{{Short description|Swiss writer and journalist (1935–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Peter Bichsel | image = Peter Bichsel Amthausplatz Solothurn Mai 2011 (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = Bichsel in 2011 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|3|24|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Lucerne]], Switzerland | death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|3|15|1935|3|24|df=y}} | death_place = [[Zuchwil]], Switzerland | known_for = Short stories | education = | occupation = Writer, journalist | years_active = 1960–2025 | political_party = [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|Social Democratic Party]] (1957–1995) | spouse = {{marriage|Therese Bichsel-Spörri|1956|2005|end=d.}} }}
'''Peter Bichsel''' ({{IPA|de-ch|ˈpeːtər ˈbɪksl̩|lang}};<ref>{{cite web |title=Peter Bichsel - "Ich glaube, dass jeder Gegenstand mit mir zu tun hat" (1965) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c857OLLtdaA&t=193s |website=YouTube | date=13 February 2023 |publisher=Text und Bühne |access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> 24 March 1935{{snd}}15 March 2025) was a Swiss writer and journalist representing modern German literature. He was a member of the [[Group 47]]. His breakthrough was the collection of short stories ''And Really Frau Blum Would Very Much Like to Meet the Milkman''.
==Life and career== Bichsel was born in [[Lucerne]] on 24 March 1935, the son of [[manual labour]]ers.<ref name="e562" /> Shortly after he was born, the Bichsels moved to [[Olten]].<ref name="t812" /> After finishing school, he became an elementary school teacher, a job he held until 1968.<ref name="t812" /> From 1974 to 1981, he was the personal advisor and speech writer of [[Willy Ritschard]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://business-and-science.de/redenschreiber-von-willi-ritschard|title=Redenschreiber von Willi Ritschard – Business And Science|newspaper=Business And Science|language=de-DE|access-date=15 December 2016}}</ref> a member of the [[Swiss Federal Council]].<ref name="z593">{{cite web | author=Christoph Krummenacher (ckr) | title=Peter Bichsels Leben in historischen Bildern: Blick ins Archiv | website=Solothurner Zeitung | date=17 March 2025 | url=https://www.solothurnerzeitung.ch/kultur/solothurn/zum-tod-des-autors-weggefaehrte-von-max-frisch-franz-hohler-willi-ritschard-peter-bichsels-leben-in-historischen-bildern-ld.2748244 | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> Between 1972 and 1989, he made his mark as a "writer in residence" and a guest lecturer at American universities.<ref name="t812" /> Bichsel lived on the outskirts of [[Solothurn]] for several decades.<ref name="f238" />
He started publishing short lyric works in newspapers, for example in ''Weltwoche'', ''Tages-Anzeiger-Magazin'', ''Schweizer Illustrierte'' and ''Luzerner Neueste Nachrichten''.<ref name="d596" /><ref name="e562" /> In 1960, he got his first success in prose as a private printer. In the winter of 1963–1964, he took part in a writing course in prose taught by [[Walter Höllerer]].<ref name="d596">{{cite web | last=Reinacher | first=Pia | title=Peter Bichsel gestorben: Zum Tod des Schweizer Schriftstellers | website=[[FAZ.NET]] | date=17 March 2025 | url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/buecher/autoren/peter-bichsel-gestorben-zum-tod-des-schweizer-schriftstellers-110361333.html | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref>
One of his first and best-known works is ''And Really Frau Blum Would Very Much Like to Meet the Milkman''.<ref name="g318">{{cite web | title=Peter Bichsel: And Really Frau Blum Would Very Much Like to Meet the Milkman (Eigentlich möchte Frau Blum den Milchmann kennenlernen, Suhrkamp Verlag) | website=Suhrkamp Verlag | date=25 February 2025 | url=https://www.suhrkamp.de/rights/book/peter-bichsel-and-really-frau-blum-would-very-much-like-to-meet-the-milkman-fr-9783518225615 | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> Published only in a modest edition in 1964, the book was quickly sold out.<ref name="d596" /> The reason was an enthusiastic review by [[Marcel Reich-Ranicki]].<ref name="d596" /> Just as successful, ''Children's Stories'', intended for adults, is written in the form of droll tales for children.<ref name="d943">{{cite web | title=Peter Bichsel: Children's Stories (Kindergeschichten, Suhrkamp Verlag) | website=Suhrkamp Verlag | date=2 January 1969 | url=https://www.suhrkamp.de/rights/book/peter-bichsel-children-s-stories-fr-9783518391426 | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> Both books were translated from German by the English poet [[Michael Hamburger]].<ref name="w750">{{cite web | title=Catalog Record: And really Frau Blum would very much like to meet the milkman; 21 short stories | website=HathiTrust Digital Library | series=Eigentlich möchte Frau Blum den Milchmann kennenlernen.English | date=1968 | url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001191552 | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref><ref name="h738">{{cite web | title=Stories for children; translated by Michael Hamburger | website=Catalogue | url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/421137 | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> A theme of Bichsel's works for younger readers is the stubborn desire of children to take words literally and wreak havoc on the world of communicated ideas. In the early 1970s and 1980s, Bichsel's journalistic work pushed his literary work mainly into the background.<ref name="t812" /> Only ''Der Busant'' (1985)<ref name="h440">{{cite web | last=Bichsel | first=Peter | title=Der Busant. Buch von Peter Bichsel (Suhrkamp Verlag) | website=Suhrkamp Verlag | date=3 May 2021 | url=https://www.suhrkamp.de/buch/peter-bichsel-der-busant-t-9783518243039 | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> and ''Warten in Baden-Baden'' appeared again with the Bichsel style that was so familiar to German readers.<ref name="p050">{{cite web | title=Journalismus erleben | website=NZZ Live – Journalismus erleben | url=https://live.nzz.ch/de/info/gaestearchiv/peter-bichsel | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> Peter Bichsel gave up being a professional teacher early in his lifetime, later he continued to teach his readers that the drudgery and banality of life are of our own making.<ref name="x938">{{cite web | title=PETER BICHSEL. GESCHICHTEN. | website=walktanztheater | date=22 March 2019 | url=https://www.walktanztheater.com/projekte/produktionen/bichsel-geschichten/ | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> He used often a simple sentence structure 'subject-predicate-object' and was a passionate observer of Switzerland.<ref name="d596" /><ref name="e562" />
From 1957 to 1995 Bichsel was member of the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland]].<ref name="e562" /><ref name="b859">{{cite web | last=Beckmann | first=Gerhard | title=Optimismus zerstört | website=[[Die Welt]] | date=15 November 2011 | url=https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article660362/Optimismus-zerstoert.html | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> He was a founding member of the [[Gruppe Olten]] and member of the [[Group 47]].<ref name="e562">{{cite web | title=Der Grossmeister des Kleinen: Peter Bichsel mit 89 Jahren gestorben | website=Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) | date=17 March 2025 | url=https://www.srf.ch/kultur/literatur/hommage-an-eine-legende-der-grossmeister-des-kleinen-peter-bichsel-89-jaehrig-gestorben | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref>
In 1981, he was a member of the jury at the [[31st Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="berlinale">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1981/04_jury_1981/04_Jury_1981.html |title=Berlinale 1981: Juries |access-date=22 August 2010 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref>
Peter Bichsel's estate was archived in the [[Swiss Literary Archives]] in [[Bern]].<ref name="q339">{{cite web | title=Bichsel, Peter: Archiv Peter Bichsel | website=Schweizerisches Literaturarchiv | date=10 June 2001 | url=https://ead.nb.admin.ch/html/bichsel_A.html | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref>
Bichsel died in [[Zuchwil]] on 15 March 2025, at the age of 89.<ref>{{cite news |title=Celebrated Swiss author Peter Bichsel dies aged 89 |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/culture/celebrated-swiss-author-peter-bichsel-dies-aged-89/89019907 |access-date=17 March 2025 |publisher=Swiss Info |date=17 March 2025}}</ref>
==Awards== [[Image:Peterbichsel01.jpg|thumb|260px|Peter Bichsel´s autograph]]
* 1965 Prize of "[[Group 47]]"<ref name="t812">{{cite web | title=Bichsel | website=Akademie der Künste, Berlin | url=https://www.adk.de/de/akademie/mitglieder/index.htm?we_objectID=50110 | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> * 1970 [[Deutscher Jugendbuchpreis]]<ref name="t812" /> * 1981/82 [[Stadtschreiber von Bergen]]<ref name="y210">{{cite web | title=Peter Bichsel las in Bergen-Enkheim und in Frankfurt – BuchMarkt | website=BuchMarkt – Das Ideenmagazin für den Buchhandel | url=https://buchmarkt.de/peter-bichsel-las-in-bergen-enkheim-und-in-frankfurt/ | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> * 1996 [[Mainzer Stadtschreiber]]<ref name="f238">{{cite web | title=Schweizer Autor Peter Bichsel ist tot | website=[[Süddeutsche.de]] | date=17 March 2025 | url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/literatur-schweizer-autor-peter-bichsel-ist-tot-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-250317-930-405979 | language=de | access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> * 1999 [[Gottfried-Keller-Preis]]<ref name="t812" /> * 2000 Prix Européen de l'Essai Charles Veillon<ref name="t812" /> * 2000 [[Kassel Literary Prize]]<ref name="t812" /> * 2004 Honorary Doctor of Theology, [[University of Basel]]<ref name="t812" /> * 2005 Work grant by [[Pro Helvetia]]<ref name="t812" /> * 2011 [[Solothurner Literaturpreis]]<ref name="t812" /> * 2012 {{ill|Grosser Schillerpreis|de}}<ref name="t812" />
==Short story collections== * {{Cite book |last1=Bichsel |first1=Peter |last2=Spinnler |first2=Rolf |author3=Gigandet |year=1960 |title=Versuche über Gino. Ill. von Rolf Spinnler |publisher=Gigandet |publication-place=[Solothurn] |oclc=80522070 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2018 |title=Eigentlich möchte Frau Blum den Milchmann kennenlernen: 21 Geschichten |publisher=Suhrkamp |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |isbn=978-3-518-39067-2 |language=de}} ** {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=1968 |title=And Really Frau Blum Would Very Much Like to Meet the Milkman |publisher=Marion Boyars Publishers |isbn=978-0-7145-0083-6}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=1997 |title=Die Jahreszeiten |publisher=Suhrkamp |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |isbn=978-3-518-39280-5 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2013 |title=Kindergeschichten |publisher=Suhrkamp Taschenbuch Verl |publication-place=Neuwied Berlin |isbn=978-3-518-39142-6 |language=de}} ** {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=1971 |title=Stories for Children |isbn=978-0-7145-0688-3}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2005 |title=Des Schweizers Schweiz: Aufsätze |publisher=Suhrkamp |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |isbn=978-3-518-39269-0 |language=de}} * ''Inhaltsangabe der Langeweile'' (Hörspiel, 1971)<ref name="h566">{{Cite web |title=INHALTSANGABE DER LANGEWEILE |website=oe1.orf.at |url=https://oe1.orf.at/hoerspiel/suche/8099 |language=de |access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref> * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=1998 |title=Geschichten zur falschen Zeit: Kolumnen 1975 – 1978 |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-39372-7 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=1997 |title=Der Leser. Das Erzählen: Frankfurter Poetik-Vorlesungen |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-39143-3 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=1998 |title=Schulmeistereien |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-39341-3 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=200 |title=Der Busant: von Trinkern, Polizisten und der schönen Magelone0 |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-39601-8 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=1999 |title=Irgendwo anderswo: Kolumnen 1980 - 1985 |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-39432-8}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2006 |title=Möchten Sie Mozart gewesen sein? |publication-place=Stuttgart |publisher=Radius |isbn=978-3-87173-355-0 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=1999 |title=Im Gegenteil: Kolumnen 1986 - 1990 |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-39527-1 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=1993 |title=Zur Stadt Paris: Geschichten |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-40538-3 |language=de}} ** ''To the City of Paris'' {{In lang|de|en}}. Translated by Michael Kuttner. Kolkata: Tarjama (2007). * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2002 |title=Gegen unseren Briefträger konnte man nichts machen |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-39822-7 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=1998 |title=Die Totaldemokraten: Aufsätze über die Schweiz |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-12087-3 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2001 |title=Cherubin Hammer und Cherubin Hammer |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-39665-0 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2000 |title=Alles von mir gelernt: Kolumnen 1995 - 1999 |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-41099-8 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2015 |title=Eisenbahnfahren |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main; Leipzig |publisher=Insel Verlag |isbn=978-3-458-17655-8 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2003 |title=Doktor Schleyers isabellenfarbige Winterschule: Kolumnen 2000 - 2002 |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-41389-0 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2004 |title=Das süsse Gift der Buchstaben: Reden zur Literatur |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-12353-9 |oclc=55653236}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2004 |title=Wo wir wohnen: Geschichten |publication-place=Frankfurt am Main Leipzig |publisher=Insel-Verl |isbn=978-3-458-19253-4 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2017 |title=Im Hafen von Bern im Frühling |publication-place=Stuttgart |publisher=Radius |isbn=978-3-87173-832-6 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2018 |title=Kolumnen, Kolumnen |publication-place=Berlin |publisher=Suhrkamp Verlag |isbn=978-3-518-24172-1 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bichsel |first1=Peter |author-mask1=2 |last2=Mazenauer |first2=Beat |date=2020 |title=Auch der Esel hat eine Seele: frühe Texte und Kolumnen 1963-1971 |publication-place=Berlin |publisher=Suhrkamp |isbn=978-3-518-47004-6}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2021 |title=Im Winter muss mit Bananenbäumen etwas geschehen: Geschichten für die kalte Jahreszeit |publication-place=Berlin |publisher=Insel Verlag |isbn=978-3-458-68178-6 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last=Bichsel |first=Peter |author-mask=2 |date=2023 |title=Die schöne Schwester Langeweile: Geschichten für jeden Tag |publication-place=Berlin |publisher=Insel Verlag |isbn=978-3-458-68305-6 |language=de}}
== References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * Rolf Jucker, ed. (1996). ''Peter Bichsel''. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. {{ISBN|978-0-7083-1380-0}}. * Vineta Colby (1985). "Peter Bichsel". ''World Authors, 1975–1980''. New York: Wilson. {{ISBN|978-0-8242-0715-1}}.
==External links== * {{IMDb name| 2166230}} * {{Discogs artist|Peter Bichsel}} * [https://www.helveticarchives.ch/detail.aspx?ID=201216 Literary estate of Peter Bichsel] in the archive database HelveticArchives of the [[Swiss National Library]]. * [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/64661/Peter-Bichsel Peter Bichsel] in the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. * [https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/011554/2020-01-09/ Historischen Lexikons der Schweiz: Peter Bichsel]
{{Gottfried-Keller-Preis winners}} {{Solothurner Literaturpreis winners}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bichsel, Peter}} [[Category:1935 births]] [[Category:2025 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century Swiss writers]] [[Category:Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin]] [[Category:People from Lucerne]] [[Category:Swiss male short story writers]] [[Category:Swiss short story writers]]