Nobel Prize in Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 17 (1919) Winner
Carl Friedrich Georg Spitteler
かーる・ふりーどりひ・げおるく・しゅぴってらー
Carl Friedrich Georg Spitteler
Pen Names:
Carl Felix Tandem（Pseudonym used when publishing Prometheus and Epimetheus (1881)）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1845-04-24 （Liestal, Switzerland）
- Died
- 1924-12-29 （Lucerne, Switzerland） age 79
- Nationality
- Swiss
- Languages
- German
- Residence History
- Basel (study/residence) → Heidelberg (study) → Russia (tutor, 1871–1879) → Bern (teacher/residence) → Lucerne (later life)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Journalist, Teacher
- Active Years
- 1870-1924
- Influenced By
- Jacob Burckhardt, Wilhelm Wackernagel, Russian literature
- Influenced
- Carl Gustav Jung, David Bowie (cultural reference)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Zurich | — | — | — | 1863–1865（法学） | Switzerland |
| Heidelberg University | — | — | — | 1865–1870（神学の学びの一部） | Germany |
| University of Basel | — | — | — | 在学期間あり | Switzerland |
University of Zurich
Period:
1863–1865（法学）
Country:
Switzerland
Studied law from 1863
Heidelberg University
Period:
1865–1870（神学の学びの一部）
Country:
Germany
Studied theology; later declined an offered pastoral position
University of Basel
Period:
在学期間あり
Country:
Switzerland
Received academic influences including philology and history
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | Nobel Prize in Literature | Olympian Spring (Der olympische Frühling) | — | Swedish Academy (Nobel Prize) | Winner |
Nobel Prize in Literature
1919
Work:
Olympian Spring (Der olympische Frühling)
Organization:
Swedish Academy (Nobel Prize)
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Prometheus and Epimetheus
1881 Allegoric prose poemAn allegoric prose poem using the mythic figures Prometheus and Epimetheus to contrast ideals and dogma.
mythideals vs. dogmapsychology
Prometheus the Sufferer (Prometheus der Dulder)
1924 PoetryA revised poetic version of the Prometheus theme, published under his real name in 1924.
sufferingatonementmyth
Olympian Spring (Der olympische Frühling)
1905 Epic poetry (iambic hexameter)A four-part epic written 1900–1905 mixing myth, religion and nature to address humanity's relation to the universe; cited in his 1919 Nobel Prize.
mythcosmologyhuman existence
Imago
1906 Autobiographical novellaAn autobiographical novella examining the role of the unconscious in the conflict between creative mind and bourgeois restriction.
unconsciousautobiographycreativity
Extramundana
1883 PoetryA 1883 poetry collection containing seven cosmic/mythic poems.
cosmosmythallegory
Two Little Misogynists (Die Mädchenfeinde)
1907 Short stories / autobiographicalA collection of short stories drawing on his autobiographical childhood experiences.
autobiographyupbringingsocial observation
Bibliography
- Extramundana (1883)
- Prometheus and Epimetheus (1881)
- Schmetterlinge (1889)
- Der Parlamentär (1889)
- Gustav (1892)
- Balladen (1896)
- Conrad der Leutnant (1898)
- Der olympische Frühling (1900–1905, revised 1910)
- Glockenlieder (1906)
- Die Mädchenfeinde (1907)
- Imago (1906)
- Meine frühesten Erlebnisse (1914)
- Prometheus der Dulder (1924)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- allegoricalepic/lyric hybridsymbolist elements
- Recurring Motifs
- mythnature and cosmosexploration of the unconsciousconflict between individual and society
Legacy
Spitteler is a leading Swiss poet of the early 20th century, known for allegorical and epic works. His magnum opus Olympian Spring contributed to his 1919 Nobel Prize and influenced psychological readings, including those by Carl Jung.
Museums
- Dichter- und Stadtmuseum (Liestal) Liestal, Switzerland
- Swiss Literary Archives Bern, Switzerland
- Zentralbibliothek Zürich (collection) Zürich, Switzerland
Academic Societies
- Swiss literary study groups (various)
Archives
- Swiss Literary Archives (Bern)
- Zentralbibliothek Zürich (Zürich Central Library)
- Dichter- und Stadtmuseum (Liestal)
In Popular Culture
- Carl Jung referenced Spitteler in his psychological exegesis of Prometheus.
- Has been cited in cultural references including by David Bowie (indirect influence).
Quotes
-
"in special appreciation of his epic Olympian Spring"
Source: The Nobel Committee (award citation) (1919)
Trivia
- Published Prometheus and Epimetheus under the pseudonym Carl Felix Tandem.
- Carl Gustav Jung referred to Spitteler's descriptions as an influence on his concept of the anima.
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1919.