Gruppe Olten
Encyclopedia
The Gruppe Olten was a club of Swiss writers who convened at Olten
's "Bahnhofbuffet" (Swiss expression for a railway station restaurant) located in the canton of Solothurn in the Swiss plateau
. It was founded in the aforementioned railway station restaurant and existed from 1970 to 2002.
The group counted 22 famous former members of the Swiss writer’s club (Schweizerischer Schriftstellerverein, or SSV). Prominent writers like Max Frisch
, Adolf Muschg
, Peter Bichsel
and Friedrich Dürrenmatt
had left the SSV (which they considered to be unprogressive) and became members of the Gruppe Olten.
One of the reasons that led to the separation was that the SSV president Maurice Zermatten
had translated into French the official anti-communist “Civil Defense Book”, which commanded citizens to observe and distrust each other and that was distributed among all Swiss households during the Cold War
.
For the founding members of the group, writing was inseparably associated with political commitment. They specified the goal to "build a democratic-socialist society" in their bylaws. That goal was discarded in 2000, causing the departure of Mariella Mehr
. The remaining part of the article read: "It [the Olten Group] supports nationwide and international political attempts that involve the fair distribution of goods, democratizing economy and public institutions, saving the world from military and civil destruction, and the realization of human rights
."
On 12 October 2002 the Olten Group disbanded in Bern, as did the Swiss writer’s club SSV (in the meantime renamed "Schweizerischer Schriftstellerinnen- und Schriftstellerverband"). A new club, named "Authors of Switzerland" (Autorinnen und Autoren der Schweiz), was founded in their stead.
Olten
Olten is a town in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland and capital of the district of the same name.Olten's railway station is within 30 minutes of Zurich, Bern, Basel, and Lucerne by train, and is a rail hub of Switzerland.-History:...
's "Bahnhofbuffet" (Swiss expression for a railway station restaurant) located in the canton of Solothurn in the Swiss plateau
Swiss plateau
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface...
. It was founded in the aforementioned railway station restaurant and existed from 1970 to 2002.
The group counted 22 famous former members of the Swiss writer’s club (Schweizerischer Schriftstellerverein, or SSV). Prominent writers like Max Frisch
Max Frisch
Max Rudolf Frisch was a Swiss playwright and novelist, regarded as highly representative of German-language literature after World War II. In his creative works Frisch paid particular attention to issues relating to problems of human identity, individuality, responsibility, morality and political...
, Adolf Muschg
Adolf Muschg
Adolf Muschg is a Swiss writer and professor of literature. Muschg was a member of the Gruppe Olten.- His life :...
, Peter Bichsel
Peter Bichsel
Peter Bichsel is a popular Swiss-German writer and journalist representing modern German literature. He was a member of the Gruppe Olten....
and Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Friedrich Dürrenmatt 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-garde dramas, philosophically deep crime novels, and often macabre satire...
had left the SSV (which they considered to be unprogressive) and became members of the Gruppe Olten.
One of the reasons that led to the separation was that the SSV president Maurice Zermatten
Maurice Zermatten
Maurice Zermatten was a French-speaking Swiss writer.He was born in Saint-Martin, Valais, a small village situated in the Val d'Hérens, in the canton of Valais. He was first educated at the Ecole normale and then at the University of Fribourg...
had translated into French the official anti-communist “Civil Defense Book”, which commanded citizens to observe and distrust each other and that was distributed among all Swiss households during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
For the founding members of the group, writing was inseparably associated with political commitment. They specified the goal to "build a democratic-socialist society" in their bylaws. That goal was discarded in 2000, causing the departure of Mariella Mehr
Mariella Mehr
Mariella Mehr is a Swiss writer.Mariella Mehr was born a member of the nomadic Yeniche people. She was a victim of the Hilfswerk für die Kinder der Landstrasse , which separated Yeniche children from their parents...
. The remaining part of the article read: "It [the Olten Group] supports nationwide and international political attempts that involve the fair distribution of goods, democratizing economy and public institutions, saving the world from military and civil destruction, and the realization of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
."
On 12 October 2002 the Olten Group disbanded in Bern, as did the Swiss writer’s club SSV (in the meantime renamed "Schweizerischer Schriftstellerinnen- und Schriftstellerverband"). A new club, named "Authors of Switzerland" (Autorinnen und Autoren der Schweiz), was founded in their stead.