Gert Friedrich Jonke (8 February 1946 – 4 January 2009) was an

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

and novelist.

Life

Jonke was born and educated in Klagenfurt, Austria. He attended the Gymnasium (university preparatory school) and the Conservatory. After he served his mandatory military service, he continued his studies at the College of Music and Representative Art in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

in the Film and Television Department. He did not, however, complete his studies there, nor his studies of

History History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

Philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

Music Theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...

, or

German Studies German studies is an academic field that researches, documents and disseminates German language, literature, and culture in its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies therefore often focus on German culture, German h ...

at the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

which followed. He became friends with the writers' circle of

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

, a centre of the Austrian literary avant garde of the time. In 1969 he published his first novel, ''Geometrischer Heimatroman'' (''Geometric Regional Novel''), which met with some success. The book received a positive review by

Peter Handke Peter Handke (; born 6 December 1942) is an Austrians, Austrian novelist, playwright, translator, poet, film director, and screenwriter. He was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature "for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has ...

in ''

Der Spiegel (, , stylized in all caps) is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of about 724,000 copies in 2022, it is one of the largest such publications in Europe. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...

''. In 1971 he received a scholarship to study in

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

, where he stayed for five years. He then lived for a year in London, followed by extensive travels throughout the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. In 1977, he moved with his partner to Argentina, where he met

Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo ( ; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator regarded as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known w ...

. He returned to Austria in the 1980s. Jonke died of cancer at the age of 62 on 4 January 2009, in Vienna. He was given a

grave of honor An ''Ehrengrab'' ( English: 'grave of honor') is a distinction granted by certain German, Swiss and Austrian cities to some of their citizens for extraordinary services or achievements in their lifetimes. If there are no descendants or institut ...

() in the

Zentralfriedhof The Vienna Central Cemetery () is one of the largest cemeteries in the world by number of interred, and is the most well-known among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries. The cemetery's name is descriptive of its significance as Vienna's biggest cemet ...

, the central cemetery in Vienna.

Works

Prose

* ''Geometrischer Heimatroman'' (1969). ''Geometric Regional Novel'', trans. Johannes W. Vazulik (Dalkey Archive, 1994) * ''Beginn einer Verzweiflung: Epiloge'' (1970, short stories). ''The Beginnings of a Despair: Epilogues'' * ''Musikgeschichte'' (1970, short stories). ''Music History'' * ''Glashausbesichtigung'' (1970). ''A Tour of Glass Houses'' * ''Die Vermehrung der Leuchttürme'' (1971). ''The Multiplication of the Lighthouses'' * ''Schule der Geläufigkeit: Erzählungen'' (1977). ''Homage to Czerny: Studies in Virtuoso Technique'', trans. Jean M. Snook (Dalkey Archive, 2008) * ''Der ferne Klang'' (1979). ''The Distant Sound'', trans. Jean M. Snook (Dalkey Archive, 2010) * ''Die erste Reise zum unerforschten Grund des stillen Horizonts'' (1980). Collection of revised versions of works written between 1965 and 1980: "Wiederholung des Festes"; ''Das System von Wien''; ''Geometrischer Heimatroman''; ''Glashausbesichtigung''; ''Die Hinterhältigkeit der Windmaschinen''; and ''Die Vermehrung der Leuchttürme'' * ''Erwachen zum großen Schlafkrieg'' (1982). ''Awakening to the Great Sleep War'', trans. Jean M. Snook (Dalkey Archive, 2012) * ''Der Kopf des

Georg Friedrich Händel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well-known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

'' (1988). ''The Head of George Frederick Handel'', included in the English-language compilation ''Blinding Moment'' * ''Stoffgewitter'' (1996). ''Thunderbolts of Cloth''. Includes the novella ''Geblendeter Augenblick:

Anton Webern Anton Webern (; 3 December 1883 – 15 September 1945) was an Austrian composer, conductor, and musicologist. His music was among the most radical of its milieu in its lyric poetry, lyrical, poetic concision and use of then novel atonality, aton ...

s Tod'' (''Blinding Moment'') and the autobiographical essay "Individuum und Metamorphose". * ''Himmelstraße – Erdbrustplatz oder Das System von Wien'' (1999). ''The System of Vienna: From Heaven Street to Earth Mound Square'', trans. Vincent Kling (Dalkey Archive, 2009) ** Reworked stories from ''Musikgeschichte'' (1970), ''Beginn einer Verzweiflung'' (1970) and ''Das System von Wien''

Plays and poems

* ''Damals vor Graz'', Forum Stadtpark Graz 1989 * ''Die Hinterhältigkeit der Windmaschinen: Tragodie in drei Akten'' (1971). ''The Deviousness of the Wind Machines'' * ''Im Inland und im Ausland auch'' (1974). ''At Home as Well as Abroad: Poems, Radio Plays, Theatrical Plays'' * ''Sanftwut oder Der Ohrenmaschinist: Eine Theatersonate'' (''Gentle Rage, or The Ear Machinist''), Styriarte Graz 1990 ** First performance in

Sign Language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with #Non-manual elements, no ...

with the deaf actor Werner Mössler by ARBOS - Company for Music and Theatre Vienna 2006 * ''Opus 111: Ein Klavierstuck'', Volkstheater Vienna 1993 * ''Gegenwart der Erinnerung'' (''Memory at Present''), Volkstheater Vienna 1995 * ''Es singen die Steine: ein Stück Naturtheater'' (''The Stones Are Singing: A Piece of Nature Theater''), Stadttheater Klagenfurt 1998 * ''Insektarium'', Volkstheater Vienna 1999, published 2001 * ''Die Vögel'', UA Volkstheater Wien 2002 * ''Chorphantasie: Konzert fur Dirigent auf der Suche nach dem Orchester'', Schauspielhaus Graz, 2003 * ''Redner rund um die Uhr: Eine Sprechsonate'' (''Orator Around the Clock: A Spoken Sonata''), Semper-Depot Vienna, 2004 * ''Seltsame Sache: Ein Melodram für

Lorenzo da Ponte Lorenzo Da Ponte (; 10 March 174917 August 1838) was an Italians, Italian, later American, opera libretto, librettist, poet and Catholic Church, Roman Catholic priest. He wrote the libretti for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Wolfgan ...

'', Ruhrtriennale, 2005 * ''Die versunkene Kathedrale'',

Burgtheater The Burgtheater (; literally: "Castle Theater" but alternatively translated as "(Imperial) Court Theater", originally known as '' K.K. Theater an der Burg'', then until 1918 as the ''K.K. Hofburgtheater'', is the national theater of Austria in ...

Vienna 2005 * ''Freier Fall'', UA Akademietheater Vienna 2008 24.5.2008
Review of the perfoamnce * ''Bursting Suddenly'', aktionstheater ensemble at the Festspielhaus

Bregenz Bregenz (; ) is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost states of Austria, state of Austria. The city lies on the east and southeast shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Switzerland in the wes ...

and Semper Depot Vienna 2008 * ''Alle Stücke'' (2008) * ''Alle Gedichte'' (2010)

Other works

* ''Schwarzbuch'' (1984). Photos by Sepp Schmölzer, text by Jonke. * ''Das Verhalten auf sinkenden Schiffen'' (1997). Text of a speech by

Ilse Aichinger Ilse Aichinger (1 November 1921 – 11 November 2016) was an Austrians, Austrian writer known for her accounts of her persecution by the Nazis because of her Jewish ancestry.

with response from Jonke. * ''Klagenfurt: Ansichten in klassischen Schwarzweiß-Fotografien'' (2004). Photos by Siegfried Gutzelnig, text by Jonke.

Compilations in English

* ''Blinding Moment: Four Pieces About Composers'', trans. Vincent Kling (Ariadne Press, 2009). Includes: ** ''The Head of George Frederick Handel'' ** "Catalogue d'oiseaux" ** ''Gentle Rage, or The Ear Machinist'' ** ''Blinding Moment''

Awards and honors

* 1977

Ingeborg Bachmann Prize The Festival of German-Language Literature () is a literary event which takes place annually in Klagenfurt, Austria. During this major literary festival which lasts for several days a number of awards are given, the major one being the Ingeborg B ...

* 1980 Literature Prize of the University City of Marburg * 1984 Manuscripts prize of Styria * 1987 Austrian Prize for Literature * 1988 Prize of the Frankfurt Authors Foundation * 1990–1993 Robert Musil scholarship * 1991 International Bodensee-Culture Prize * 1993 Merit Award of the City of Vienna * 1994

Anton Wildgans Prize The Anton Wildgans Prize of Austrian Industry is a literary award that was endowed in 1962 by the Federation of Austrian Industry. The prize is worth 15,000 Euro and is granted by an independent jury to a young or middle-aged writer of Austrian ci ...

* 1997

Erich Fried Prize The Erich Fried Prize () is a literary prize in honour of the Austrian poet Erich Fried, and is awarded annually by the for Literature and Language, based in Vienna. The value of the prize, endowed by the office of the Chancellor of Austria, is 15 ...

* 1997 Franz Kafka Literature Prize of the city of

Klosterneuburg Klosterneuburg () is a town in the Tulln District of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Frequently abbreviated to Kloburg by locals, it has a population of about 27,500. The Stift Klosterneuburg ( Klosterneuburg Monastery), which was establish ...

* 1998 Berlin Literature Prize * 2001 Grand Austrian State Prize for Literature * 2003

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 ...

Best Author for ''Chorphantasie'' * 2005

Kleist Prize The Kleist Prize is an annual German literature prize. The prize was first awarded in 1912, on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the death of Heinrich von Kleist. The Kleist Prize was the most important literary award of the Weimar Rep ...

* 2006 Arthur Schnitzler Prize * 2006 Nestroy Theatre Prize Best Author for ''Die versunkene Kathedrale'' (The Sunken Cathedral) * 2008 Nestroy Theatre Prize Best Author for ''Free Fall''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jonke, Gert 1946 births 2009 deaths Austrian male dramatists and playwrights Writers from Klagenfurt Anton Wildgans Prize winners Kleist Prize winners Ingeborg Bachmann Prize winners Recipients of the Grand Austrian State Prize 20th-century Austrian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Austrian male writers