Erasmus Schöfer

Erasmus Schöfer (4 June 1931 – 7 June 2022) was a German writer. He was a member of the German Communist Party and took part in resistance against the Vietnam War and rearmament, among others, and became the chronicler of resistance in Germany in his main work, a tetralogy of novels, Die Kinder des Sisyfos (The Children of Sisyphus). It is based on recent history, from the protests of 1968 in West Germany up to the political and social developments of the 1980s until German reunification. He also wrote poetry, stories, plays and audio plays.

Erasmus Schöfer
Schöfer in 2008
Born(1931-06-04)4 June 1931
Altlandsberg, Germany
Died7 June 2022(2022-06-07) (aged 91)
Cologne, Germany
OccupationWriter
Websitewww.erasmusschoefer.de

Career

Schöfer was born on 4 June 1931 in Altlandsberg and grew up in Berlin.[1][2] After studying in Berlin for several semesters, he worked for three years in production companies in Berlin and Cologne, including Osram and Schwank.[2] In 1955, he returned to studies of German, philosophy and linguistics, now in Cologne and including one year of research in Paris.[2] In 1962, Schöfer received his doctorate in Bonn from the linguist Leo Weisgerber.[2] His thesis was titled Die Sprache Heideggers (Heidegger's language), and was published as a book by Neske.[3]

Schöfer then worked, first in Freiburg and then in Munich, as a freelance correspondent of several newspapers, focused on cultural topics. He also wrote audio plays for broadcasters in both parts of Germany. He wrote three plays which premiered in Freiburg, Dortmund, and Bruchsal.[2]

Schöfer's political engagement began with resistance against the Vietnam War. He took part in major protests.[4] He became known in Germany when he and other authors founded the work circle Werkkreis Literatur der Arbeitswelt in 1970.[5] The authors encouraged literature focused on the work place. He served as its speaker until 1973, and was editor of many of the collected writings.[6] He was a member of the German Communist Party.[7] In the 1980s, Schöfer lived in Greece for several years.[6] In 1980, he became member of the PEN Centre Germany.[6]

Schöfer published his main work, a tetralogy of novels Die Kinder des Sisyfos, between 2001 and 2008.[4][8] It deals, as a Zeitroman, with the history of the Protests of 1968 in West Germany, developing biographies of characters in the context of the political and social battles of the 1970s and 1980s.[1][4]

Work

Schöfer's first book of Erzählungen (stories) was published by Fischer in 1979.[9] A novella, "Der Sturm" (The storm),[10] appeared by Kiepenheuer & Witsch, more stories entitled Flieg Vogel stirb (Fly bird die)[11] were published by Weltkreis-Verlag. After one year in Greece, his first novel was called Tod in Athen (Death in Athens),[12] published in 1986.

From 2001, the volumes of his epic tetralogy Die Kinder des Sisyfos were published by Dittrich Verlag in Berlin.[2] The work deals, as a Zeitroman, with the history of the Protests of 1968 in West Germany, developing biographies of characters in the context of the political and social battles of the 1970s and 1980s,[1] from the protests of 1968 to German reunification.[4] His invented characters, including teachers, actors and workers, deal with large demonstrations against rearmament, the Vietnam War, nuclear power plants and plant shutdowns.[4] The four volumes were Ein Frühling irrer Hoffnung (A spring of mad hope, 2001), Zwielicht (Twilight, 2004), Sonnenflucht (Sun's flight, 2005), and Winterdämmerung (Winter's dusk, 2008).[13] He added a fifth volume as an index to political and social background facts.[4] The Klartext-Verlag in Essen published a collection of his essays, Diesseits von Gut und Böse[14] in 2011, and a selection of his audio plays, Na hörn Sie mal!,[15] in 2012.[2]

Schöfer was awarded the Gustav-Regler-Preis in 2008, for Sisyfos.[1][16] His literary legacy (Vorlass) is held by the Fritz Hüser Institute in Dortmund.[17]

Personal life

Schöfer was married to Christiane Bruhn, who was engaged at theatres in Cologne and Neuss in the 1970s and 1980s.[2] They had four children.[16]

He died in Cologne on 7 June 2022, three days after his 91st birthday.[1][18]

References
  1. "Erasmus Schöfer ist tot" (in German). Verbrecherverlag. 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  2. "Erasmus Schöfer" (in German). LiteraturPort. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  3. Schöfer, Erasmus (1962). Die Sprache Heideggers (in German). Neske. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  4. Gutzeit, Angela (5 July 2019). "Erasmus Schöfer: "Die Kinder des Sisyfos" – Chronist des Widerstands" (in German). Deutschlandfunk. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  5. Münster, Marinus (29 July 2009). "Werkkreis Literatur der Arbeitswelt". Werkkreis Literatur der Arbeitswelt (in German). Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  6. Kebir, Sabine (3 June 2021). "Autor und kulturpolitischer Aktivist: Erasmus Schöfer ist 90". verdi.de (in German). Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  7. "Erasmus Schöfer gestorben". Junge Welt (in German). 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  8. Schöfer, Erasmus (2018). Die Kinder des Sisyfos : Zeitroman (in German). Weilerswist-Metternich. ISBN 978-3-947373-23-9. OCLC 1085389429.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. Schöfer, Erasmus; Werkkreis Literatur der Arbeitswelt Werkstatt Düsseldorf (1979). Der rote Großvater erzählt : Berichte und Erzählungen von Veteranen der Arbeiterbewegung aus der Zeit von 1914 bis 1945 (in German). Frankfurt am Main: Fischer Taschenbuch Verl. ISBN 3-596-21445-9. OCLC 174228068.
  10. Schöfer, Erasmus (1984). Der Sturm (in German). München. ISBN 978-3-426-01089-1. OCLC 74571362.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. Schöfer, Erasmus (1987). Flieg Vogel stirb : Erzählungen (in German). Köln: Pahl-Rugenstein. ISBN 3-7609-7010-9. OCLC 17695641.
  12. Schöfer, Erasmus (1986). Tod in Athen : ein Gegenwartsroman (in German). Dortmund: Weltkreis. ISBN 3-88142-364-8. OCLC 14285936.
  13. Dath, Dietmar (8 June 2022). "Zum Tod von Erasmus Schöfer: Und was machen wir dagegen?". FAZ (in German). Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  14. Schöfer, Erasmus (2011). Diesseits von Gut und Böse : Beiträge fürs Feuilleton (in German). Klartext. ISBN 9783837503845. OCLC 768265592. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  15. Schöfer, Erasmus; Altenburg, Christiane (2012). Na hörn Sie mal! : sechs ausgewählte Funkstücke (in German). Essen. ISBN 978-3-8375-0523-8. OCLC 819379267.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  16. Schöfer, Erasmus (2012). "Stenogramm meines Lebens". erasmusschoefer.de (in German). Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  17. "Literarische Vor- und Nachlässe im Fritz-Hüser-Institut" (in German). Dortmund. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  18. Sukov, Leander (7 June 2022). "Nachruf auf Erasmus Schöfer". leandersukov.de (in German). Retrieved 8 June 2022.
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