Leipzig Book Fair Prize (Preis der Leipziger Buchmesse)
1 appearances
-
Edition 3 (2007) Winner
Svetlana Geier
スヴェトラーナ・ゲイヤー
Svetlana Geier
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1923-04-26 （Kiev, Soviet Union）
- Died
- 2010-11-07 （Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany） age 87
- Nationality
- Soviet Union (birth), Germany (naturalized)
- Languages
- Russian, German, French
- Residence History
- Kiev (birth–1943) → Günterstal (near Freiburg, from 1944) → Karlsruhe (periods of work) → Freiburg (residence until death)
Career
- Occupations
- Translator, University lecturer, Lector (language instructor)
- Active Years
- 1943-2010
- Affiliations
- PEN Centre Germany
- Memberships
- PEN Centre Germany
- Influenced By
- Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Mikhail Bulgakov, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
- Influenced
- German-speaking literary translators
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Faculty of West European Languages) | Faculty of West European Languages | — | — | 1941–1943 | Soviet Union |
| University of Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg) | Faculty of Literature and Comparative Linguistics | Comparative Linguistics | — | 1944– | Germany |
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Faculty of West European Languages)
Faculty of West European Languages
Period:
1941–1943
Country:
Soviet Union
Worked as a translator during studies
University of Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg)
Faculty of Literature and Comparative Linguistics
/ Comparative Linguistics
Period:
1944–
Country:
Germany
Studied with a scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Reinhold-Schneider-Preis | — | — | City of Freiburg | 受賞 |
| 1995 | Leipzig Book Award for European Understanding | — | — | City/organization of Leipzig | 受賞 |
| 1998 | Order of Merit from the University of Karlsruhe | — | — | University of Karlsruhe | 受賞 |
| 2000 | Goldene Eule der Sokratischen Gesellschaft (The Golden Owl) | — | — | Sokratischen Gesellschaft (Socrates Society) | 受賞 |
| 2003 | Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg | — | — | State of Baden-Württemberg | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Honorary Degree from the University of Basel | — | 名誉学位 | University of Basel (Faculty of Philosophy and History) | 授与 |
| 2007 | Leipzig Book Fair Prize (translation) | Complete translations of Dostoevsky's major novels | 翻訳 | Leipzig Book Fair | 受賞 |
| 2007 | Honorary Doctorate from the University of Freiburg | — | 名誉学位 | University of Freiburg | 授与 |
Reinhold-Schneider-Preis
1995
Organization:
City of Freiburg
Result:
受賞
Leipzig Book Award for European Understanding
1995
Organization:
City/organization of Leipzig
Result:
受賞
Order of Merit from the University of Karlsruhe
1998
Organization:
University of Karlsruhe
Result:
受賞
Goldene Eule der Sokratischen Gesellschaft (The Golden Owl)
2000
Organization:
Sokratischen Gesellschaft (Socrates Society)
Result:
受賞
Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg
2003
Organization:
State of Baden-Württemberg
Result:
受賞
Honorary Degree from the University of Basel
2004
Category:
名誉学位
Organization:
University of Basel (Faculty of Philosophy and History)
Result:
授与
Leipzig Book Fair Prize (translation)
2007
Work:
Complete translations of Dostoevsky's major novels
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
Leipzig Book Fair
Result:
受賞
Honorary Doctorate from the University of Freiburg
2007
Category:
名誉学位
Organization:
University of Freiburg
Result:
授与
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Crime and Punishment (Verbrechen und Strafe)
1866 Novel / TranslationDostoevsky's major novel. Geier produced a modern German retranslation capturing the original's tone and nuance.
ConscienceAtonementSocial isolation
Translations
- German translation
The Idiot (Der Idiot)
1868 Novel / TranslationA novel about innocence confronting society; Geier paid close attention to voice and character in her translation.
InnocenceMoralitySocial criticism
Translations
- German translation
Demons / The Possessed (Böse Geister)
1871 Novel / TranslationA depiction of political and religious conflicts in Russia; Geier maintained tension while rendering it into contemporary German.
Political radicalismFaith and nihilismViolence
Translations
- German translation
The Raw Youth / A Raw Youth (Ein grüner Junge)
1875 Novel / TranslationA novel about youth and social adaptation; Geier emphasized narrative rhythm in her translation.
Coming of ageFamilySociety
Translations
- German translation
The Brothers Karamazov (Die Brüder Karamasow)
1880 Novel / TranslationA major work dealing with religious and philosophical themes. Geier completed her multi-decade project of translating Dostoevsky's major novels.
FaithFree willFamily conflict
Translations
- German translation
Bibliography
- Complete translations of Dostoevsky's major novels (completed 2007)
- Translations of Tolstoy, Bulgakov, Solzhenitsyn, and others
- Collections of essays and shorter texts (editorial contributions)
Adaptations
- Documentary 'The Woman with the 5 Elephants' (Die Frau mit den 5 Elephants)
Translations by Author
- Numerous literary translations from Russian into German
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Retranslation approach: prioritizes original style and rhythm while rendering into contemporary GermanCareful, sensitivity to linguistic tone
- Recurring Motifs
- Interest in Russian Orthodox / religious themesConscience and atonementConflict between individual and society
Legacy
Geier is regarded as a key retranslator of Russian literature into German; her modern, readable translations of Dostoevsky greatly influenced the reception of those works in the German-speaking world.
Academic Societies
- PEN Centre Germany
Archives
- Records and holdings in the German National Library and related archives
In Popular Culture
- Profiled in the documentary film 'Die Frau mit den 5 Elephants'
Quotes
-
She chose to translate by dictating to an assistant who typed the text.
Source: Biographical sources including the documentary and press articles (2011)
Trivia
- Born Svetlana Michailovna Ivanova.
- Spent around 20 years translating Dostoevsky's five major novels.
- Worked largely by dictating to an assistant.
- Lived in the same house in Freiburg for over 50 years.