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Edition 3 (1966) Winner
Emil Staiger
エミール・シュタイガー
Emil Staiger
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1908-02-08 （Kreuzlingen, Switzerland）
- Died
- 1987-04-28 （Horgen, Switzerland） age 79
- Nationality
- Swiss
- Languages
- German
- Residence History
- Kreuzlingen (birthplace) → Zurich (university and long-term residence) → Horgen (place of death)
Career
- Occupations
- Germanist, Literary critic, Translator, Professor
- Active Years
- 1932-1987
- Affiliations
- University of Zurich
- Memberships
- British Academy (Corresponding Member)
- Influenced By
- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling, Friedrich Hölderlin
- Influenced
- Students and literary public across Europe, Subsequent scholars in hermeneutics and literary criticism
- Nominations
- Nominated for Nobel Prize in Literature (1964)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Geneva | — | Studied theology and classical subjects | — | 1920年代 | Switzerland |
| Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | — | German and Classical Philology | — | 1920年代–1930年代 | Germany |
| University of Zurich | — | German and Classical Philology | 博士（Ph.D. 相当） | ～1932 | Switzerland |
University of Geneva
Studied theology and classical subjects
Period:
1920年代
Country:
Switzerland
Initially studied theology, later switched to German and classical philology.
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
German and Classical Philology
Period:
1920年代–1930年代
Country:
Germany
One of the universities he attended alongside Geneva and Zurich.
University of Zurich
German and Classical Philology
Degree:
博士（Ph.D. 相当）
Period:
～1932
Year of Graduation:
1932
Country:
Switzerland
Received doctorate in 1932 with a thesis on Annette von Droste-Hülshoff.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Gottfried Keller Prize | — | — | Gottfried Keller Prize Committee | 受賞 |
| 1964 | Nobel Prize in Literature (nomination) | — | — | Nobel Prize Committee | ノミネート |
| 1966 | Sigmund Freud Prize | — | 科学的散文への功績 | Prize awarding body | 受賞 |
| 1966 | Zürich Literature Prize | — | — | City of Zurich / awarding body | 受賞 |
| 1966 | Pour le Mérite (for Science and Arts) | — | — | Pour le Mérite | 授章 |
| 1971 | British Academy (Corresponding Member) | — | — | The British Academy | 選出（Corresponding Member） |
| 1975 | Austrian Decoration of Honor for Science and Art | — | — | Republic of Austria | 受章 |
Gottfried Keller Prize
1962
Organization:
Gottfried Keller Prize Committee
Result:
受賞
Nobel Prize in Literature (nomination)
1964
Organization:
Nobel Prize Committee
Result:
ノミネート
Sigmund Freud Prize
1966
Category:
科学的散文への功績
Organization:
Prize awarding body
Result:
受賞
Zürich Literature Prize
1966
Organization:
City of Zurich / awarding body
Result:
受賞
Pour le Mérite (for Science and Arts)
1966
Organization:
Pour le Mérite
Result:
授章
British Academy (Corresponding Member)
1971
Organization:
The British Academy
Result:
選出（Corresponding Member）
Austrian Decoration of Honor for Science and Art
1975
Organization:
Republic of Austria
Result:
受章
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Die Zeit als Einbildkraft des Dichters
1939 Literary criticismAn early collection of critical essays discussing the poet's sense of time and imagination.
time-consciousnesspoetic imaginationhermeneutics
Basic Concepts of Poetics
1946 Literary theory / PoeticsA systematic treatment of central concepts in poetics, advocating a text-centered approach to interpretation.
poeticstext-centered approachinterpretive method
Translations
- English translation: Basic Concepts of Poetics (translated by Janette C. Hudson)
The Art of Interpretation
1955 Hermeneutics / CriticismA representative work presenting a method of interpretation focused on the text itself.
hermeneuticstextual focusautonomy of poetic language
Goethe Studies (three volumes)
1952 Philology / Author studiesA detailed three-volume study of Goethe's early works (published 1952–1959).
Goethe studies19th-century German literaturetextual analysis
Bibliography
- Die Zeit als Einbildkraft des Dichters (1939)
- Basic Concepts of Poetics (1946)
- The Art of Interpretation (1955)
- Goethe Studies (1952–1959)
Translations by Author
- Translations of Aeschylus into German
- Translations of Sophocles into German
- Translations of Euripides into German
- Translations of Virgil into German
- Translations of Tasso into German
- Translations of Poliziano into German
- Translations of Milton into German
Translations of Works
- Basic Concepts of Poetics — English translation by Janette C. Hudson
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Precise, text-centered close readingSensitivity-based interpretive methodClear and analytical prose
- Recurring Motifs
- Autonomy of poetic languageThe attitude of 'first understand what grabs us'Recurring return to Goethe and classical authors
Legacy
Emil Staiger was an important Germanist and critic who advocated a text-centered hermeneutics. Based in Zurich, he influenced students and cultural life across Europe, contributed translations and criticism, and made significant contributions to Goethe studies and poetics.
Academic Societies
- British Academy (Corresponding Member)
Archives
- Yale University Archives
Quotes
-
The poet's word, the word for its own sake, is valid, nothing behind it, about or below it.
Source: The Art of Interpretation and related lectures (1955)
Trivia
- Member of the Swiss National Front from 1932 to 1934, from which he publicly distanced himself in 1935.
- Wrote a long-running column for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
- Recorded nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964.