Niklaus Meienberg
Encyclopedia
Niklaus Meienberg was a Swiss
writer and investigative journalist.
Meienberg lived in Zürich and published 14 books in his lifetime. His works about recent Swiss history. His linguistically dressed to size texts currently enjoy the status of paradigms in Switzerland’s journalist schools.
Meienberg's best texts were compiled in the book St. Fiden Paris Oerlikon. This book was 2005/06 part of the series Schweizer Bibliothek
(a series of 20 of the most important Swiss books.).
. After five years in the convent school Disentis, the 20 years old went to the U.S.
for one year. In New York City
he worked as a clerk for the Federation of Migros
Cooperatives and in Vancouver
, Canada, as a bulldozer driver.
Only then, back in Switzerland, he was ready for studies. As a main subject, he chose history (at the University of Fribourg
, later at the ETH Zurich
, later in a stipend in Paris
). During his years of study he reportedly was a member of a reactionary secret society. In Paris he experienced the riots of May 1968.
He finished his studies in Fribourg with the title of a „lic. phil.“ and the licentiate work
De Gaulle und die USA von 1940 bis 42 (De Gaulle and the USA from 1940 to 42).
From 1966 on, he was a correspondent from Paris of the Weltwoche, for five years. Starting in 1971, he made reports for the Swiss national television’s
culture show Perspektiven (English meaning: “Perspectives”) and lots of productions for the Swiss national radio’s
transmissions, e.g. the satirical transmission Faktenordner (English meaning: „facts folder“). Meanwhile, he became freelancer for the Zurich newspaper Tages-Anzeiger
and the Tages-Anzeiger's magazine Magazin (today named Das Magazin.)
There, because of his critic texts concerning Swiss history and presence, from 1976 on, writing was verboten for him. The longtime ban was imposed on him by publisher Otto Coning – against the editorial staff's wishes.
In 1977 had to go to court because of scenes of his movie Die Erschiessung des Landesverräters Ernst S. (English meaning: “The execution of the national betrayer Ernst S.”) and because of a planned theatre play about Ulrich Wille
. Meienberg, who was advocated by leftist Moritz Leuenberger
, a later member of the Bundesrat (Swiss Federal Council), won the process against the two sons of Wille.
From 1982 to 83, Niklaus Meienberg was head of the Paris Bureau of the German magazine Stern
. Afterwards, he was a freelancer for the weekly newspaper WOZ and acted as a writer.
In spring 1987, he wrote a critic and heavy discussed portrait about Ulrich Wille and his family for the Weltwoche. During fall of the same year, it was published as a book with the title Die Welt als Wille und Wahn (literally: “The World as Will and Delusion”). That’s a word-play: “Wille” is not only a German word for “will”/”intention”, but means the surname of Ulrich Wille, too. The title in turn seems to be a reference to German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s
(1788–1860) main work “Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung” (“The World as Will and Representation”, sometimes also known in English as “The World as Will and Idea”)
Meienberg's penmanship found a lot few other sophisticated word-plays, too: In "Die Erschiessung des Landesverräters Ernst S." he calls the betrayer's execution "Tells Geschoss" (Tell's projectile"), because the executor shot through the betrayer's eye, like Tell shot through an apple, and the macabre punchline is as follows: in German, the "eyeball" is literally called "eye apple".
Even Meienberg's book's titles attest a liking for word jokes (e.g. "The make-believing of true facts" that inverts "Die Vorspiegelung falscher Tatsachen", which is a set phrase in the world of German-speaking courts and jurisdiction.)
The above-mentioned report is partially based on photographs of unpublished letters that Wille wrote to his wife. The exclusive photographs were taken by Meienberg without permission - during they were exposed as pieces of scenery in an exhibition. In the Afterword, Meienberg, admitted this fact as follows:
The guard commanding supervisor of the local museum Meilen
never had flipped open the book, but was happy that its content pleased me and photographer Roland Gretler that much, and didn’t mind me excerpting any passages of the text or Roland Gretler integrally photographing a few dozens of pages.
Meienberg committed suicide on September 24, 1993.
In the media, the suicide of Meienberg caused a big echo. The Austrian writer Erich Hackl
thinks, Meienberg killed himself, because he wasn’t anymore able to bear the course of the world. A doctor would trace this back to untreated depression
. In his last letters Meienberg called himself an “expiring model” (of a journalist?), original text: “auslaufendes Modell”
Niklaus Meienberg's literary remains are conserved in the Swiss Literature Archive (Schweizerisches Literaturarchiv) in Bern, that amongst others also conserves the literary remains of famous names like Albert Einstein
, Hermann Hesse
, Patricia Highsmith
and Adolf Muschg
.
In 1998, Meienberg's former lover, Aline Graf, published a book with the title Der andere Niklaus Meienberg (The other Niklaus Meienberg), in which she describes the eight years she was his lover. She writes rather negatively about him, says that he had held her too tight and his body had looked like a cockchafer grub. Graf was invited to talk shows, gave interviews, had a big media presence. Her book received rather bad reviews in Switzerland's papers and magazines, only in Germany were some positive voices. Her style was found dirty and polluting, she was supposed to being keen on media presence.
The Swiss, that defended Meienberg, were disgusted and angry. Graf wanted to leave the country to recover in Holland for a while.
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....
writer and investigative journalist.
Meienberg lived in Zürich and published 14 books in his lifetime. His works about recent Swiss history. His linguistically dressed to size texts currently enjoy the status of paradigms in Switzerland’s journalist schools.
Meienberg's best texts were compiled in the book St. Fiden Paris Oerlikon. This book was 2005/06 part of the series Schweizer Bibliothek
Schweizer Bibliothek
Schweizer Bibliothek is a twenty-volume compilation of Swiss books, published in 2005/2006. The wide assortment of writers from all around the country is intended to represent 20th century Swiss literature by showcasing twenty of the most important Swiss writers.The collection was compiled by Das...
(a series of 20 of the most important Swiss books.).
Life
Meienberg was born 1940 in St. GallenSt. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
. After five years in the convent school Disentis, the 20 years old went to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for one year. In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
he worked as a clerk for the Federation of Migros
Migros
Migros is one of Switzerland's largest enterprises, its largest supermarket chain and largest employer. It co-founded Turkey's largest retailer, Migros Türk, which became independent of Migros Switzerland in 1975....
Cooperatives and in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada, as a bulldozer driver.
Only then, back in Switzerland, he was ready for studies. As a main subject, he chose history (at the University of Fribourg
University of Fribourg
The University of Fribourg is a university in the city of Fribourg, Switzerland.The roots of the University can be traced back to 1582, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisius founded the Collège Saint-Michel in the City of Fribourg. In 1763, an Academy of law was founded by the state of Frobourg...
, later at the ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
, later in a stipend in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
). During his years of study he reportedly was a member of a reactionary secret society. In Paris he experienced the riots of May 1968.
He finished his studies in Fribourg with the title of a „lic. phil.“ and the licentiate work
De Gaulle und die USA von 1940 bis 42 (De Gaulle and the USA from 1940 to 42).
From 1966 on, he was a correspondent from Paris of the Weltwoche, for five years. Starting in 1971, he made reports for the Swiss national television’s
SRG SSR idée suisse
SRG SSR is the Swiss public broadcasting organisation, founded in 1931 as SRG-SSR. Headquartered in Bern, SRG SSR is a non-profit organisation, funded mainly through radio and television licence fees and making the remaining income from advertising and sponsorship.Switzerland's system of direct...
culture show Perspektiven (English meaning: “Perspectives”) and lots of productions for the Swiss national radio’s
SRG SSR idée suisse
SRG SSR is the Swiss public broadcasting organisation, founded in 1931 as SRG-SSR. Headquartered in Bern, SRG SSR is a non-profit organisation, funded mainly through radio and television licence fees and making the remaining income from advertising and sponsorship.Switzerland's system of direct...
transmissions, e.g. the satirical transmission Faktenordner (English meaning: „facts folder“). Meanwhile, he became freelancer for the Zurich newspaper Tages-Anzeiger
Tages-Anzeiger
Tages-Anzeiger, also abbreviated Tagi or TA, is a German language Swiss national daily newspaper based in Zurich. Among newspapers in Switzerland, it has one of the largest readerships, reaching around 550,000 readers. The Tages-Anzeiger was first published in 1893...
and the Tages-Anzeiger's magazine Magazin (today named Das Magazin.)
There, because of his critic texts concerning Swiss history and presence, from 1976 on, writing was verboten for him. The longtime ban was imposed on him by publisher Otto Coning – against the editorial staff's wishes.
In 1977 had to go to court because of scenes of his movie Die Erschiessung des Landesverräters Ernst S. (English meaning: “The execution of the national betrayer Ernst S.”) and because of a planned theatre play about Ulrich Wille
Ulrich Wille
Conrad Ulrich Sigmund Wille was the General of the Swiss Army during the First World War. Inspired by the Prussian techniques that he had been able to observe at the time of his studies in Berlin, he tried to impress the Swiss Army with a spirit based on instruction, discipline and technical...
. Meienberg, who was advocated by leftist Moritz Leuenberger
Moritz Leuenberger
Moritz Leuenberger is a Swiss politician, lawyer, was a member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1995 to 2010 and President of the Confederation in 2001 and in 2006....
, a later member of the Bundesrat (Swiss Federal Council), won the process against the two sons of Wille.
From 1982 to 83, Niklaus Meienberg was head of the Paris Bureau of the German magazine Stern
Stern (magazine)
Stern is a weekly news magazine published in Germany. It was founded in 1948 by Henri Nannen, and is currently published by Gruner + Jahr, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann. In the first quarter of 2006, its print run was 1.019 million copies and it reached 7.84 million readers according to...
. Afterwards, he was a freelancer for the weekly newspaper WOZ and acted as a writer.
In spring 1987, he wrote a critic and heavy discussed portrait about Ulrich Wille and his family for the Weltwoche. During fall of the same year, it was published as a book with the title Die Welt als Wille und Wahn (literally: “The World as Will and Delusion”). That’s a word-play: “Wille” is not only a German word for “will”/”intention”, but means the surname of Ulrich Wille, too. The title in turn seems to be a reference to German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s
Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer was a German philosopher known for his pessimism and philosophical clarity. At age 25, he published his doctoral dissertation, On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason, which examined the four separate manifestations of reason in the phenomenal...
(1788–1860) main work “Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung” (“The World as Will and Representation”, sometimes also known in English as “The World as Will and Idea”)
Meienberg's penmanship found a lot few other sophisticated word-plays, too: In "Die Erschiessung des Landesverräters Ernst S." he calls the betrayer's execution "Tells Geschoss" (Tell's projectile"), because the executor shot through the betrayer's eye, like Tell shot through an apple, and the macabre punchline is as follows: in German, the "eyeball" is literally called "eye apple".
Even Meienberg's book's titles attest a liking for word jokes (e.g. "The make-believing of true facts" that inverts "Die Vorspiegelung falscher Tatsachen", which is a set phrase in the world of German-speaking courts and jurisdiction.)
The above-mentioned report is partially based on photographs of unpublished letters that Wille wrote to his wife. The exclusive photographs were taken by Meienberg without permission - during they were exposed as pieces of scenery in an exhibition. In the Afterword, Meienberg, admitted this fact as follows:
The guard commanding supervisor of the local museum Meilen
Meilen
Meilen is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- History :Archaeological findings in Meilen date back more than 4,000 years. In January 1854 the level of lake Zürich was particularly low and the locals took the chance to gain some land...
never had flipped open the book, but was happy that its content pleased me and photographer Roland Gretler that much, and didn’t mind me excerpting any passages of the text or Roland Gretler integrally photographing a few dozens of pages.
Meienberg committed suicide on September 24, 1993.
In the media, the suicide of Meienberg caused a big echo. The Austrian writer Erich Hackl
Erich Hackl
Erich Hackl is an Austrian novelist and short-story writer. His works have been translated into English, Spanish, French and Czech, though he is significantly better known in the German-speaking world...
thinks, Meienberg killed himself, because he wasn’t anymore able to bear the course of the world. A doctor would trace this back to untreated depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
. In his last letters Meienberg called himself an “expiring model” (of a journalist?), original text: “auslaufendes Modell”
Niklaus Meienberg's literary remains are conserved in the Swiss Literature Archive (Schweizerisches Literaturarchiv) in Bern, that amongst others also conserves the literary remains of famous names like Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature...
, Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith was an American novelist and short-story writer most widely known for her psychological thrillers, which led to more than two dozen film adaptations. Her first novel, Strangers on a Train, has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times, notably by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951...
and Adolf Muschg
Adolf Muschg
Adolf Muschg is a Swiss writer and professor of literature. Muschg was a member of the Gruppe Olten.- His life :...
.
In 1998, Meienberg's former lover, Aline Graf, published a book with the title Der andere Niklaus Meienberg (The other Niklaus Meienberg), in which she describes the eight years she was his lover. She writes rather negatively about him, says that he had held her too tight and his body had looked like a cockchafer grub. Graf was invited to talk shows, gave interviews, had a big media presence. Her book received rather bad reviews in Switzerland's papers and magazines, only in Germany were some positive voices. Her style was found dirty and polluting, she was supposed to being keen on media presence.
The Swiss, that defended Meienberg, were disgusted and angry. Graf wanted to leave the country to recover in Holland for a while.
Famous voices on Niklaus Meienberg
- "For me, Meienberg mainly is an important author of prose. It doesn’t matter, where this prose finally was published. That’s similar to HeineHeinrich HeineChristian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
. Heinrich Heine wrote a big part of his work for newspapers. That now is part of the binding German-speaking prose." Peter von MattPeter von Matt-Life:Peter von Matt grew up in Stans in the canton of Nidwalden. He studied Art History as well as German and English studies in Zürich and received a doctorate with Emil Staiger on Franz Grillparzer. In 1970, he received his post doctorate lecturing qualifications with a work on E. T. A... - "It is just right, what he wrote" Max FrischMax FrischMax 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...
Awards
- 1990 culture prize of the city St.Gallen
- 1989 Zürich journalists price
- 1988 workprice of the Max-Frisch-foundation
Films
- 1976 »Die Erschiessung des Landesverräters Ernst S.« Drehbuch-Autor (with Richard DindoRichard DindoRichard Dindo is a Swiss documentary film director. He made his first film in 1970.-Filmography:*The Marsdreamers *Gauguin à Tahiti et aux Marquises *Wer war Franz Kafka?...
) (English meaning: “The execution of the national betrayer Ernst S.”) - 1980 »Es ist kalt in BrandenburgBrandenburgBrandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
(Hitler töten«) (with Villi HermannVilli HermannVilli Hermann is a Swiss film director and screenwriter. His 1989 film Bankomatt was entered into the 39th Berlin International Film Festival.-External links:...
and Hans StürmHans SturmHans Sturm was a German football player. He was born in Schönau an der Katzbach, Lower Silesia and died in Köln....
) 150 minutes. CH / BRD 1978/80. (English meaning: “It’s cold in BrandenburgBrandenburgBrandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
(killing Hitler)”) - Films for Swiss Television, together with Villi Hermann:
- 1974 Ein Fremdarbeiter namens Liebermann (English meaning: „A foreign worker called Liebermann“)
- 1974 Bundesarchiv – Putzfrauen und Politiker (English meaning: „Charladies and politicians“)
Books
- St. Fiden - Paris - Oerlikon. Zürich 2006 ISBN 3-905753-08-1
- Reportagen 1 & 2. Zürich 2000 ISBN 3-85791-344-4 and 3-85791-345-2 (English meaning: „Reports: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2“)
- Zunder. Überfälle, Übergriffe, Überbleibsel. Zürich 1993 ISBN 3-257-22775-2 (English meaning: „Tinder. Attacks, inroads, remains“)
- Geschichte des Liebens und des Liebäugelns. Zürich 1992 ISBN 3-85791-210-3 (English meaning: „Story of Loving and Flirting”)
- Weh unser guter Kaspar ist tot. Plädoyers u. dgl.. Zürich 1991 ISBN 3-85791-185-9 (English meaning: „Sore, our good Kaspar is dead“)
- Golf-Krieg. Engagement, Verfolgung und Bedrohung. 1990 (English meaning: „Gulf War. Engagement, Prosecution and Harassment”)
- Vielleicht sind wir morgen schon bleich u. tot. Zürich 1989 ISBN 3-85791-149-2 (out of print) (English meaning: „Maybe tomorrow we are already pale and dead“)
- Die Welt als Wille & Wahn. Elemente zur Naturgeschichte eines Clans. Zürich 1987 ISBN 3-85791-128-X (English meaning: “The World as Will and Delusion. Elements about the natural history of a clan”)
- Heimsuchungen. Ein ausschweifendes Lesebuch. Zürich 1986 ISBN 3-257-21355-7 (English meaning: „Visitations: An outraging Storybook“)
- Der wissenschaftliche Spazierstock. Zürich 1985 ISBN 3-85791-095-X (English meaning: „The Scientific Cane“)
- Vorspiegelung wahrer Tatsachen. Zürich 1983 ISBN 3-85791-060-7 (English meaning: „The Make-believe of true Facts”)
- Die Erweiterung der Pupillen beim Eintritt ins Hochgebirge. Poesie 1966-1981. Zürich 1981 ISBN 3-85791-028-3 (English meaning: „The Enlargement of Pupillas when entering High Mountains”)
- Es ist kalt in Brandenburg. Ein Hitler-Attentat. Zürich 1980, Berlin 1990 (out of print) (English meaning: “It’s cold in BrandenburgBrandenburgBrandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
. An attempt on Hitler”) - Die Erschiessung des Landesverräters Ernst S. Darmstadt 1977, Zürich 1992, ISBN 3-85791-201-4 (English meaning: “The execution of the national betrayer Ernst S.”
- Das Schmettern des gallischen Hahns. Darmstadt 1976, Zürich 1987, ISBN 3-85791-123-9 (English meaning: “The smashing of the Gallic Rooster”)
- Reportagen aus der Schweiz. Darmstadt 1974, Zürich 1994 ISBN 3-85791-227-8 (English meaning: “Reports from Switzerland”)
Further reading
- Klemens Renoldner: Hagenwil-les-deux-Eglises. Ein Gespräch mit Niklaus Meienberg. With a photographic essay by Michael von Graffenried and an essay by Erich HacklErich HacklErich Hackl is an Austrian novelist and short-story writer. His works have been translated into English, Spanish, French and Czech, though he is significantly better known in the German-speaking world...
. Limmat Verlag, Zürich 2003, 112 p. ISBN 3-85791-395-9 - Marianne Fehr: Meienberg. Lebensgeschichte des Schweizer Journalisten und Schriftstellers. Limmat Verlag, Zürich 1999, 556 p. ISBN 3-85791-326-6
- Aline Graf: Der andere Niklaus Meienberg. Aufzeichnungen einer Geliebten. Weltwoche ABC Verlag, Zürich 1998, 422 p. ISBN 3-85504-171-7
- Christof Stillhard: Meienberg und seine Richter. Vom Umgang der Deutschschweizer Presse mit ihrem Starschreiber. Limmat Verlag, Zürich 1992, 151 p. ISBN 3-85791-209-X
- Martin Durrer und Barbara Lukesch (ed.): Niklaus Meienberg als Anlass. Essays Limmat Verlag, Zürich 1988, 232 p. ISBN 3-85791-143-3
External links
- http://www.meienberg.ch – A post mortem hommage site of the Club Meienberg. It informs holistic and contains a databank of publications
- DER Meienberg 84 minutes About the post mortem documentary film from 1999]
- Reviews to Reportagen Volumes 1+2
- Reviews to M. Fehr’s Meienberg-biography of 1999
- A variety of articles, reviews etc.
- More secondary literature