Stefan Zweig | |
|---|---|
Stefan Zweig | |
Zweig c. 1912 | |
| Born | November 28, 1881 |
| Died | February 22, 1942 (aged 60) Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Cause of death | Suicide by barbiturate overdose |
| Resting place | Petrópolis Municipal Cemetery |
| Citizenship | Austrian |
| Education | Maximilian Gymnasium |
| Alma mater | University of Vienna (PhD, 1904) |
| Occupation(s) | Novels, novellas, biography, essays, memoirs, drama, poetry |
| Years active | 1901–1942 |
| Employer | Neue Freie Presse |
| Organization | Internationale Stefan Zweig Gesellschaft |
| Known for | Historical biographies, novellas, memoir writing, advocacy of European humanism and internationalism |
| Notable work | The World of Yesterday Beware of Pity Letter from an Unknown Woman Amok Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman The Royal Game |
| Movement | Modernism |
| Spouse(s) | Friderike Maria von Winternitz (née Burger) (m. 1920; div. 1938) Lotte Altmann (m. 1939–1942) |
| Parent(s) | Moritz Zweig (1845–1926) Ida Brettauer (1854–1938) |
| Relatives | Alfred Zweig (1879–1977) (brother) |
| Awards | Goethe Prize nomination (1932) |
| Website | stefan-zweig |
| Signature | |
Stefan Zweig (German: [tsvaɪk]; November 28, 1881 – February 22, 1942) was an Austrian writer of Jewish descent. He was born in Vienna. He volunteered to be a soldier in the First World War, and got the post as a military commentator. This made him an enemy of war. The Nazis gained power in Germany in 1933, and their influence could be felt in Austria as well. 1934, Stefan Zweig emigrated, first to London, then to South America. That way he lost much of his audience. He committed suicide (together with his second wife) by barbiturate overdose in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro in 1942.
He has written many books and poems. One of his best-known works is called 'Schachnovelle (The Royal Game, in English. In it, he describes a Chess player, that is forced to play against himself (while imprisoned). He explores the theme of madness. This book inspired the movie Geri's Game, made by Pixar in 1997.