Jakob Schaffner
Encyclopedia
Jakob Schaffner was a leading Swiss
novelist who became a supporter of Nazism
.
Born on 14 November 1875 in Basel
, his father died at an early age before his mother emigrated to the United States
, leaving him to be reared in an orphanage
. His early experiences inspired his most celebrated novel Johannes (sometimes known as Roman einer Jugend), which was published in 1922 and was a semi-autobiographical story of life in an orphanage.
As an adult Schaffner moved to Germany
and was driven by his German ethnic identity
. He believed that Germany had a special mission to lead the world and as such rejoiced at the coming to power of Adolf Hitler
in 1933. He would go on to join the Nazi Party and work as a propagandist for Joseph Goebbels
. He rarely returned to Switzerland, except for a private audience with cabinet minister Marcel Pilet-Golaz
in 1940. He also endorsed the policies of the National Front
in his homeland.
He was killed in 1944 during an air raid on Straßburg
and was buried in his hometown.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
novelist who became a supporter of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
.
Born on 14 November 1875 in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, his father died at an early age before his mother emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, leaving him to be reared in an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
. His early experiences inspired his most celebrated novel Johannes (sometimes known as Roman einer Jugend), which was published in 1922 and was a semi-autobiographical story of life in an orphanage.
As an adult Schaffner moved to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and was driven by his German ethnic identity
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
. He believed that Germany had a special mission to lead the world and as such rejoiced at the coming to power of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in 1933. He would go on to join the Nazi Party and work as a propagandist for Joseph Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
. He rarely returned to Switzerland, except for a private audience with cabinet minister Marcel Pilet-Golaz
Marcel Pilet-Golaz
Marcel Pilet-Golaz was a Swiss politician.He was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on December 13, 1928 and handed over office on December 31, 1944...
in 1940. He also endorsed the policies of the National Front
National Front (Switzerland)
The National Front was a far right political party in Switzerland that flourished during the 1930s.The party began life amongst a number of debating clubs at the University of Zurich, where anti-Semitism, Swiss nationalism and support for ideas similar to those later adopted in the racial policy of...
in his homeland.
He was killed in 1944 during an air raid on Straßburg
Strasburg
-Places:*Strasbourg, a city in Alsace *Straßburg, Austria, in Carinthia*Strasburg, Germany, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania*the former name of Brodnica, became Polish after World War I*Strassburg, the German name for Aiud, Alba...
and was buried in his hometown.
Literary works
- Irrfahrten (Wanderings) 1905
- Die Laterne und andere Novellen (The Lantern and other novellas) 1907
- Konrad Pilater 1910
- Der Bote Gottes (The Messenger of God) 1911
- Die goldene Fratze (The Golden Fratze - a German term for a distorted or ugly face or grimace) 1912
- Die Irrfahrten des Jonathan Bregger (The Wanderings of Jonathan Bregger) 1912
- Die Weisheit der Liebe (The Wisdom of Love) 1919
- Konrad Pilater (new version) 1922
- Johannes 1922
- Brüder (Brothers) 1925
- Das grosse Erlebnis (The Grand Experience) 1926
- Die Jünglingszeit des Johannes Schattenhold (The Young Manhood of Johannes Schattenhold) 1930 (sequel to Johannes)
- Eine deutsche Wanderschaft (A German Journey) 1933 (third Johannes book)
- Offenbarung in deutscher Landschaft. Eine Sommerfahrt (Revealing in German Landscape - A Summer Journey) 1934
- Berge, Ströme und Städte. Eine schweizerische Heimatschau (Mountains, Rivers and Cities - A Swiss Homeland Show) 1938
- Kampf und Reise (Struggle and Journey) 1939 (final part of Johannes tetralogyTetralogyA tetralogy is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works, just as a trilogy is made up of three works....
)