Gottfried

Achenwall, Gottfried, 1719-72, German statistician and political scientist. He used the term Statistik for the first time in his Staatsverfassung der heutigen vornehmsten europäischen Reiche und Völker im Grundrisse [the political constitution of the present principal European countries and peoples] (1749). By the term he meant a comprehensive description of the social, political, and economic features of a state.

Benn, Gottfried, 1886-1956, German poet and critic, a physician. His early verse and poetic dramas, such as Der Vermessungsdirigent [the surveyor] (1919), were strongly expressionistic and even nihilistic. His later poems, among them the collection Statische Gedichte (1948), and his autobiography, Doppelleben [double life] (1950), reflect his ambivalent though ultimately negative reactions to the National Socialist era. Benn's essays on aesthetics and politics are well known, and his fictional works, including Der Ptolemäer (1949), are more philosophical prose than tales.

Semper, Gottfried, 1803-79, German architect. Semper was among the most influential architects of the 19th cent. In his book Der Stil in den technischen und tektonischen Künsten (2 vol., 1860-63), he argued for a functional approach to modern architecture based on the study of the industrial arts. He taught (1834-49) architecture at the Dresden Academy and became (1855) director of the architectural section of the Polytechnische Schule, Zürich. Like most of his 19th-century contemporaries, he designed in a variety of revivalist modes, mainly Renaissance-Baroque. His works include the Synagogue (1938) and the Hoftheater (1871) in Dresden; the Zürich Polytechnic School (begun 1859); and (with Karl von Hasenauer) the Burgtheater and the great museums in Vienna (1874-88).

Keller, Gottfried, 1819-90, Swiss novelist, poet, and short-story writer. His vital, realistic, and purposeful fiction gives him a high place among 19th-century authors. Chief among his works is the "educational" novel, Der grüne Heinrich (1854-55; tr. Green Henry, 1960), which he later revised. It is considered one of the outstanding works of the 19th cent. A number of short stories are included in People of Seldwyla (1856-74; tr. 1929); among them is the highly regarded tale which was the basis of Delius's opera A Village Romeo and Juliet.

(born Aug. 25, 1744, Mohrungen, East Prussia—died Dec. 18, 1803, Weimar, Saxe-Weimar) German critic and philosopher. Trained in theology and literature, he initially worked as a teacher and preacher at Riga. As court preacher at Bückeburg, he produced works, including Plastik (1778) and Essay on the Origin of Language (1772), that made him the leading figure of the Sturm und Drang literary movement. In 1770 he met Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who would be his associate for many years and with whom he would help lay the groundwork for German Romanticism. With Goethe's help, he received an appointment at Weimar in 1776; his Sporadic Papers (1785–97) and the unfinished Outlines of a Philosophy of the History of Man (1784–91), attempting to show that nature and history obey one system of laws, mark him as an innovator in the philosophy of history and an early proponent of the idea that a common culture, rather than political boundaries, defines a people. His later estrangement from Goethe resulted in a bitter enmity toward the whole Classical movement in German poetry and philosophy.

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(born Aug. 25, 1744, Mohrungen, East Prussia—died Dec. 18, 1803, Weimar, Saxe-Weimar) German critic and philosopher. Trained in theology and literature, he initially worked as a teacher and preacher at Riga. As court preacher at Bückeburg, he produced works, including Plastik (1778) and Essay on the Origin of Language (1772), that made him the leading figure of the Sturm und Drang literary movement. In 1770 he met Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who would be his associate for many years and with whom he would help lay the groundwork for German Romanticism. With Goethe's help, he received an appointment at Weimar in 1776; his Sporadic Papers (1785–97) and the unfinished Outlines of a Philosophy of the History of Man (1784–91), attempting to show that nature and history obey one system of laws, mark him as an innovator in the philosophy of history and an early proponent of the idea that a common culture, rather than political boundaries, defines a people. His later estrangement from Goethe resulted in a bitter enmity toward the whole Classical movement in German poetry and philosophy.

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(died circa 1210) German poet, one of the greatest of the Middle Ages. Little is known of his life. His courtly epic Tristan und Isolde (circa 1210) is the classic version of the famous love story. The unfinished poem is based on an Anglo-Norman version of the story, which came from Celtic legend. One of the most perfect creations of the medieval courtly spirit, it is distinguished by its refined and elevated tone and its skillful technique.

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(born May 2, 1886, Mansfeld, Ger.—died July 7, 1956, Berlin) German poet and essayist. He received military medical training and was made medical supervisor of jail inmates and prostitutes in occupied Brussels during World War I. His early poems, including those in Fleisch (1917; “Flesh”), contain allusions to degeneracy and medical aspects of decay. Because of his Expressionism and despite his right-wing views, he was penalized during the Nazi era. He regained literary attention with Statische Gedichte (1948; “Static Poems”) and the reappearance of his old poems. A broad selection of his poetry and prose was published in English as Primal Vision (1961).

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(born May 2, 1886, Mansfeld, Ger.—died July 7, 1956, Berlin) German poet and essayist. He received military medical training and was made medical supervisor of jail inmates and prostitutes in occupied Brussels during World War I. His early poems, including those in Fleisch (1917; “Flesh”), contain allusions to degeneracy and medical aspects of decay. Because of his Expressionism and despite his right-wing views, he was penalized during the Nazi era. He regained literary attention with Statische Gedichte (1948; “Static Poems”) and the reappearance of his old poems. A broad selection of his poetry and prose was published in English as Primal Vision (1961).

Learn more about Benn, Gottfried with a free trial on Britannica.com.

The Gottfried-Keller-Preis or Prix Gottfried Keller is one of the oldest literary awards of Switzerland.

The prize was created by Martin Bodmer and is named after the Swiss author Gottfried Keller. It is awarded every 2-3 years.

Laureates

• 1922 Jakob Bosshart
• 1925 Heinrich Federer
• 1927 Charles Ferdinand Ramuz
• 1929 Josef Nadler
• 1931 Hans Carossa
• 1933 Festgabe Universität Zürich
• 1936 Hermann Hesse
• 1938 Ernst Gagliardi
• 1943 Robert Faesi
• 1947 Fritz Ernst
• 1949 Rudolf Kassner
• 1952 Gertrud von Le Fort
• 1954 Werner Kaegi
• 1956 Max Rychner
• 1959 Maurice Zermatten
• 1962 Emil Staiger
• 1965 Meinrad Inglin
• 1967 Edzard Schaper
• 1969 Golo Mann
• 1971 Marcel Raymond
• 1973 Ignazio Silone
• 1975 Hans Urs von Balthasar
• 1977 Elias Canetti
• 1979 Max Wehrli
• 1981 Philippe Jaccottet
• 1983 Hermann Lenz
• 1985 Herbert Lüthy
• 1989 Jacques Mercanton
• 1992 Erika Burkart
• 1994 Gerhard Meier
• 1997 Giovanni Orelli
• 1999 Peter Bichsel
• 2001 Agota Kristof
• 2004 Klaus Merz
• 2007 Fabio Pusterla

External links

• http://www.gottfried-keller-preis.ch