Jakob Schaffner

Jakob Schaffner (November 14, 1875—September 23, 1944) was a leading Swiss novelist who became a supporter of Nazism.

Born on 14 November 1875 in Basel, his father died at an early age before his mother emigrated to the United States, leaving him to be reared in an orphanage. His early experiences inspired his most celebrated novel "Johannes" (sometimes known as "Roman einer Jugend"), which was published in 1922 and was a semi-autobiographical story of life in an orphanage.

As an adult Schaffner moved to Germany and was driven by his German ethnic identity. He believed that Germany had a special mission to lead the world and as such rejoiced at the coming to power of Adolf Hitler in 1933. He would go on to join the Nazi Party and work as a propagandist for Joseph Goebbels. He rarely returned to Switzerland, except for a private audience with cabinet minister Marcel Pilet-Golaz in 1940. He also endorsed the polcies of the National Front in his homeland.

He was killed in 1944 during an air raid on Berlin and was buried in his hometown.

Literary Works

* "Irrfahrten" (Wanderings) 1905
* "Die Laterne und andere Novellen" (The Lantern and other novellas) 1907
* "Konrad Pilater" 1910
* "Der Bote Gottes" (The Messenger of God) 1911
* "Die goldene Fratze" (The Golden Fratze - a German term for a distorted or ugly face or grimace) 1912
* "Die Irrfahrten des Jonathan Bregger" (The Wanderings of Jonathan Bregger) 1912
* "Die Weisheit der Liebe" (The Wisdom of Love) 1919
* "Konrad Pilater" (new version) 1922
* "Johannes" 1922
* "Brüder" (Brothers) 1925
* "Das grosse Erlebnis" (The Grand Experience) 1926
* "Die Jünglingszeit des Johannes Schattenhold" (The Young Manhood of Johannes Schattenhold) 1930 (sequel to "Johannes")
* "Eine deutsche Wanderschaft" (A German Journey) 1933 (third Johannes book)
* "Offenbarung in deutscher Landschaft. Eine Sommerfahrt" (Revealing in German Landscape - A Summer Journey) 1934
* "Berge, Ströme und Städte. Eine schweizerische Heimatschau" (Mountains, Rivers and Cities - A Swiss Homeland Show) 1938
* "Kampf und Reise" (Struggle and Journey) 1939 (final part of Johannes tetralogy)

External links

* [http://www.peterkamber.ch/baz/230199.html Biography of Schaffner]
* [http://www.svbbpt.ch/Literatur/deutsch/treschT21c.htm Shorter biography and list of books]
* [http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.asp?c=fwLYKnN8LzH&b=243125 Nazism in Switzerland]
* [http://www.highbeam.com/library/docfree.asp?DOCID=1G1:14302867&ctrlInfo=Round19%3AMode19b%3ADocG%3AResult&ao= Propaganda work by Schaffner]