos'' (''Crossing the Sierra de Gredos''), novel * 2008 '' Die morawische Nacht'' (''The Moravian Night'') * 2010 '' Immer noch Sturm'' (''Storm Still''), a play about the Slovenian uprising against Hitler in 1945, ; first performance:
Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Ama ...
2011 * 2018 ''Peter Handke Bibliothek''. I. Prose, Poetry, Plays (Vol. 1–9), ; II. Essays (Vol. 10–11), ; III Diaries (Vol. 13–14), * 2021 ''The Fruit Thief: or, One-Way Journey into the Interior''. (Ref. Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092T97V7M/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2)


Further reading

*Abbott, Scott and Žarko Radaković (2013)
''Repetitions''.
Brooklyn/NYC: Punctum Books. * Herwig, Malte (2010). ''Meister der Dämmerung. Peter Handke. Eine Biografie''. München: DVA (official biography in German). *Höller, Hans (2007). ''Peter Handke.'' Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt. * Sebald, W. G. (2013).
Across the Border: Peter Handke's Repetition
'. Amsterdam, Sofia: The Last Books.


References


External links

*
Peter Handke (geb. 1942) / Schriftsteller
Literaturarchiv der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek
Peter Handke / Schriftsteller, Dramatiker, Romancier, Lyriker, Essayist, Übersetzer, Drehbuchautor, Regisseur, Zeichner, Nobelpreisträger / Geboren: 1942, Griffen
Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek

Library of the
Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in political science and t ...

List of works


(poem) Wim Wenders * * Karl-Erik Tallmo

''
Svenska Dagbladet ''Svenska Dagbladet'' (, "The Swedish Daily News"), abbreviated SvD, is a daily newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. History and profile The first issue of ''Svenska Dagbladet'' appeared on 18 December 1884. During the beginning of the ...
'', 23 September 1988 *
Sound recordings with Peter Handke
in the Online Archive of the
Österreichische Mediathek The Österreichische Mediathek ("Austrian Mediathek") is the Austrian archive for sound recordings and videos on cultural and contemporary history. It was founded in 1960 as Österreichische Phonothek (Austrian Phonothek) by the Ministry of Educat ...
(Literary readings, interviews and radio reports) {{DEFAULTSORT:Handke, Peter 1942 births Living people People from Völkermarkt District 20th-century Austrian dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Austrian dramatists and playwrights Austrian male dramatists and playwrights People of Carinthian Slovene descent Austrian people of Slovenian descent Austrian people of German descent Yugoslav people of German descent Eastern Orthodox Christians from Austria Members of the Serbian Orthodox Church Anton Wildgans Prize winners Schiller Memorial Prize winners Georg Büchner Prize winners 20th-century Austrian novelists 21st-century Austrian novelists German-language poets Austrian male poets 20th-century Austrian poets 20th-century Austrian male writers 21st-century Austrian male writers Austrian Nobel laureates Nobel laureates in Literature Eastern Orthodox writers Members of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts Members of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republika Srpska Deniers of the Bosnian genocide