Schweizer Bibliothek ("Swiss Library") is a twenty-volume compilation of

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

books, published in 2005/2006. The wide assortment of writers from all around the country is intended to represent 20th century

Swiss literature As there is no dominant national language, the Languages of Switzerland, four main languages of French language, French, Italian language, Italian, German language, German and Romansh language, Romansh form the four branches which make up a l ...

by showcasing twenty of the most important Swiss writers. The collection was compiled by ''

Das Magazin ''Tages-Anzeiger'' (), also abbreviated ''Tagi'' or ''TA'', is a Swiss German-language national daily newspaper published in Zurich, Switzerland. History and profile The paper was first published under the name ''Tages-Anzeiger für Stadt und K ...

'', a weekend supplement-style magazine enclosed with the Saturday editions of several newspapers (namely ''

Tages-Anzeiger ''Tages-Anzeiger'' (), also abbreviated ''Tagi'' or ''TA'', is a Swiss German-language national daily newspaper published in Zurich, Switzerland. History and profile The paper was first published under the name ''Tages-Anzeiger für Stadt und K ...

(Zürich)'', ''

Basler Zeitung ''Basler Zeitung'' (literally: "Basler Newspaper"), or ''BaZ'', is a Switzerland, Swiss German language, German-language regional daily newspaper, published in Basel. History and profile ''Basler Zeitung'' was created in 1977 through the merg ...

'', ''

Berner Zeitung ''Berner Zeitung'' (literally: "Journal of Bern"), also branded as ''BZ'', is a Swiss German-language daily newspaper, published by Tamedia in Bern. History and profile ''Berner Zeitung'' was first issued on 3 January 1979. Four different pape ...

'' and '' Solothurner Tagblatt''). Readings with famous international writers including

Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie ( ; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British and American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern wor ...

and

Ian McEwan Ian Russell McEwan (born 21 June 1948) is a British novelist and screenwriter. In 2008, ''The Times'' featured him on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945" and ''The Daily Telegraph'' ranked him number 19 in its list of the ...

were organized at the same time

Production and Editing of the volumes

One volume was issued every two weeks between 9 December 2005 and the middle of May 2006. The compilation was selected by different experts including

Peter von Matt Peter von Matt (20 May 1937 – 21 April 2025) was a Swiss philologist, specialist in German studies, and author. He was an authority in literary education. Life and career Born in Lucerne on 20 May 1937, Peter von Matt grew up in Stans in the ...

, Corina Caduff, Werner Morlang, Peter Utz, Stefan Zweifel, and by the reviewers of the newspapers involved (e.g. ''Basler Zeitung'', ''Berner Zeitung'', ''Tages-Anzeiger''). The hardback books are high-grade and of simple design by graphic designer Ludovic Balland (studio "The Remingtons"). They feature no cover pictures, but can be identified from the big colored titles, punched into the front covers.

The 20 books

Friedrich Glauser Friedrich Glauser (4 February 1896 in Vienna – 8 December 1938 in Nervi) was a German-language Swiss people, Swiss writer. Biography Glauser was a morphine and opium addict for most of his life. In his first novel ''Gourrama'', written between ...

: ''Matto regiert'' ('' In Matto's Realm'', 1936) # Markus Werner: ''Bis bald'' (1992) # Alice Rivaz: ''Schlaflose Nacht'' (''Jette ton pain'', original in 1979), translated by Markus Hediger #

Max Frisch Max Rudolf Frisch (; 15 May 1911 – 4 April 1991) was a Swiss playwright and novelist. Frisch's works focused on problems of identity (social science), identity, individuality, Moral responsibility, responsibility, morality, and political commi ...

: ''Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän'' ('' Man in the Holocene'', 1979) #

Ruth Schweikert Ruth Schweikert (15 July 1964 – 4 June 2023) was a Swiss writer. She is best known for her novels ''Augen zu'' (Eyes Shut) (1998), ''Ohio'' (2005) and ''How we get older'' (2015). Schweikert was awarded a number of prizes, including the Swiss ...

: ''Erdnüsse, Totschlagen'' (1994) #

Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant- ...

: ''Der Verdacht'' ('' Suspicion (novel)'', 1953) # Gertrud Leutenegger: ''Vorabend (Buch)'' (1975) # Niklaus Meienberg: ''St. Fiden Paris Oerlikon'' (1972–1992, Reportagensammlung) # Peter Weber: ''Der Wettermacher'' (1993) # Nicolas Bouvier: ''Der Skorpionsfisch'' (''Le Poisson-scorpion'' published 1981 in German, translated by Barbara Erne) #

Thomas Hürlimann Thomas Hürlimann (born 21 December 1950) is a Swiss playwright and novelist. Biography Hürlimann was born in Zug, Switzerland. He is a son of the former government and federal councilor (Minister) Hans Hürlimann. He studied philosophy in Züri ...

: ''Das Gartenhaus'' (1989. English = ''The Couple'') # Agota Kristof: ''Das grosse Heft'' (1986 original ''Le grand cahier'', English = "the notebook"), translated by Eva Moldenhauer # Hugo Loetscher: ''Der Immune'' (1975) #

Adolf Muschg Adolf Muschg (born 13 May 1934) is a Swiss writer and professor of literature. Muschg was a member of the Gruppe Olten. Biography Adolf Muschg was born in Zollikon, canton of Zürich, Switzerland. He studied German studies, English studies ...

: „Liebesgeschichten“ (1972) # Urs Widmer: ''Der blaue Siphon'' (1992) #

Robert Walser Robert Walser (15 April 1878 – 25 December 1956) was a German language Swiss writer. He additionally worked as a copyist, an inventor's assistant, a butler, and in various other low-paying trades. Despite marginal early success in his lit ...

: '' Der Gehülfe'' (1918) #

Peter Bichsel Peter Bichsel (; 24 March 193515 March 2025) was a Swiss writer and journalist representing modern German literature. He was a member of the Group 47. His breakthrough was the collection of short stories ''And Really Frau Blum Would Very Much Li ...

: ''Die Jahreszeiten'' (1967) #

Blaise Cendrars Frédéric-Louis Sauser (1 September 1887 – 21 January 1961), better known as Blaise Cendrars (), was a Swiss-born novelist and poet who became a naturalized French citizen in 1916. He was a writer of considerable influence in the European ...

: '' Moloch. Das Leben des Moravagine'' (1926), (''Moravagine'', translated by Lotte Frauendienst{{cite book , url= https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/180896140 , title=Moravagine, publisher=

WorldCat WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the O ...

, oclc=180896140 , accessdate=October 3, 2017) # Fleur Jaeggy: ''Die seligen Jahre der Züchtigung'' (''I beati anni del castigo'', published 1989 in German, translated by Barbara Schaden) # Gerhard Meier: ''Der schnurgerade Kanal'' (1977)

References

External links

www.schweizerbibliothek.ch

www.dasmagazin.ch

www.tagesanzeiger.ch
20th-century books German literature