Stifter, Adalbert

Stifter, Adalbert

▪ Austrian writer
born Oct. 23, 1805, Oberplan, Austria
died Jan. 28, 1868, Linz
 Austrian narrative writer whose novels of almost classical purity exalt the humble virtues of a simple life. He was the son of a linen weaver and flax merchant, and his childhood experiences in the country, surrounded by peasant craftsmen, provided the setting for his work.

      Stifter was educated at the Kremsmünster abbey school. He enrolled as a law student in Vienna, but for the most part he attended scientific lectures and took no degree. After many years of precarious living as a tutor, artist, and writer, in 1840 he began to publish stories, including Der Condor (1840), Feldblumen (1841; “Wildflowers”), and Die Mappe meines Urgrossvaters (1841–42; “My Greatgrandfather's Portfolio”). In Brigitta (1844) the basic structure of his major work began to emerge: he saw that an inner unity of the landscape and people—a crucial part of life for him—must also determine the shape of his story. Collections of revised stories, Studien, 6 vol. (1844–50; “Studies”) and Bunte Steine (1853; “Colourful Stones”), brought him fame. In the important preface to the latter book, he expounded his doctrine of the “law of gentleness” as the enduring principle.

      During the political turmoil of 1848–50, Stifter was deeply involved in the debate over the role of education; in 1850 he moved from Vienna to Linz, becoming an inspector of schools. The novel Der Nachsommer (1857; “Indian Summer”), his greatest work, depicts a young man learning and growing; the work radiates a still and sun-soaked beauty and a restrained idealism, set against the landscape Stifter loved. His epic Witiko (1865–67) uses medieval Bohemian history as a symbol for the human struggle for a just and peaceful order. Other stories followed, but he was too ill to finish his project of expanding Die Mappe meines Urgrossvaters into a novel: only the first volume was completed.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Stifter, Adalbert — • Poet and pedagogue, b. at Oberplan in Bohemia, 23 October, 1805; d. at Linz, 28 October, 1868 Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Stifter, Adalbert — (1805–1868)    Primarily known as a masterful poetic realist, Stifter was also a painter and pedagogue. Born in the wooded area that reaches from Upper Austria into the Czech Republic, his family was in the flax and linen trade. The household… …   Historical dictionary of Austria

  • Stifter, Adalbert — ► (1805 68) Escritor austríaco. Autor de Estudios y Piedras variopintas …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Stifter — Stifter, Adalbert …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Adalbert Stifter — (* 23. Oktober 1805 in Oberplan, Böhmen, als Albert Stifter; † 28. Jänner 1868 in Linz) war ein österreichischer Schriftsteller, Maler und Pädagoge. Er zählt zu den bedeutendsten Schriftstellern des Biedermeier …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Adalbert Stifter — Adalbert Stifter. Adalbert Stifter (1805 1868) escritor austriaco perteneciente a la corriente Biedermeier. Contenido 1 Trayectoria …   Wikipedia Español

  • Adalbert Stifter —     Adalbert Stifter     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Adalbert Stifter     Poet and pedagogue, b. at Oberplan in Bohemia, 23 October, 1805; d. at Linz, 28 October, 1868. His father was a linen weaver and flax dealer. In these humble surroundings the …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Adalbert Stifter — Activités Écrivain, artiste peintre. Naissance 23 octobre 1805 Oberplan, en Bohême. Décès 28 janvier …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Adalbert I. — Adalbert ist ein männlicher Vorname. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Herkunft und Bedeutung des Namens 2 Namenstag 3 Varianten 4 Bekannte Namensträger 4.1 als Familienname …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Adalbert II. — Adalbert ist ein männlicher Vorname. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Herkunft und Bedeutung des Namens 2 Namenstag 3 Varianten 4 Bekannte Namensträger 4.1 als Familienname …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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