Gottfried Keller (19 July, 1819 – 15 July, 1890) was a poet and novelist from Switzerland who wrote German literature. He is considered to be one of the great intellectuals of 19th-century Europe.
Fun Facts about Gottfried Keller:
- Gottfried Keller was born in Zürich to Rudolf Keller, a master woodturner, and Elisabeth Schenuchzer.
- The future author had six children, but only two made it to maturity – Gottfried Keller and his sister Regula.
- Rudolf Keller suffered an early death, and the Keller children grew up in poverty. Their mother, however, encouraged them to follow their passions. Gottfried first pursued drawing and painting, but when he moved to Berlin, he took up writing.
- Gottfried Keller spent six years in Berlin, and wrote his semi-autobiographical novel Green Henry (Der grüne Heinrich) there. The novel talks about the struggles of a young artist, and became one of his most famous, and personal, works.
- Twenty-five years after publication, Gottfried Keller revised Green Henry, this is the version that became a classic.
- During that time, Mr. Keller also published a collection of short stories called Seldwyla Folks (Die Leute von Seldwyla), which was also well received.
- Upon returning to Zürich he worked as the First Official Secretary of the Canton of Zürich. Canton is an administrative region in Switzerland. He stayed in the post for 15 years until retirement.
- During retirement Gottfried Keller started writing a lot until his death. He lived as a bachelor, employing his sister Regula as a housekeeper.
- Despite his rude manner, reservations, and ways of dealing with people, Gottfried Keller was loved by the townspeople.
- To this day Gottfried Keller is known as a master of short stories.
Zohar – Man of la Book
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Sources:
Gottfried Keller: Swiss Author | Britannica
Gottfried Keller at 200: An enduring literary legacy | dw.com
